Operations Manager - Financial Planning

Tempest Jones; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus opportunity

Medicash healthcare scheme

Study support

Flexible/hybrid working

Autonomy to shape the role

Equity participation

Job summary

Tempest Jones is seeking an Operations Manager to build and shape the Financial Planning support function within a growing practice. The role offers considerable autonomy to design processes that enable Financial Planners to focus on client relationships and growth.

You will recruit, onboard, manage and develop the support team, review workflows, and ensure CRM and tech are fit for purpose, with hybrid working in Sheffield, Leeds, or York.

Qualifications

• Experience in operations or practice management within financial planning or wealth management.
• Strong understanding of relationships and workflows between Financial Planners, Paraplanners and Administrators.
• Experience building a team and establishing processes or improving an existing support function.

Responsibilities

• Build and develop the Financial Planning support team.
• Lead recruitment, review CVs, interview candidates and onboard new staff.
• Assess current paraplanning model and consider bringing it in-house; lead internal paraplanning development if appropriate.
• Oversee day-to-day management of the support team: workloads, holidays, sickness, appraisals.
• Manage workflow and resource planning across the support function; maintain service standards.
• Act as the interface between the support team, Financial Planners and stakeholders.
• Review client review and new business processes to streamline workflows.
• Work with Financial Planners to create efficient processes that reduce admin and develop client relationships.
• Review CRM and technology for fit; identify improvements or alternative systems.
• Establish clear, consistent processes across the support function.
• Assess capacity and future resource requirements as the business grows.

Skills

Operations management

Practice management

Team leadership

Tools

CRM systems

Paraplanning software

Job description

Circa £55-75k depending on experience + package and bonus

Sheffield, Leeds or York

Package

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience
• Bonus opportunity
• Medicash healthcare scheme
• Study support
• Flexible/hybrid working where required
• Significant autonomy to shape the role and support function
• Potential longer-term opportunity for equity participation

The Role

This is a newly created position offering considerable autonomy and the opportunity to build and shape the support function within a growing Financial Planning business.

The Operations Manager will take ownership of creating an effective support structure for the Financial Planning team, initially focusing on recruiting and onboarding the right people before taking responsibility for the ongoing management, development and efficiency of the function.

A key part of the role will be reviewing existing processes, systems and ways of working, identifying opportunities for improvement and ensuring Financial Planners have the right level of operational support to enable them to focus on client relationships and providing advice and driving business growth.

This is a rare opportunity to make a significant impact on the business, with the autonomy to bring your own ideas and expertise to the role and directly influence how the firm evolves, grows and operates in the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and develop the Financial Planning support team, including identifying appropriate resource requirements as the business grows.
• Take a lead on recruitment, review CVs, interview candidates and manage the appointment and onboarding of new support staff and other support professionals as required.
• Assess the current outsourced paraplanning model and determine whether bringing some or all paraplanning support in-house would benefit the business. If appropriate, lead the recruitment and development of an internal paraplanning function.
• Take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the support team, including workloads, holidays, sickness, one-to-ones and appraisals.
• Manage workflow and resource planning across the support function, ensuring work is allocated effectively and service standards are maintained.
• Act as the key interface between the support team, Financial Planners and the wider business stakeholders.
• Review existing client review and new business processes, identifying opportunities to streamline and improve workflows.
• Work closely with Financial Planners to create efficient and effective processes that reduce unnecessary administration and allow advisers to concentrate on providing advice and developing client relationships.
• Review the firm's existing CRM and associated technology, assessing whether systems are fit for purpose and being utilised effectively. Identify where improvements can be made through better use of existing technology or whether alternative systems should be considered.
• Establish clear, consistent processes and procedures across the support function.
• Continually assess capacity and future resource requirements as the Financial Planning business develops.

Skills & Experience

Ideally, you will have an operations, practice management or senior support background within an independent Financial Planning or Wealth Management business.

The successful individual is likely to have strong knowledge of the relationship and workflow between Financial Planners, Paraplanners and Administrators, alongside a good understanding of the processes involved in supporting pensions and investment advice.

Experience of building a team, establishing processes or improving an existing support function would be particularly valuable, but not essential.

An understanding of paraplanning and the role it plays within the advice process would also be advantageous, particularly given the opportunity to assess and potentially develop an in-house paraplanning function.

Above all, this role requires somebody who is comfortable being hands-on, taking ownership and making recommendations rather than simply maintaining existing processes.