Head of Administration and Support

1. Purpose of the Role RiFF Distribution Services operates as a "virtual assistant for Independent Financial Advisors (IFA’s)" — extending the BDM’s reach so that IFA’s nationally receive consistent service without adding headcount to the BDM’s desk. This is delivered through three coordinated divisions: Distribute (BDMs servicing IFAs), Support (paraplanning, investment solution drafting), Enable (technology, planning tools, and asset manager relationships). The Head of Administration and Support leads the Support Desk division ("Margo") — the operational and administrative engine that stands behind every advisor relationship RiFF manages. This role owns:

• Planning — paraplanning and the drafting of investment solutions for IFAs.
• Follow-Ups — Section 14 and Directive 135 compliance follow-ups, and related compliance liaison work. The postholder ensures that every BDM in the field is backed by fast, accurate, and compliant support — so that IFAs experience RiFF as seamless, professional, and dependable, regardless of which BDM they work with. 2.

Key Responsibilities

Division Leadership

• Lead and develop the Support Desk division, overseeing both the Planning and Follow-Ups sub-divisions.
• Set division-level priorities, workflows, and standards that keep paraplanning, investment solution drafting, and internal compliance follow-ups running to a consistent, high standard across all IFA relationships.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex paraplanning, investment solution, or compliance matters raised by BDMs or IFAs.
• Represent the Support Desk in leadership discussions on structure, resourcing, and reporting lines as RiFF’s organisational design is finalised. Planning (Paraplanning & Investment Solutions)
• Oversee the delivery of paraplanning services and the drafting of outcome-based investment solutions in support of BDMs and IFAs.
• Ensure investment solution documentation is accurate, timely, and aligned with the asset manager and platform partnerships RiFF represents (Collective Investment Schemes, Model Portfolios, listed/unlisted instruments).
• Maintain quality and consistency standards across all investment solution output, regardless of which BDM or IFA relationship it supports. Follow-Ups Own the management of Section 14 and Directive 135 follow-ups across every advisor relationship.
• Ensure platform compliance deadlines, documentation, and liaison with relevant parties are tracked and met without exception.
• Maintain the Internal Compliance Liaison function’s relationship with relevant regulatory processes and internal governance requirements.
• Monitor and report on internal compliance follow-up status to senior leadership. Systems & Process (Margo / Zoho One)
• Work closely with the Tech & Planning division to ensure the Support Desk’s workflows, templates, and tracking are properly built and maintained within Margo.
• Identify process improvements and tooling needs that reduce manual effort in paraplanning, drafting, and compliance follow-up work.
• Ensure the Support Desk’s use of Margo produces reliable data and reporting for BDM and leadership visibility. Cross-Divisional Collaboration
• Partner with the Distribution division (BDMs, IFA Sourcing Specialist, BDM Support & KPI Manager) to ensure Support Desk output matches the pace and needs of the national IFA network.
• Partner with Tech & Planning (Margo, Hart & Soul) on tooling, templates, and Asset Manager Liaison matters that intersect with Support Desk work.
• Contribute to the organisation’s ongoing staff mapping and structure finalisation, including validating reporting lines for the Support Desk. People Leadership
• Recruit, manage, and develop the Planning and Follow-Ups teams (Senior Paraplanner, Investment Solutions role, Senior Follow-Up Specialist, Compliance Liaison).
• Set clear objectives and conduct performance reviews for direct reports.
• Build capacity and resilience into the division to support RiFF’s national IFA network as it grows.

Requirements

• Bcom Degree
• CIMA
• Post Grad in Financial Planning