Careers

Position: Financial Advisors (3D)                      

Closing Date: 30 October 2020

Department: Financial Advisory

Reporting Line: Regional Manager

Location: Johannesburg, Parktown

Purpose of the Job:

An exciting career opportunity has become available for a Financial Advisor in the PPS Financial Advisory department. The key purpose of this role is to provide professional financial services to a client or a member. The successful candidate will be responsible for sourcing, retaining and growing a membership and client base for eligible professionals by implementing PPS financial solutions in line with the client’s needs. The individual must have a valid driver’s licence and own reliable vehicle. The role is based in Johannesburg.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Providing suitable advice to best fit the needs and requirements of professionals
• Preparing and presenting proposals to existing and potential clients using state of the art financial planning tools
• Meeting clients to understand their financial objectives
• Explaining complex information relating to Financial Advisory in a clear and effortless way
• Managing, maintaining and building new and existing client relationships
• Growing a client book within the first 24 months and consistently thereafter
• Adhering to compliance, operational procedures and practice management standards
• Staying abreast of product information, performance and industry changes
• Building a professional network and suitable business within the professional market

Formal Qualifications:

• Relevant Commercial/Financial Tertiary qualification (NQF 7)
• RE 5
• Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning Advantageous
• CFP Advantageous
• Successful completion of supervisory process

Experience and Knowledge:

• 2 years’ experience in the Financial Services industry in a Sales role within the risk and investment spaces
• Knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of the professional client market
• Experience and track record in high-performance sales environments
• Knowledge of best practice in Financial Planning and Financial Advisory Services
• Knowledge and understanding of financial planning through meaningful client engagements

Computer Literacy:

• Proficient in MS Office
• Experience using a CRM system preferable
• Experience using financial planning software

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills:

• Strong sales, interpersonal and business-orientated person with the acumen to build client relationships
• A passion for the financial planning environment
• Relationship management and networking skills
• Able to plan and manage time effectively
• Analytical and numerical skills with the ability to analyse and interpret statistical information
• Impeccable work ethic
• Able to work independently
• Strong communication
• High attention to detail
• Team-orientated
• Self-motivated and highly driven
• Strong presentation skills
• Resilience and Tenacity
• Emotional Intelligence

Preference will be given to Employment Equity candidates

Please send your applications to recruitment@pps.co.za

Position: Writer and Editor (4S1)                       

Closing Date: 23 October 2020

Business Unit: Marketing

Reporting Line: Head of Communications

Location: Johannesburg, Parktown

Purpose of the Job:

The successful incumbent will be required to produce clear, engaging, creative, informative and compelling copy in English and Afrikaans for print and digital media platforms so that PPS maintains and builds brand authority.  Reporting to the Head of Communications, this individual will be required to apply a creative approach, both in coming up with ideas for new projects and for getting a message across innovatively. The incumbent will also be required to correspond with representatives across business units and marketing teams for operational requirements, as well as writing for the purposes of marketing, providing groupwide language editing services and translation services in both English and Afrikaans.

Over and above marketing-related requirements, the incumbent may be required to assist with editing board reports and editing for executives based on their preferences.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Owning and managing the PPS Writing Style guide
• Creative and business writing of copy as required for marketing and awareness. This can include but is not limited to member operational communications, press statements simple language application for application and claim forms, review of copy for marketing material, brochure ware, digital and social media marketing, scripts for video and audio material, staff communications, and the PPS Annual Report
• Speech writing as required for executives and other PPS representatives
• Drafting and identifying fresh and interesting angles for consumer articles
• Providing language editing services for the PPS Group
• Translation between English and Afrikaans as and when required
• Client liaison from set-up to completion, understanding what the client needs by obtaining a clear brief
• Tailoring the content and style of individual writing assignments according to their purpose - whether they are intended to sell or inform
• Understanding the target audience and the key messages that need to be portrayed, ensuring the interests are met
• Understanding the main elements that the reader should feel and identifying how to communicate this powerfully
• Conducting thorough research to ensure that the writing is accurate and conveys the intended message as clearly as possible

Formal Qualifications:

• Matric
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent tertiary or NQF 6 qualification in Marketing /Journalism/ Communications/ Linguistics or other relevant fields

Knowledge and Experience:

