Legal and Administrative Assistant

Our client is one of the world’s largest independent corporate and trust services providers with offices based in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

Our client is looking for a Legal and Administrative Assistant to join their team.

The company’s core business is setting up and managing offshore companies, trusts, and other structures to meet the specific personal or business needs of their clients. Typically, these needs would include tax planning, wealth protection, foreign property ownership, pension planning and facilitating cross-border business.

Job Specification:

The role of Legal and Administrative Assistant involves facilitating the smooth onboarding process of their new clients, answering existing and new client enquiries, corresponding with the introducing intermediary, meetings with intermediaries / clients and assisting a Senior Director of the company.

To be able to attend to the above, an understanding of companies, trusts and the various parties involved are important.

The role requires significant people skills, administration, document collection, document review, clear communication and a proactive mind set. The position will require diligence in the collection of information, collation of documentation and ability to assist the Director in business development. In this way, the position goes further than pure administration and becomes similar to a Legal Assistant.

The applicant must be a fluent and articulate in English and understanding of Afrikaans will be beneficial. The applicant must hold an undergraduate Law qualification.

Applicants with prior legal, compliance and administration work experience will receive preference.

The successful applicant will be based in the company’s Cape Town and Stellenbosch offices from time to time and will work closely with their overseas offices to deliver the best service to their clients and intermediaries.

The successful applicant requires a driver’s license and own transport.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include the day-to-day assistance to the Director which involves handling of compliance and legal paperwork, client enquiries and meetings with specific focus on the on-boarding of new clients to the wider group of companies which has 26 offices around the world.

Reporting to:

Senior Director (focus is business development) based in Stellenbosch.

Duties:

• Dealing with administrative tasks relating to their offshore products (overseas company, trust, pension, retirement, etc.).
• Assisting with administering South African companies and trusts and ensuring tax compliance.
• Checking accuracy of compliance and legal documents which include consultancy agreements, shareholder agreements, sale agreements, etc.
• Liaising with and responding to queries from intermediaries (primarily Financial Advisors and Lawyers) and other introducers.
• Responding to and actioning client queries and administrative requests per email / telephone calls.
• Managing the client, intermediary and overseas colleagues’ expectations with a goal of client satisfaction.
• Dealing with product paperwork requests including the preparation, collation and dispatching of all relevant documentation / application forms and questionnaires.
• Liaising with the clients, accounts, and compliance departments regarding new and existing clients.
• Following a range of checklists to ensure accurate administration of a range of tasks.
• Actively participate in the organization’s continuous improvement by identifying and proposing solutions to system, process, and service-related issues.
• Booking meetings on behalf of the director, contacting clients via e-mail or phone. These could be face-to-face, telephonic or Teams meetings.
• Other duties as may be required from time to time in accordance with the demands of the role and development of the services provided.

Qualifications and experience needed:

• Legal qualification essential.
• 2 to 3 years’ experience in an associated legal or financial services role.
• Experience in administration and compliance.

Knowledge required:

• A good working knowledge of how to operate Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Previous experience of manual and / or electronic client recording systems.
• Understanding of compliance and client due diligence requirements.
• Understanding of relevant regulations on money laundering, countering financial crime.
• Understanding of requirements of legal agreements.

Skills and abilities:

• The applicant must be fluent and articulate in English.
• Understanding of Afrikaans.
• Numerate, diligent, and well organized.
• Good communication skills, including drafting emails and responding appropriately to telephone calls.
• Accurate with good attention to detail.
• Excellent time management.
• Ability to respond to urgent or delicate matters with tact and diplomacy, and to recognize the need to refer to management when required.
• Driver’s license.

Personal qualities:

• Social skills.
• Desire to continuously learn and improve skills.
• Good work ethic.

Motivation:

• Strong commitment to organization effectiveness and service delivery.
• Demonstrates drive.
• Proactive in seeking new tasks.
• Self-motivated and diligent.

Salary: Market related (depending on qualifications and experience)

Locations: Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

Starting date: As soon as possible.

Please apply online for this position if you meet the above-mentioned requirements.

Closing date: 31 March 2022

Please assume that your application was unsuccessful if you have not been contacted within 2 weeks.