Head: Operations at Sanlam Group

Directs and coordinates activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, and/or distribution of products. Manages both direct and matrix resources whose functions include: development of plans, process impact and redesign, change management, communication, training, delivery, implementation of financials and monitoring of performance of implemented solutions, and continuously improve implementation capability. Prepares work schedules and assigns specific duties. Reviews financial statements, sales, activity reports and other performance data to measure productivity and goal achievement. Determines areas needing cost reduction and program improvement. Establishes and implements departmental policies, goals, objectives, procedures and may confer with board members, organisation officials and staff members as necessary. Determine staffing requirements and oversees the human resources processes. Monitors business to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide the needed services while staying within budgetary limits.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial reporting - Responsible for accurate and timeous management information on a monthly and quarterly basis to management and executive committees
• Compliance and Risk Management - ensuring best practice compliance monitoring and reporting, co-operating with Sanlam Corporate central compliance and risk functions,
• Stakeholder management and engagement with various internal and external stakeholders (This includes Vendor management; Outsource agreements; Corporate Finance, Risk, Compliance teams; Investment Cluster Operations; Internal audit engagement and relationship; Facilities)
• Operational Process - Ensure optimal operational processes and controls to ensure delivery in line with SLA’s
• Operations management - provide the operations area with the direction in terms of the business strategic goals, new business implementation, contracts, investment operations, investment unitization
• Budget preparation and monitoring
• People management - set a clear direction to team members in respect of team goals, objectives and outputs, performance management, training, mentoring and resource management
• Systems - monitoring systems for suitability to business needs and providing input into the prioritisation of enhancements and requirements
• Expense management - driving efficiencies across the different products including active management of controllable vs uncontrollable expenses, acquisition expenses vs maintenance expenses vs project costs, support costs

What will make you successful in this role?

• Bcomm Accounting Honours (Postgraduate Business or investment qualification would be beneficial).
• CA (SA) advantageous
• 5 - 7 year’s management experience in a retirement fund or investment administration
• Experience working with asset management is advantageous
• Strong commercial acumen.
• Proven experience in asset management.

Qualification And Experience

• Degree with 5 years related experience.

Knowledge and Skills

• Sound knowledge of retirement funds and/or investments.
• Working knowledge of operational processes.
• Ability to lead a team.

Core Competencies

• Cultivates Innovation by creating new and better ways for the organisation to be successful.
• Client Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Resilience - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Organisational Savvy - Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process and people related organizational dynamics.
• Manages Complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Drives Engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organisation achieve its objectives.
• Business Insight - Applying knowledge of the business and marketplace to advance the organisation’s goals.
• Drives Engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organisation achieve its objectives.
• Business Insight - Applying knowledge of the business and marketplace to advance the organisation’s goals.