Junior Administrator

Role overview

The client is an owner-managed, Durban-based boutique investment manager and an authorised Category II financial services provider. The business manages local and offshore personal share portfolios, a worldwide unit trust fund and a comprehensive range of model unit trust portfolios, and advises on a selection of Section 12J and Section 12B alternative investment funds.

ACG Growth Partners™ is recruiting a Junior Administrator on behalf of this business. The appointment sits at the centre of the client administration function, processing investment applications from preparation through to submission and keeping service requests, reporting and compliance obligations moving.

The role is office-based and is supported by a second Administrator and by the Administration Department Manager, so the successful candidate joins an established team rather than carrying the function alone. The appointment is permanent, subject to a three-month probationary period.

Key responsibilities

Investment application processing

• Prepare investment applications and their supporting documentation.
• Gather client information and complete onboarding.
• Run compliance checks on every application.
• File and submit completed applications.

Investment processing and facilitation

• Process deposits and withdrawals.
• Attend to account detail amendments.
• Handle share enquiries and share transfers.

Client reporting and tax

• Prepare annual tax packs and attend to ad hoc tax certificate requests.
• Obtain and distribute client investment statements periodically and on request.
• Prepare the various client investment reporting schedules.

Liaison

• Liaise with clients to obtain the information needed for application requirements, service requests and administrative queries.
• Liaise with internal financial advisers and portfolio managers on application requirements, service requests and client queries.
• Liaise with product and service providers on administrative requirements, service requests and queries. These include stockbrokers, platform and LISP providers, fund administrators, share registries and a range of Section 12J and Section 12B fund managers.
• Liaise with the business’s independent financial adviser partner practice on administrative requirements and queries for shared clients.

Records and compliance

• Maintain schedules and complete the various periodic client service, administrative and compliance requirements.
• Maintain system databases.

Minimum requirements

• Matric certificate.
• At least one year of work experience within the financial services and investments industry.
• An understanding of the financial services ecosystem, including FAIS and FICA legislation.
• Available to work on site. This is not a remote position.

Preferred qualifications

• Prior working experience at a Category II FSP, specifically in the administration of personal share portfolios, unit trust funds and model unit trust portfolios.

Skills and competencies

• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office 365 suite, including Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Working comfort with CRM systems, stockbroking and platform portals, and electronic signature systems.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills.
• Methodical and accurate work, with meticulous attention to detail.
• A solution-orientated approach and the ability to work independently.
• Time management, with the ability to manage time and tasks so that deadlines are met.
• A professional image and professional conduct at all times, as a representative of the organisation.
• Clear, collaborative teamwork, with the aim of becoming a reliable, trusted and productive member of the team.

Personal attributes

The successful candidate will be trustworthy, organised and detail orientated, and will thrive in a harmonious team environment. They will bring a genuine commitment to continual improvement and learning, and will be the sort of person a small team can rely on to see a file through to completion without being chased.

Who this suits

This role will suit someone early in an investment administration career who wants to build depth at a boutique Category II manager, working across share portfolios, unit trusts and alternative investment funds rather than a single narrow process, with an established team and a department manager to learn from.