Avaialable Vacancies at PPS

Job Advert Summary

This is a three-year internship position and is designed to be used as a springboard to launch a young graduate professional’s career in the financial industry.

The successful candidate must have the desire and long-term vision to build a professional practice for professionals by marketing risk and investment products from a well established platform. Because this period is recognised as the building period, the intern will have to be target orientated and motivated by incentive remuneration, as the package is incentivised and linked to sales targets.

The Graduate Advisor will be responsible for prospecting and building a client base within the young professional student base. 

Minimum Requirements
Formal Qualifications:

• A relevant Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification is required
• CFP would be advantageous
• South African driver’s license and must have own transport

Experience and Knowledge:

• Insurance industry-related knowledge and experience would be advantageous
• Knowledge of the PPS product range and PPS membership would be an advantage

Computer Literacy:

• Computer Literate (MS Office Package)

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills:

• Relating to customers within a diverse market
• Communication in writing.
• Communicating orally with good presentation skills.
• Quality orientated.
• Reliable.
• Customer focussed.
• Resilient
• Results driven.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Have a very focused approach toward becoming a professional Financial Planner.
• Host financial workshops for students and young professionals.
• Educate existing clients on sound financial principles.
• Guide students and young professionals to make the correct financial choices from the start.
• Liaise with a PPS Marketing Specialist on all marketing activities and workshops on campus.
• Make appointments with existing PPS student members to discuss the PPS student product range and benefits.
• Build a client base by selling the PPS student product range to PPS student members.
• Adhere to the regulation and compliance process of the financial industry. 
• Stay up to date and excel in terms of qualifications and knowledge of the financial industry.
• Must be willing to be mentored and trained by experienced managers in this newly developed model. 

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Job Advert Summary

• The Senior Manager IT Operations and Support will be responsible for building and leading IT professionals to manage all PPS’s IT operational services including Infrastructure (Cloud and on Premise), Application Deployment, Database Management as well as Service Delivery through the Service Desk. This individual is responsible for ensuring all solutions function at best practice levels through disciplined daily operational procedures, capacity planning, performance analysis, contingency planning, and monitoring strategies.

Minimum Requirements
Education: 

• Grade 12 (Matric).
• BCom / BTech / BSC.
• Microsoft MCSE certification .
• VMWare Certification.
• ITIL V3 Foundation.
• Cisco CCNA or greater.
• Cloud Certifications Beneficial.
• Security Certifications Beneficial. 

Experience:

• Minimum 7-10 years’ Working experience in IT area.
• More than 4- years management experience.
• At least 3 – 5 years of managing large IT vendors.
• Has good experience with large scale distributed systems and Cloud architecture.
• At least 3 -5 years of leading an IT service Desk. 

Knowledge and Skills:

• ITIL Service Management Experience
• Experience in IT Infrastructure Platforms
• Proven knowledge of general business principles and practices, including financial and people management.
• Service Delivery and Support
• Incident and Change management
• Process Management
• Project Management
• Operations Management
• Customer and Stakeholder Management
• Provide detailed budget requirements and the management thereof.
• Understanding how the entire IT budget is constructed and provide input into the management and use of this budget.
• Ensuring that incident and problem resolution budgetary allocations are met and where overspend takes places executes a root cause analysis process.

Competencies:

• Proficient in all aspects of using a computer, ie MS Office package etc. 
• Customer Focus.
• Results Focus and Initiative.
• Strong attention to Detail.
• Planning and Organising.
• Problem Solving and Solutions focused. 
• Ability to steer team through change and challenges. 
• Ability to collaborate. 
• Conflict resolution.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Work load management.
• Able to operate with minimal supervision.
• Able to manage time effectively, set priorities appropriately, schedule calls
• Able to maintain professional demeanour under stress.
• Able to operate within customer standard operating procedures.
• Complex problem solving and analytics. 
• Adapting and responding to change.
• Innovation and Forward Thinking.
• Business Acumen.
• Persuading and Influencing .
• Deciding and Initiating Action.
• Leading cross functional and multi-disciplinary teams.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Must adhere to PPS Priority Matrix response times and resolution times.
• Implement the authorized IT governance practices, techniques, tools, methods, and principles for the daily execution of IT operational processes.
• Develop trends by monitoring and analysing incoming calls, problems and support requests 
• Deal with Escalations and manage team workload.
• Manage system and hardware rollouts following the PPS change control process.
• Performs work in compliance within specified warranty requirements .
• Responsible for monitoring, operating, managing, troubleshooting and restoring services.
• Take ownership and responsibility of queries, issues and problems assigned to the IT Operations team.
• Escalate issues and involve experts wherever required in order to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
• Operates within, enforces, and suggests modifications and additions to desktop/server and network standards and guidelines. 
• Develop sound understanding of IT operations and related applications and IT systems as well as business related processes and procedures. 
• Maintain adequate knowledge of operating systems and application software used to provide a high level of support. 
• Maintains and consistently demonstrates a general knowledge of company guidelines, processes, practices and procedures. 
• To take ownership of issues by carrying out problem analysis to implement temporary or permanent fixes with the aim of restoring service to the customer as soon as possible; escalating incidents to other support teams where necessary. 
• To maintain a first-class level of customer service ensuring that all customers are treated efficiently and in an appropriate manner. 
• Maintain excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical colleagues at all levels in the organization. 
• To be a highly motivated team player with the skills and ability to manage changing priorities. 
• To work within the relevant legislation, policies and procedures. 
• Participate in important technological department projects 
• Interact with vendor support contacts to resolve technical problems 
• Recommend and implement upgrades on systems to ensure longevity.
• Assess functional needs to determine system purchase specifications.
• Identify and manage the resolution of hardware and network connectivity issues.
• Assist and manage in technical upgrading and maintaining of Head Office and surrounding regions.
• Support as well as managing resources in testing and deployment of new applications and systems.
• Assist in developing long-term strategies and capacity planning for meeting future infrastructure and network needs. 
• Provide lifecycle management information to PPS management.
• Monthly reporting for PPS IT Operations: Head Office.
• Manage the IT Operations: Head Office budget.
• Alignment to the PPS Customer service requirements is at the heart of IT Operations and Support’s culture and delivery outcomes.

