Area Manager: Death Investigations

**Introduction**

**Disclaimer**
- As an applicant, please verify the legitimacy of this job advert on our company career page.

**Role Purpose**

**Requirements**:
**Experience and Qualifications**
- Matric or equivalent.
- COP in Retirement Fund or equivalent qualification.
- Proficient in English and Xhosa (Afrikaans would be advantages).
- Valid driving license (not endorsed).
- Sound knowledge of claims policies, procedures, and processes.
- Sound knowledge of business products, associated rules, and legislation.
- 3 to 5 years of experience in the retirement industry environment.
- 1 to 2 years of experience in a supervisory and/or management role.

**Duties & Responsibilities**

**Internal Process**
- Liaising with Employers, beneficiaries, and relevant stakeholders (friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc. of the deceased) to clarify details regarding the deceased on death claims allocated for investigation.
- Conduct physical visits to families to investigate and verify information provided by claimants.
- Assist and ensure that claimants have filled in all documentation and provided all necessary supporting documentation.
- Follow up with beneficiaries and members on outstanding information required for claims and the investigation of death claims.
- Update the death claims control and system notes weekly to advise on the status of all death case investigations allocated to self and staff responsible for.
- Conduct quality assessment on claim documentation to ensure that they are complete, accurate and in compliance with the Fund Rules and applicable and relevant processes.
- Liaise with internal departments regarding the requirements of a death in service (e.g., benefit claim form, tax directive etc.) to ensure that the claim is processed within agreed service levels.
- Prepare a report on demise cases for presentation to Trustees at the Disposal of Death Benefit Committee monthly.
- Prepare and distribute allocation letters and request for payment instructions from beneficiaries to whom benefits were allocated in line with Fund specific monetary guidelines.
- Report on inflow and outflow of death claims statistics for areas.
- Prepare reports and documentation for the Death Sub-committee meetings.
- Present cases investigated in are and reviewed Trustees at the Disposal of Death Benefit Committee (or Board of Trustees) meetings monthly.
- Facilitate financial advice / counselling for qualify beneficiaries.
- Review death claim investigations and provide guidance to the Client Care Consultants where needed and rate each investigation based on set business criteria.
- Continuously monitor turnaround times and quality standards and resolve issues speedily to enhance client service delivery.
- Manage client query processes and ensure that queries are tracked, accurately resolved, and used as a mechanism to improve client service and business processes.
- Provide regular reports on delivery of services against agreed service level agreements and in terms of overall client targets.
- Provide relevant & accurate information to all members of funds under administration in Regional Office centres (both walk-in and telephone enquiries).
- Provide first time resolutions on client (members’, beneficiaries, employers, etc.) queries, or if not, investigate client queries and providing feedback within agreed time frames.
- Taking ownership of queries and ensuring they are resolved timeously and effectively.
- Maintain a register of queries received, the type of thereof and the details of the enquirer on the platform and format provided and communicate this weekly to management.
- Maintain consistent service delivery to ensure client retention, satisfaction and to maximise client experience and influence positively by dealing with client requests in a competent, efficient, and professional manner.
- Maintain Fund
- and broad product knowledge to respond to customer queries effectively and accurately as well as for considerations with death case investigations (e.g., GLA multiple/s, etc) and for member education sessions.
- Conduct member education sessions (e.g., inductions, Employer Wellness Days, pre-retirement presentations etc.) to create awareness of the various features and processes associated with the fund.
- Manage the office/s under jurisdiction by ensuring that networks and telephony are working, consumables are replenished, and that the office/s are operational.
- Keeping abreast with all requirements of the retirement industry as set out by the FSCA and the relevant legislation.

**Client**
- Provide authoritative expertise and factual information to clients and stakeholders.
- Build and maintain relationships with clients and internal and external stakeholders.
- Deliver on service level agreements made with clients and internal and external stakeholders in order to ensure that client expectations are managed.
- Make recommendations to improve client service and fair treatment of clients within area