Operations Director

Fnz; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Operations Director to oversee Transfer Agency Operations. This role is pivotal in directing strategies, ensuring compliance, and managing risks while delivering exceptional service to corporate clients. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the Wealth Management sector and a proven track record in operational leadership. This position offers the opportunity to influence change and drive operational excellence within a dynamic environment. If you are passionate about leading teams and enhancing service delivery in a fast-paced industry, this is the perfect role for you.

Qualifications

• Extensive operational experience in Wealth Management/Platform industry.
• Director level experience with strong knowledge of platform operations.

Responsibilities

• Direct the development of Transfer Agency Operations and ensure best-in-class services.
• Lead and manage operational risks, compliance, and change management processes.

Skills

Operational Management

Change Management

Client Relationship Management

Risk Management

Compliance Knowledge

Leadership Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business or Finance

Master's Degree (preferred)

Job description

Role Overview

The Operations Director is required to direct all designated Operational Pillars, appropriate operations team, and operations location to be accountable for the end to end service for the Corporate / Retail Clients on behalf of FNZ.

As well as when appropriate to act as a Deputy for the COO. This means the following key requirements, the role holder will be accountable for all Transfer Agency Operations areas, regulatory, and financial risk, within the role holders' remit, across all teams and processes that fall under their operational areas. The role holder will be accountable for all Transfer Agency Operations areas change that takes place within those operational areas, ensuring an effective change process from delivery through to implementation, and ensuring the change is delivered effectively and compliantly. The role holder will be accountable for all service delivery being delivered to our corporate clients, from Transfer Agency Operations areas, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and achievement of service standards, that do not reflect failure.

Specific Role Responsibilities

1. Strategy
   • Direct the development of the Transfer Agency Operations areas purpose and ensure the function provides best in class operational services to clients and internal partners.
   • Direct, challenge and contribute to the development of short, medium, and long-term strategies (including action plans and targets) for Transfer Agency Operations areas.
   • Direct and Oversee the Change Governance of technology solutions that meet the objectives of the business but allow the firm to be scalable, productive, meet service delivery standards, and compliant for future changes, upgrades, and enhancements.
   • Direct and Oversee Transfer Agency Operations leadership management strategy, culture, services, and methodology to adjust to changing regulations and expectations, ensuring the team are fully motivated and have clear career paths and direction.
   • Direct senior relationships across the global business, ensuring collaborative engagement and partnering to achieve the best results and protection for clients and the business.
   • Direct ownership of the internal stakeholders and positively manage the relationships globally to create a positive, collaborative, and engaged relationship.
   • Direct the relationship with external stakeholders in relation to operational areas issues, service standards, change and risk including clients, custodians, consultants, potential clients, third parties, regulators, and non-executive directors.
2. Process
   • Lead Transfer Agency Operations areas resilience within the first line of defence; and deliver reporting / evidence to the COO or governance forums to evidence standards achieved.
   • Direct and lead the error management process, including management of major errors, escalation, analysis, and reporting, direct and lead the delivery of KPI / KRI's in relation to customer contractual terms, taking action to prevent failure, through control and oversight of the activities completed by the Transfer Agency Operations areas under the role holders' remit.
   • Direct the delivery of the Operational Transformation Programme (or any other continuous improvement programme), ensuring delivering and milestone completion for Transfer Agency Operations areas.
   • Direct and lead the management of Transfer Agency Operations areas risk management, covering Control Attestation, Risk Event and Breach Reporting, ensure accurate and timely reporting, with focus on prevention.
   • Ensure appropriate engagement for Audits, Client Visits or any material meetings or engagements, where the role holder or the Transfer Agency Operations areas represent FNZ.
   • Direct and lead implementation and maintenance of operational controls, within Transfer Agency Operations areas, to reduce errors and mitigate potential for fraud.
   • Direct compliance with legislation and regulation in relation to asset servicing operations; and deliver reporting / evidence to the Operations Director to evidence compliance.
3. People
   • Lead and direct development of the Transfer Agency Operations areas through development / training plans, skill base management, feedback, and coaching.
   • Lead and direct the management team for Transfer Agency Operations to ensure exceptional delivery, through accurate, timely and controlled service to both internal and external clients.
   • Manage the performance of all direct reports, addressing (alongside HR) performance issues in a timely manner to ensure that we minimise that there is no client or operational impact.
   • Encourage a culture of collaboration, supportive challenge and discussion through openness and ethical decision making.
   • Ensure compliance with all mandatory training is completed in a timely fashion.
   • Lead and direct the FNZ culture, meeting the FNZ conduct standards and focus on collaboration, debate, openness, and engagement for staff.
4. Governance
   • Design and provide relevant and timely reporting to Boards and Committees as required.
   • Lead all Transfer Agency Operations areas governance meetings, to ensure effective outcome and escalations.
   • Participate and chair governance meetings to ensure that FNZ is driving the right behaviours, as outlined in the FSCA handbook, to mitigate risk to the business.
   • Participate and chair corporate service meetings to ensure that FNZ is driving the right client engagement and behaviours, as outlined in the SDD and TOM, to deliver first class service to our clients.
   • Participate and chair change meetings or release boards to ensure that appropriate understanding, actions, testing and readiness to deliver and implement change.

Experience Required

• Extensive experience of operational experience within the Wealth Management / Platform industry.
• Extensive Director level experience within the Platform industry.
• Strong proposition knowledge of platform industry, from Retail Client to Asset Servicing delivery.
• Experience in a senior management / director role.
• Experience in client relationship management.
• Extensive technical operational knowledge covering the functions under role holders' remit.
• Extensive change management experience.
• Knowledge of the SA financial services and regulatory framework.
• Strong understanding of risk / compliance policies and processes for a financial services business.
• In depth knowledge of different types of operational risks, systems and processes.