Client Service Consultant

Role overview

The client is a financial planning practice working with a select group of high-net-worth individuals and families, with advisers in Johannesburg and Cape Town and clients across South Africa. The practice is built on long-term advisory relationships and deep technical expertise, and is growing its client services capability to match.

The Client Service Consultant sits at the heart of the client services function. It is a hands-on, client-facing role covering the onboarding of new clients, the processing of new business, and the day-to-day administration that keeps client affairs in good order.

This role suits someone detail-orientated and organised who genuinely enjoys client service and administration, and who wants to grow within a high-quality advisory practice. It is an office-based position in Johannesburg.

Key responsibilities

Client onboarding and implementation

• Take ownership of the onboarding process from the point the financial planning team hands over the client implementation.
• Update the CRM system with new client information.
• Check that all documents and supporting information are complete and correct.

New business and switches

• Process new business and amendments with care and consistency.
• Capture application forms correctly and ensure they are signed by clients.
• Track progress and follow up with product providers.
• Send statements and check fees so that every transaction is accurate before it is finalised.

Client administration and payments

• Set up, monitor and manage income and ad hoc payments to clients.
• Send tax certificates and provide investment statements on request to clients and financial planners.
• Handle tax clearance applications and forex transactions.

Systems and compliance

• Keep systems and records accurate and up to date, including all changes to client information on the CRM.

Client service and communication

• Act as a friendly, professional point of contact for clients and product providers.
• Communicate with the relevant role players so that client queries are dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
• Handle telephone queries as they arise, along with other administrative matters referred by management.

Minimum requirements

• An undergraduate business degree.
• Three to five years’ administrative or client services experience within an independent financial adviser business.
• Experience onboarding clients on the Allan Gray, Ninety One, Momentum, Glacier, DMA and Credo platforms.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Tech-savvy, with advanced computer skills and the ability to learn new systems quickly.

Skills and competencies

• Accurate, consistent processing of new business, switches and amendments.
• Confident administration of client payments, tax certificates and statements.
• Disciplined CRM and record-keeping.
• Clear, professional communication with clients, planners and product providers.
• Strong multi-tasking across many moving parts, with initiative exercised inside existing processes and procedures.

Personal attributes

A high level of professionalism and a presentable, client-ready manner, with excellent people skills and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The practice is looking for someone responsible and accountable who takes charge of their own work, brings energy and self-motivation, and holds the detail so that the advice team can stay focused on clients.

What success looks like

In the first few months, you are confidently onboarding new clients and processing new business and switches, with client files and CRM records accurate, complete and up to date, and queries handled swiftly and professionally.

Within the first year, you are a dependable part of the client services engine. Onboarding, new business and general administration run smoothly, compliance records are well maintained, and the advice team can rely on you to hold the detail. You are taking on more complex work with confidence.

Who this suits

Someone with real experience inside an independent adviser business who already knows the major platforms and can hit the ground running. Platform experience is weighted heavily on this mandate: the practice needs someone productive early rather than someone learning the providers from scratch.

Remuneration and working arrangements

Approximately R480,000 cost to company per annum. Permanent, full-time appointment, based in the Johannesburg office.