Financial Services Practice Manager

Driving operational excellence, financial oversight and service delivery, this role manages processes and execution in an established financial services practice. This full-time, in-office, position enables financial advisers to concentrate on client advisory relationships, financial planning, and business growth. The role holds full accountability for practice operations, compliance support, client onboarding lifecycle management, and business development tracking.

Key Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day administrative operations, standardise internal operational procedures, coordinate daily priorities across support teams, and monitor task SLAs and turnaround times. Maintain office technology, software platforms, and vendor relationships. Governance, Compliance & Risk Management: Enforce adherence to the regulatory compliance framework (FICA, FAIS, POPIA), collaborate with the Compliance Officer, audit client files, manage the regulatory complaints process, and support external audit preparations.

Client Administration & Service Delivery: Manage end-to-end client onboarding, oversee execution of investment instructions, asset transfers, and new applications, clear administrative roadblocks with product providers, and coordinate periodic client reviews. Financial Management & Business Reporting: Assist with annual budget management, track revenue, expenses, commission receipts, and recurring fee income, manage debtors and income reconciliations, and compile monthly management reports covering operational and financial performance.

Team Leadership & People Management: Supervise, guide, and evaluate administrative, paraplanning, and support staff, establish clear KPIs, manage staff recruitment, onboarding, and training, and coordinate leave schedules and workload allocation. Business Development Support: Maintain tracking systems for sales pipelines, lead conversions, and marketing efforts, coordinating client retention strategies to support growth in Assets Under Management (AUM).

Requirements

Essential Requirements Minimum 3 to 5+ years of operational leadership, practice management, or senior administrative experience within a Financial Planning practice / FSP environment. Deep knowledge of financial planning workflows, investment platforms, and regulatory requirements (FICA, FAIS, POPIA). Proven team leadership, process-mapping, and workflow optimisation skills.

Strong commercial acumen with experience reading financial data, tracking budgets, and compiling management reports. Clear, professional verbal and written communication skills. Desirable Requirements Certified Financial Planner (CFP) qualification. Required Software Skills Financial planning CRMs Administrative platforms Office software Canva Mailchimp