SUMMARY:
National Manager: Trust Administration

POSITION INFO:

National Manager: Trust Administration

Overview

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for fiduciary excellence? Join a dynamic organization as the National Manager: Trust Administration, where you’ll spearhead strategic, operational, and people leadership to oversee trust administration across all national branches. This pivotal role ensures compliance with fiduciary obligations, delivers exceptional client service, drives financial and risk oversight, and champions innovation in service delivery. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and excel at balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact!

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

• Craft and execute a national Trust Administration strategy that aligns with the broader Trust Services and Beneficiary Fund objectives.

• Drive standardized processes across branches to ensure consistency and operational efficiency.

• Serve as the key liaison for support functions (e.g., IT, Change Management), coordinating transformative projects and system enhancements.

• Lead Reputation Forum Meetings, managing risk issues and professional indemnity claims with precision.

• Oversee contracts and performance evaluations for Associated Parties and Introducers, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

• Champion outsourced services oversight, delivering monthly reports to senior leadership.

Trust Administration Excellence

• Oversee end-to-end trust administration, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and fiduciary standards.

• Conduct rigorous reviews to verify accurate trust file capture and asset accounting on trust systems.

• Evaluate new and existing trusts for compliance, feasibility, and risk, collaborating with Regional Managers to exit nonviable relationships.

• Implement Annual Reviews and monitor trust officer performance through monthly assessments.

• Manage trust fixed properties, ensuring provisions for transfer costs, maintenance, and renovations to mitigate financial risks.

• Support year-end financial statement finalization and assess trust officer performance using monthly success metrics.

Client-Centric Service

• Foster a client-focused culture across branches, prioritizing exceptional service delivery.

• Ensure timely resolution of client complaints and queries, working closely with the Dispute and Resolution team.

• Implement processes to track compliments and complaints, reporting monthly to enhance service quality.

• Conduct spot checks on client communications (emails, calls) to uphold service standards.

• Drive client satisfaction initiatives, including surveys to evaluate and elevate trust officer performance.

Compliance & Risk Mastery

• Ensure full compliance with statutory and regulatory frameworks, including the Trust Property Control Act, SARS, FSCA, FICA, and more.

• Proactively identify and mitigate operational, compliance, and legal risks.

• Oversee tax submissions (e.g., IT12TR, Provisional tax, IT3(b), IT3(t)) in collaboration with Group Tax and Associated Parties.

• Track financial statement finalization and tax-related projects, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

• Stay ahead of regulatory changes, positioning the business to meet evolving requirements.

• Lead audits, regulatory site visits, and compliance reviews (e.g., FAIS, Pension Fund reviews), enforcing a zero-tolerance approach to audit findings.

Financial Oversight & Efficiency

• Oversee trust account reconciliations, financial reporting, and distributions with precision.

• Develop automated processes for daily bank reconciliations to streamline operations.

• Conduct random deep dives to reconcile fees between trust systems and financial platforms.

• Design streamlined investment and payment processes, fostering strong stakeholder relationships.

Reporting & Insights

• Compile and present operational, financial, and risk reports to senior leadership, offering actionable insights and recommendations.

• Drive data-driven decisions to enhance performance and compliance across the business.

Project Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead trust-related projects, including system enhancements and process improvements.

• Drive continuous operational efficiency and service delivery innovations, collaborating with trust managers and cross-functional teams.

People Leadership & Development

• Inspire and develop a high-performing trust administration team through coaching, mentoring, and career development.

• Manage performance, succession planning, and leave requests, fostering a positive and productive work environment.

• Address poor performance decisively through structured programs while celebrating team achievements via recognition initiatives.

• Identify and address training needs, ensuring the team is equipped to meet organizational expectations.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and nurture strong relationships with regulators, clients, trustees, and service providers, ensuring seamless collaboration and trust.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum: National Certificate or Diploma in Risk Management, Commerce, Law, or a relevant financial discipline.

• Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Commerce, Risk Management, or a related field.

• Experience:

  • At least 2 years in fiduciary services, including 2 years overseeing multiple teams.

  • Proven expertise in managing multi-branch fiduciary operations.

  • Deep knowledge of fiduciary legislation, financial management, and regulatory frameworks.

Key Competencies

• Client Service Orientation: Passion for delivering exceptional client experiences.

• Risk & Compliance Expertise: Mastery of regulatory and fiduciary standards.

• People Leadership: Ability to inspire, coach, and develop high-performing teams.

• Strategic Decision-Making: Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

• Project Management: Proven ability to lead complex projects and drive innovation.

• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Exceptional interpersonal skills to engage diverse stakeholders.

Why This Role?

As the National Manager: Trust Administration, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of trust services, lead transformative initiatives, and make a meaningful impact on clients and communities. If you’re ready to lead with vision, drive excellence, and inspire a team to achieve greatness, this is the role for you!

 

---