Manager: Fiduciary Officer

Corient; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Corient seeks an experienced Fiduciary Officer to join its Family Office, Trust and Estate team in Cape Town. You will manage end-to-end administration and finalisation of complex deceased estates for HNW and UHNW clients, including offshore assets, from death to distribution.

This role is technical and administrative, with no ongoing client relationship management; you will coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliant winding-up of estates.

Qualifications

• Qualified in law or fiduciary discipline with relevant professional designation.
• 5+ years post-qualification experience in administering complex deceased estates.
• Experience with HNW/UHNW estates and offshore assets.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage complex deceased estates from reporting to final distribution and closure.
• Prepare and finalise Liquidation and Distribution Accounts.
• Liaise with SARS and other authorities on estate duty, tax matters and clearances.
• Administer estates with offshore assets and cross-border considerations.

Skills

Estate administration

Tax & fiduciary compliance

SARS liaison

Offshore asset handling

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

MS Word

MS Excel

Education

LLB, CFP®, or STEP Qualification

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

Job description

OVERALL PURPOSE

We are seeking an experienced Fiduciary Officer to join our Family Office, Trust and Estate team. Reporting to the Director, Family Office, Trust and Estate, you will be responsible for the end-to-end administration and finalisation of complex deceased estates for High Net Worth (HNW) and Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) clients, including estates with local and offshore assets.

The role is predominantly technical and administrative in nature and does not include responsibility for maintaining or managing ongoing client relationships. The incumbent will work closely with internal- and-external stakeholders to ensure the efficient and compliant winding-up of estates.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Estate Administration

• Independently manage complex deceased estates from reporting through to final distribution and closure.
• Prepare and finalise Liquidation and Distribution Accounts.
• Manage asset and liability identification, estate reporting, and estate distributions.
• Ensure compliance with all legislative and fiduciary requirements.

Estate Duty and Tax

• Prepare and review estate duty calculations and supporting documentation.
• Liaise directly with SARS regarding estate registrations, tax matters, assessments, and clearances.
• Apply working knowledge of Capital Gains Tax and identify potential tax risks.

Offshore Estate Administration

• Administer estates with offshore assets and foreign beneficiaries.
• Liaise with foreign banks, investment managers, and fiduciary professionals.
• Manage cross-border estate administration considerations and offshore asset transfers.

Stakeholder Management and Compliance

• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify and elevate fiduciary, legal, tax, and operational risks.
• Maintain the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• LLB, CFP®, or STEP Qualification/Advanced Diploma in Estate and Trust Administration.
• Minimum 5 years' post-qualification experience administering and finalising complex deceased estates.
• Proven experience with HNW and UHNW client estates.
• Ability to independently administer estates from date of death through to final distribution.
• Strong estate duty and tax administration experience.
• Experience dealing directly with SARS, the Master of the High Court, attorneys, conveyancers, foreign banks, and investment companies.
• Experience administering estates with offshore assets and cross-border considerations

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong technical expertise in deceased estate administration.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organisational skills.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Word and Excel proficiency.
• Demonstrates integrity, professionalism, confidentiality, and a strong commitment to compliance.

COMPETENCIES AND BEHAVIOURS

• Values Alignment: Acts as a role model and consistently demonstrates the organisation's values of moral courage, excellence and being family orientated.
• Risk, Compliance & Confidentiality: Maintains strong risk awareness, adheres to compliance policies and procedures, and exercises the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion.
• Planning & Organisation: Effectively prioritises and manages workload, plans ahead, and ensures the timely delivery of objectives.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Works towards team goals, shares knowledge, mentors colleagues, and builds effective relationships across teams.
• Client Focus: Takes ownership and accountability for all client matters, including delegated responsibilities, to deliver exceptional service.
• Accuracy & Attention to Detail: Produces high-quality, accurate work and maintains a strong focus on detail.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making: Analyses information, evaluates broader implications, and develops practical, effective solutions.