Unit Trust Operations Team Leader

Purpose of the job The business offers a niche of Transfer Agency administration services for Unit Trust, Retirement, Life and LISP products. The successful candidate will have a strong sense of ownership, responsibility and leadership. The primary responsibility will be to lead and manage the team's total operational and people capabilities. This includes embedding processes, ensuring the mitigation of risks and the delivery of exceptional client service. The Unit Trust Team Leader will oversee a team responsible for processing investor instructions (subscriptions, redemptions, switches, and transfers) in line with regulatory requirements, internal controls, and client service level agreements. The role requires strong leadership, operational oversight, and a commitment to ensuring accuracy, compliance, and service excellence within the unit trust administration environment. Main duties and responsibilities Team Leadership & People Management Provide daily supervision, guidance, and support to the administration team. Allocate workloads and monitor productivity to ensure balanced task distribution. Conduct regular one‑on‑one sessions, team meetings, and performance reviews. Identify training needs, support skills development, and manage succession planning. Build a positive and engaged team culture, aligned to organisational values. Operational Oversight Ensure all investor transactions are processed accurately and within agreed timelines. Monitor adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and turnaround times. Manage daily exceptions. Implement quality checks to minimise processing errors. Identify ways of promoting accuracy and maximizing productivity within the team. Escalate unresolved issues and operational risks to management timeously. Oversee Beginning and End of Day processes. Risk, Compliance & Governance Ensure compliance with South African legislation and regulations, including: Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS), Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), Collective Investment Schemes Control Act (CISCA), Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Maintain a strong internal control environment in line with company risk policies. Identify, report, and assist in resolving breaches or audit findings. Support internal and external audit processes. Client Service Resolve escalated client queries efficiently. Ensure the team delivers client service excellence through responsiveness, accuracy, and professionalism. Promote a client‑first mindset across the team. Assist with the implementation of changes to existing products and processes as well as new products. Continuous Improvement Drive operational efficiency by reviewing and improving processes. Contribute to projects involving system enhancements, automation, or regulatory changes. Monitor industry trends and regulatory developments, adapting processes where required. Data‑Driven Decision Making: Demonstrates the ability to analyse operational data (e.g., error rates, turnaround times, SLA performance), identify root causes of issues, and implement evidence‑based improvements. Ideal experience A minimum of 3 years' people management experience essential. Strong leadership experience: both people management and operationally. Strong reconciliation, and analytical skills essential. Knowledge of the applicable LISP and CIS legislative environment (the FAIS Act, the FIC Act Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, Long‑Term Insurance Act). At least 5 years' experience in Unit Trust and LISP administration. Strong understanding of the end‑to‑end administration processes, including instruction validation, due diligence, exception management, finance, trading / bulk orders and tax reporting. Knowledge of due diligence / KYC processes essential. Experience in assessing & signing off on client due diligence, risk ratings and risk assessments is essential. Experience in the oversight of transaction monitoring and fraud prevention is essential. Experience in developing or implementing initiatives to ensure AML / CTF outcomes are met. Ideal qualifications Relevant Tertiary Qualification (Finance, Commerce, Investments). Competencies and ideal personality attributes Proven leadership and coaching skills with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Keen attention to detail, passionate about exceptional client services, professional, with excellent stakeholder management skills. Proactive with a sense of urgency and the ability to make quick decisions and establish priorities. Ability to simplify complex problems and processes and be outcomes driven. Able to translate complex data into meaningful insights for stakeholders. Self‑motivated, learns quickly and willing to be stretched in a challenging, dynamic and exciting environment. Able to deal with and manage difficult, demanding clients. Critical thinking and creative problem‑solving skills. Have the ability to collect, interpret, and apply data and evidence in decision‑making. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, ensuring delivery of high quality output (Flexibility required). Unquestionable integrity and accountability. Software, Systems knowledge: Flexcube, Digiata, Bizagi knowledge advantageous. Proficient in the MS Office suite with advanced Excel skills. Intembeko Investment Administrators is a South African company committed to meaningful transformation. We would like to help redress the imbalances of the past and appoint suitably qualified candidates from designated groups into meaningful roles. Interested in the role? Send the following details (updated CV, a certified copy of your ID and transcripts) to or call for a confidential conversation. #J-18808-Ljbffr