Research Enablement Specialist

Firstrand Bank Limited; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Firstrand Bank Limited is seeking a Research Enablement Specialist to provide high‑quality editorial, production, and content‑management support for the Research function in Johannesburg. The role emphasizes exceptional English editing, attention to detail, and a strong interest in economics and financial markets.

You will partner with analysts and stakeholders to improve narratives, ensure regulatory compliance, and streamline workflows.

Qualifications

• Editorial, proofreading, and content management experience in research or financial services.
• Experience with economics, finance, or investment terminology is advantageous.
• Bachelor’s or higher degree as specified in qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Edit, proofread, and quality‑assure research publications, presentations, and client-facing materials.
• Act as a quality checkpoint for high‑impact or time‑sensitive outputs before release.
• Uphold editorial style guidelines across asset classes, products, and distribution platforms.
• Partner with analysts and senior stakeholders to improve narrative flow and close content gaps.
• Strengthen structure and readability of insights to enhance client value and usability.
• Maintain and organize the research content repository with version control.
• Coordinate publishing schedules, production timelines, and dependencies to ensure timely delivery.
• Monitor workflow progress, flag risks, and facilitate cross‑team communication.

Skills

Editorial skills

Attention to detail

Stakeholder engagement

Writing ability

Time management

Education

Undergraduate degree (Economics or related)

Bachelor’s degree in English/Publishing/related

Tools

Content management systems

Publishing tools

MS Office

Document design

Job description

The Research Enablement Specialist provides high‑quality editorial, production, and content‑management support to the Research function. This role is ideally suited to an individual with exceptional English language editing and proofreading skills, strong attention to detail, and a keen interest in economics, financial markets, and research. The role strengthens the clarity, accuracy, and usability of research outputs by ensuring they meet established editorial standards, comply with regulatory requirements, and are delivered efficiently across channels. The incumbent partners closely with analysts and stakeholders to enhance content quality, streamline workflows, and maintain the organisation’s research knowledge base.

Key Responsibilities:

Editorial Quality and Content Assurance

• Edit, proofread, and quality‑assure research publications, presentations, and client-facing materials to ensure clarity, coherence, and factual accuracy
• Act as a quality checkpoint for high‑impact or time-sensitive outputs, ensuring all content meets agreed research and editorial standards before release
• Uphold and apply editorial style guidelines consistently across asset classes, product types, and distribution platforms

Research Content Development Support

• Partner with research analysts and senior stakeholders to improve narrative flow, challenge assumptions where needed, and close content or logic gaps
• Strengthen the structure, readability, and overall effectiveness of research insights to enhance client value and usability

Knowledge and Content Management

• Maintain and organise the research content repository, ensuring efficient archiving, retrieval, and version control of research outputs
• Support the preservation of institutional knowledge through structured documentation practices

Research Production and Workflow Management

• Support the coordination of publishing schedules, production timelines, and dependencies to ensure predictable and timely delivery
• Monitor workflow progress, flag risks, and facilitate communication between contributors to reduce bottlenecks

Tools, Templates, and Enablement Platforms

• Maintain and continuously refine research templates, publishing tools, and authoring platforms to ensure usability, accuracy, and alignment with business needs
• Identify opportunities to enhance production efficiency through improved tools and processes

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

• Ensure all research outputs comply with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and approved financial-services DISCLAIMERS
• Apply appropriate review protocols to protect the organisation’s brand, reputation, and legal standing

Continuous Improvement and Issue Analysis

• Track recurring quality issues, workflow challenges, and turnaround-time delays to identify root causes
• Recommend and support the implementation of enhancements that improve the research production lifecycle and stakeholder experience

Stakeholder Support and Engagement

• Assist in the preparation and distribution of research outputs for publications, webinars, and client engagements
• Provide responsive support to analysts, leadership, and client-facing teams on content development and publishing queries

Collaboration and Team Contribution

• Work closely with the Team Leader of Research Enablement to uphold standards and deliver strategic enablement initiatives
• Share knowledge, provide informal guidance to colleagues, and support a culture of continuous improvement within the enablement team

Qualifications

• A completed undergraduate degree in Economics, Publishing or related disciplines (e.g. PPE, Language Practice, Information Science)

Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Publishing, Language Practice, Economics, or related field.
• 3+ years’ experience in editorial, research production, or content management roles.
• Experience in financial services or research environments advantageous.

Skills and CompetenciesTechnical Skills

• Strong editorial, proofreading, and writing ability
• Knowledge of economics, financial and investment research terminology (advantageous)
• Workflow and production coordination
• Content management systems and publishing tools
• MS Office and document‑design proficiency
• Attention to detail and analytical thinking
• Ability to challenge assumptions constructively
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Time management and prioritisation under pressure
• Professional discretion and compliance orientation

All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group’s Employment Equity plan. The Bank supports the recruitment and advancement of individuals with disabilities. In order for us to fulfill this purpose, candidates can disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis. The Bank will keep this information confidential unless we are required by law to disclose this information to other parties.

Research Enablement Specialist • 3 Merchant Place, 1 Fredman Drive, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2196