Job Description

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A well-established financial services entity is on the lookout for a meticulous and detail-oriented Employee Benefits Consultant to join their team on a full-time, permanent basis. This pivotal role focuses on managing and overseeing the full spectrum of death, disability, and funeral claim processes while ensuring strict compliance with legal and internal protocols. You'll serve as a trusted advisor to clients, liaise with multiple stakeholders including insurers, trustees, and employers, and contribute to the strategic growth and governance of the business
Key Responsibilities:

• Provide professional advice to clients and comply with the requirements of the FAIS Act and Codes of Conduct

• Consult to and service the portfolio of clients in accordance with the service model and consulting agreements

• Prepare and present client meeting packs to the participating employer forums/trustee boards in terms of the service model

• Retention of existing clients

• Service the portfolio of allocated third party broker clients

• Conduct client risk re-brokes in terms of the service model

• Provide clients with an annual benefits comparison/market benchmark using the Sanlam Annual Benchmark as per service model

• Ensure that annual benefit statements are checked and issued for client portfolio

• Initiate and manage client's member engagement strategy in conjunction with the MAPS team

• Manage member underwriting requirements and acceptances process for client portfolio

• Assist employers and claimants with the management of disability and severe illness claims

• Assist employers with the management and finalisation of death and funeral benefit claims

• Liaise with insurers and GTC claims staff to ensure the prompt payment of death, funeral benefit, severe illness, disability, withdrawal benefit and retirement claims for client portfolio

• Assist the Head of Consulting when required with the determination and implementation of strategy and management of the division

• Management of allocated support staff in employer benefits consulting

• Pursue new business from existing and new clients

• Assist the Merger and Acquisitions initiative to grow the business as may be required

• Monitoring of client portfolio investment switches internally and providing sign off

• Liaison with all internal support departments to ensure service delivery

• Assist the head of the division with obtaining, interpreting and the dissemination of all important industry/legislation developments and changes internally and to clients

• Approve / prepare client proposal documents and conduct trustee/employer and member presentations

• Ensure client mandates /agreements and special rules are up to date

• Ensure that all section 14 transfers for client portfolio are timeously addressed and finalised

• Company Umbrella trustee duties, attendance at fund meetings, attending to governance matters and signing of fund documents, including Special Rules, section 14 documents, board resolutions and annual financial statements

• Ongoing communication with trustees / participating employees and members, including dealing with employer and member queries

• Manage query resolution and problem solving of client portfolio, including dealing with complaints

• Updating retirement fund education training material together with the head of the division and arranging and presenting at annual GTC client retirement fund education training day

• Monitor market developments and client needs

• Review of product performance and recommend changes. Assist with the development of bespoke solutions when required

• Approval of workflow tasks for client portfolio for client meetings, housing loans, risk renewals, risk re-brokes, fund details changes, installations, disabilities, underwriting, death claims, section 14s, proposals, switches, broker fees, benefit statements, member queries, employer queries etc.

• Approach Company Umbrella Fund clients to convert to the Company Group Umbrella and present proposals in accordance with conversion plan

• Take responsibility for the legal functions inside employee benefits. Set up structures to effectively manage and control

• Compilation and registration of rules and rule amendments

• De-registration of terminated employers and funds

• Treatment of divorce cases

• Legal correspondence with clients

• External legal opinions as may be required

• Attend to member queries

• Retention of existing clients

• Liaison with all internal support staff departments to ensure service delivery

• Ensure client mandates/agreements and rules/special rules are up to date and signed

• Conduct new business presentations and proposals to new prospects and provide support to the new business person

• Assist with Technical work as required by Head of Employee Benefits Consulting Division

• Provide professional advice to clients and comply with the requirements of the FAIS Act and Code of Conduct

• Consult to and service the portfolio of clients in accordance with the service model.

• The consultation function includes but is not limited to:

• Conduct professional client meetings

• Prepare meeting packs

• Sign off member benefit statements, member guides and fund operational changes

• Conduct regular risk re-brokes for clients

• Attend to client queries

• Monthly monitoring of member investment choice switches on portfolio of clients

• Quarterly assessment of underwriting requirements on portfolio of client

• Monitor investigations on death claims in portfolio of clients. Interact with clients as may be required. Consult and meet with Trustees to finalise death claims

• Ongoing communication with employers/trustees and members

• Ensure that S14 transfers on portfolio of clients are timeously addressed and finalised

Requirements

• Matric with Higher Grade Maths

• Relevant tertiary qualification will be a strong advantage

• FAIS qualifications

• Membership of a Professional Body (e.g. FPI) would be advantageous

• Minimum of 5 years' working experience in similar environment

• 3-5 years' Employee Benefits Consulting Experience

• Strong knowledge of Employee Benefit industry

• Strong knowledge of Pension Funds, FAIS and related Legislation

• Compliance and governance of Pension Fund Structures

• Good understanding and interpretation of Pension funds, FAIS and related Legislation

• Financial Advisory knowledge

• Working knowledge of Retirement Fund Law

• Excellent working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel Advanced, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Personal Attributes:

• Ability to work independently

• Initiative

• Time management skills

• Attention to detail

• Professional at all levels

• Friendly and helpful

• Excellent organisational skills

• Ability to liaise at all levels, both verbally and in writing

• Ability to investigate, analyse, reconcile and solve problems

• Ability to cope well under pressure

• Deadline driven

Skills Required