• 5 years’ experience in a role as writer and editor
• Must be able to speak, write and edit in both English and Afrikaans (communication in English is necessary)
• Knowledge and understanding of marketing principles and practices
• Knowledge and experience in the Financial Services environment
• Understands key concepts in the Financial Services industry (insurance and investments)
• An understanding of writing for digital and social media marketing
• Excellent writing ability, including the ability to write in different styles and to other people's direction
• Good research and analytical skills to gain an accurate understanding of the subject in question
• Strong attention to detail, including the ability to proof-read own and others' work
• Experience in writing and/or editing company annual reports would be advantageous

Communication:

• Able to write in a professional, corporate tone and voice for some projects, and relaxed conversational tone for others. The writing style should anticipate and respond appropriately to the needs, reactions and feedback of an audience
• Articulate and communicates in a logical way and structures information to meet the needs and understanding of intended audiences
• Expresses opinions, information and key points of view clearly and with confidence
• Strong listening skills, to understand what the intended message is and effectively meet the brief

Commercial Acumen:

• Social perceptiveness: Able to stay relevant and proactive in knowing how people will react to the writing
• Knowledge of the PPS product, target audiences and needs of the audience

Computer Literacy:

• Latest MS Office package

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Skills:

• Writing Skills: Strong ability to write well: with proper tone, feeling, sentence structure and emotion
• Persuasion: able to write persuasively and in some cases, defend creative choices
• Creativity: able to create original work and develop ideas around chosen themes
• Deadline-driven: the organisational ability to manage multiple projects, often to tight deadlines
• Acts with confidence and works independently and/or under own direction

Preference will be given to Employment Equity candidates

Please send your applications to recruitment@pps.co.za

Position: Technical Accountant: Group Finance (4S1)                                                           

Closing Date: 23 October 2020

Business Unit: Group Finance

Reporting Line: Financial Manager: Group Finance

Location: Johannesburg, Parktown

Purpose of the Job:

The Technical Accountant will be focused on the implementation of new IFRS, specifically IFRS 17 ‘Insurance Contracts’.

This role will have four key pillars:

• Designing accounting policies and procedures
• Implementation of the design
• Monthly and annual processing in line with the design; and
• Assisting with ad hoc requests.

Main duties and responsibilities:

IFRS 17 Implementation (implementation of the design):

• Taking responsibility for IFRS17 accounting and reporting design including: chart of accounts; data sources; management accounts; annual financial statements; journal entries and the “bridge” between IFRS4 and IFRS17
• Owning the IFRS17 process, including data breakdown, analytics, and validation
• Serving as the subject matter expert regarding IFRS17
• Building a robust process that supports the IFRS 17 Finance team
• Implementation of the first time design, including the transition and testing
• Developing a reporting framework and dashboards that provide insights regarding IFRS17 for senior management

Stakeholder management:

• Establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including actuarial and insurance systems staff
• Executing monthly procedures in line with the design, including sourcing of data, processing of journals, disclosures on management accounts and annual financial statements
• Participating in IFRS17 SteerCo meetings
• Collaborating with external auditors

Designing solutions for implementation of new International Financial Reporting Standards:

• Responsible for drafting the audit committee position papers for approval of new IFRS
• Gap analysis for PPS Group
• Designing and implementing solutions to mitigate gaps
• Designing accounting policies & procedures
• Monthly and annual processing in line with the design

Solutions for technically, complex matters:

• Acting as the go-to person for technically complex matters in the financial control environment
• Identifying opportunities for system enhancements
• Creating efficient processes and managing multiple workflows with various stakeholders
• Preparing and delivering technical updates and communication (verbal and /or written) of industry developments to relevant stakeholders, as required

Project Management:

• Performing other financial reporting tasks and projects as identified
• Assisting with ad hoc requests

Formal Qualification:

• Newly qualified CA(SA)
• Proven track record of top academic results

Experience:

• Newly qualified CA(SA) with a very keen interest in technical accounting matters
• Experience within an IFRS technical accounting environment - non-negotiable
• Experience in a reporting environment while doing articles
• Insurance industry experience advantageous

Knowledge and Skills:

• A strong work ethic and a drive to exceed expectations
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills
• Strong technical ability 
• Insurance legislations knowledge 

Competencies (maximum of 8):

• Complex problem solving and analytics
• Adaptability to different stakeholders, audiences, and environments, responding appropriately to change
• Commercial acumen
• Persuading and influencing
• Deciding and initiating action
• Collaboration

Preference will be given to Employment Equity candidates

Please send your applications to recruitment@pps.co.za