Business Assurance Adviser (12-month FTC)

St. James’s Place; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)

Private medical insurance

10% non-contributory pension

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus scheme

Online rewards platform

Job summary

St. James’s Place is seeking an Associate for a 12-month Fixed-Term Contract in Bristol. This role involves undertaking suitability assessments across various business areas submitted by financial advisers.

The ideal candidate will either hold a Level 4 diploma in regulated financial planning or be partway through with relevant experience. Benefits include competitive parental leave, private medical insurance, and a generous annual leave allowance.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part way through qualification in financial planning.
• Experience in financial services.
• Ability to demonstrate technical knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Apply technical knowledge to suitability reviews.
• Provide feedback to the Partnership.
• Act as a subject matter expert.
• Advise on trends from case checking.
• Support colleagues through teamwork.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong written communication skills

Financial services experience

Education

Level 4 diploma in regulated financial planning (DipPFS)

Job description

Are you ready to chart your own career path? With our refreshed strategy, we’re building on our rich heritage and transforming our business to be more scalable and efficient, unlocking the capabilities needed for future success. This includes significantly investing in technology, streamlining the way we work and creating an environment where colleagues feel engaged, empowered and accountable; where they can show up, speak up and perform - because we believe in the difference our work makes.

• Location: Edinburgh Office
• Workplace Type: Hybrid
• Employment Type: 12 month Fixed-Term Contract
• Seniority: Associate

Within this role, you'll undertake suitability assessments across a range of business submitted by our financial advisers (The SJP Partnership) including Alternative and offshore Investments, IHT/trust planning and Pensions.

We're seeking candidates who either hold a Diploma in Regulated Financial planning or are part way through qualification, having passed some RO exams, with the ability to demonstrate application of this technical knowledge as well as analytical expertise.

The postholder is required to provide focused feedback and guidance to the SJP Partnership, be able to influence behaviour and encourage engagement to ensure adherence to the regulatory and SJP Advice Policy and Compliance frameworks.

What you'll be doing

• Operate with minimal guidance to apply technical knowledge gained through professional qualifications and technical expertise gained from industry experience to the suitability review of a broad range of advice submissions from the Partnership. Ensure an accurate and analytical approach to all cases consistently and specifically complex aspects of the advice presented including Tax, Critical yield, and affordability calculations.
• Provide expert feedback (both proactive and reactive) to the Partnership and Wealth Management Team where deficiencies in advice or documentation have been identified, ensuring that it is concise and self-explanatory. Influence behaviour and encourage engagement not only to resolve specific cases but more broadly to affect the quality of future submissions.
• Act as a subject matter expert and provide this expertise to the wider business through project and consultative work, to minimise distributor risk to SJP including financial or reputational risk, such as the risk of miss‑selling to clients and regulatory sanctions.
• Advise/escalate any trends or issues raised from case checking or Partner interactions in resolving case specifics. Proactively address areas identified as falling outside of normal parameters or procedures to ensure resolutions are produced leading to constant business improvement.
• Support colleagues through a team‑working approach.

Essential Criteria

• Ideally qualified in a level 4 diploma in regulated financial planning (DipPFS) or part way through qualification having passed some RO exams.
• Relevant financial services experience.
• Good attention to detail.
• Strong written communication skills.

Benefits

• Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)
• Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit)
• 10% non‑contributory pension (increasing with length of service)
• Competitive annual leave allowance (28 days plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days)
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme reflecting both personal and company performance.
• Online rewards platform with a variety of discounts.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are an equal opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all. If you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage please let us know by emailing [e-mail].

Equal Opportunities Statement

Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career‑break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.