Assistant Portfolio Compliance Officer - Pinelands at Old Mutual South Africa

Job Description

A vacancy has arisen for an Assistant Portfolio Compliance Officer within Old Mutual Investment Group. The individual will assist with the automated and/or manual processes for ensuring pre- and post-trade compliance with portfolio guidelines and restrictions in respect of client portfolios and other related matters.

Key Result Areas

• Work with the OMIG’s portfolio compliance officers, legal and operations team.
• Review, interpret, clarify and sign-off mandate guidelines and conditions.
• Assist in monitoring mandate guidelines and restrictions as well as establishing and testing automated or manual processes to facilitate this monitoring.
• Assist in coding mandate requirements and legislative rules within the automated compliance and trading system (Charles River and equivalent trading systems).
• Peer review coded rules.
• Interact with traders and portfolio managers in the evaluation and resolution of pre- or post-trade compliance breaches and queries.
• Understanding of legislation and regulations impacting OMIG client mandates, such as South African Regulation 28, CISCA BN90, Medical Aid Schemes Act Reg 30, UCITS, Namibian Unit Trust legislation, Namibian Regulation 28 legislation amongst others.
• Classify investment instruments where applicable.
• Proactively seek ways to continuously improve and refine the portfolio compliance processes.
• Compile compliance reports based on monitoring conducted.
• Resolve portfolio compliance issues and partake in meetings and discussions.
• Address ad hoc portfolio compliance queries from the business.
• Able to navigate and extract information from back-office systems.

Requirements: Skills, Qualifications and Experience required

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably BCom.
• Asset management experience is advantageous.
• Strong Excel skills are a pre-requisite.
• Experience with a portfolio compliance system (and in particular Charles River) would be a strong advantage as well as other back-office systems like infostore and Hiportfolio.

Competencies

• Communication Skills: Effective verbal and written communication skills are crucial for collaborating with various teams, explaining compliance issues, and resolving queries.
• Analytical Thinking: The ability to analyze complex data, interpret mandate guidelines, and identify potential compliance breaches is essential.
• Attention to Detail: A high level of attention to detail is necessary when reviewing and signing off on mandate guidelines, coding rules, and compiling compliance reports.
• Problem-Solving Abilities: Soft skills related to problem-solving are vital for evaluating and resolving compliance breaches, as well as addressing ad hoc queries from the business.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: The role involves working with portfolio compliance officers, legal teams, operations, traders, and portfolio managers. Strong teamwork and collaboration skills are essential.
• Adaptability: Given the dynamic nature of financial markets and regulatory changes, being adaptable is crucial for adjusting to new requirements and refining compliance processes.
• Time Management: Efficiently managing time and prioritizing tasks is important for meeting compliance deadlines and addressing portfolio compliance issues promptly.
• Customer Service Orientation: Interacting with traders and portfolio managers requires a customer service mindset to effectively resolve queries and issues.
• Continuous Learning: A willingness to stay updated on legislative changes, industry best practices, and evolving compliance standards is important for the role.
• Interpersonal Skills: Building positive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients is essential for effective communication and collaboration.
• Ethical Judgment: The role involves dealing with sensitive financial data and compliance issues, requiring a strong sense of ethical judgment and integrity.
• Proactive Approach: Taking a proactive stance in seeking ways to improve compliance processes and addressing issues before they escalate.