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Job Advert Summary

• PPS External Distribution has an opportunity for a hybrid development role combining the skills and experience of a Broker Consultant and an Investment Specialist.  
• Primary responsibility will be the provision of Life Assurance & Investment support to financial intermediaries. Proven track record of sales ability and ability to expand the PPS Life Assurance & Investments business in the region by building long-term relationships with intermediaries, including high net worth intermediaries.
• The role involves business development and relationship management within a base Intermediaries that we are intending to grow.  The Hybrid role must work with and through others to build and maintain relationships.  Working closely and accurately within established guidelines is essential in this role.  The Hybrid role must be aware of and responsive to the needs and concerns of customers. 
• Reporting to the Area Manager, the Hybrid role involves business development and relationship management within a base of Life Assurance & Investment Intermediaries with the intention to grow this base.  

Minimum Requirements
Qualification:

• Matric.
• Bachelor’s degree in commerce or related field essential / A track record of experience and industry related qualifications.
• RE5 will be advantageous.
• A completed NQF 5 – Wealth Management or RFP 3 will be advantageous.
• CFP and/or CFA level 1 would be advantageous.

Experience:

• At least 3 to 5 years’ experience within the IFA, investment or linked product markets, preferably working at a LISP or retail asset management business.
• Experience in Life Assurance will be an advantage.
• Discretionary Fund Manager’s and/or multi management experience would be advantageous.
• Intermediate knowledge of the Life Assurance or Financial Services Industry.
• Technical knowledge about investments, investment industry & trends
• Knowledge around Discretionary Fund Manager’s, ASISA categories and related asset managers is a pre-requisite.
• Knowledge (and skill) in how to successfully influence and persuade others by understanding how their individual needs and motivations link to goals is essential.

Computer Literacy:

• MS Office package, particularly Internet, Outlook, Excel and Power Point.
• CRM experience.
• Client database experience an advantage.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills:

• Relating to Customers.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Quality Orientated.
• Reliable.
• Customer Focused.
• Resilient.
• Results Driven.
• Service driven professional with a strong need for financial independence.
• Demonstrable training delivery skills are essential.
• Self-discipline to work unsupervised and to maintain CRM system.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Relationship management – networking.
• Communication - verbal & written.
• Performance driven.
• Innovative thinking and problem-solving

Duties and Responsibilities

Broker Consultant:

• To support and service intermediaries in their sales efforts by preparing quotes, statement of benefits and other relevant supporting information.
• Constant communication and feedback to advisers relating to all aspects of intermediaries operations.
• To plan, organise and control liaisons with intermediaries, their managers.
• To ensure continuous improvement of service standards to clients.
• To ensure alignment to Treating Customers Fairly (TCF), in all business practices.

Investment Specialist:

• Build and promote the PPSI asset management brand and image by networking with key industry stakeholders.
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships to leverage new opportunities.
• Position PPS Investments as the niche LISP for intermediaries in your region.
• Deliver on very specific flow targets for your region, including both LISP and Asset Management capabilities.
• Provide PPS head office with detailed reporting on leads and opportunities.
• Excellent client services, including proactive response to intermediary needs.
• Supply intermediaries with accurate investment, product, fund, service and investor information.
• Training and developing the intermediary and support staff.
• Supporting investment projects and campaigns, with the ability to deliver investment presentations.
• Participating in investment product implementation.
• Presentations and 1 on 1 engagements around investments, from a 101 level to discussing the PPS Asset Management value proposition.
• Regular formal report backs to the Area Manager.