Permanent - Employee Benefits Administration Manager - Johannesburg (Incl. Northern Suburbs) - South Africa

Job Overview:

• Lead and manage the Claims, Section 14 Transfers, Section 37D, Unclaimed Benefits, Pensioner Payroll, Trust Funds and Trust Maturity teams. 
• Oversee the workflow, SLA compliance, quality, reporting, risk and controls across these functions. 
• Ensure full compliance with the Pension Funds Act (1956) (including Section 14, 37C, 37D), the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), FICA, FAIS, and other relevant legislation and fund rules.  Drive process optimisation, automation and digital self-service capabilities to enhance member, employer and service-provider experience. 
• Provide specialist advice and support both internally (operations, risk, IT, finance) and externally (employers, trustees, auditors, regulators).
• Monitor, interpret and act upon audit findings and regulatory enquiries; manage escalations and ensure corrective action. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with trustees, employers, service providers and regulatory bodies. 
• Prepare and present consolidated reports to senior management, trustees and external stakeholders, including tracking of key metrics (claims turnaround, transfers completed, unclaimed benefits traced, pensioner payroll accuracy, trust maturities processed). 
• Own the departmental budget: authorise invoices, monitor expenditure, identify cost efficiencies and ensure alignment with operational plans. 
• Lead, mentor and manage team leaders and administrators across all functions; conduct performance appraisals, ensure training and development, and foster a high performance culture

Key Responsibilities: High-Level Functions

• Section 14 Transfers Team: Lead the full process for fund transfers under S14 of the Pension Funds Act — coordinating documentation, trustee sign-offs, FSCA submissions, asset transfer, timelines monitoring and stakeholder communications. 
• Section 37D and Trust Funds / Maturities: Oversee distribution of death-benefit trusts, divorces, complex claims involving dependants, the tracing of unclaimed benefits and the maturity/closure of trusts.
• Ensure compliance with S37D, S37C and appropriate case law. 
• Claims Administration: Manage the full spectrum of claims — death, disability, ret funds, ill-health, pensioner payroll, ensuring correct payments, fund rule application, audit trails and member/employer queries. 
• Pensioner Payroll: Ensure accurate, timely pensioner payments, liaising with payroll/finance, ensuring data integrity, reconciliations, regulatory and audit compliance. 
• Unclaimed Benefits: Drive initiatives to trace members/beneficiaries, manage communications, record-keeping, and ensure benefit payments in line with fund rules and PFA guidance.
• Trust Funds & Maturities: Manage the lifecycle of trust funds (set-up, distributed, matured), monitor investments (where applicable), ensure trustee interactions, compliance and timely closure. 
• Operational Strategy & Process Optimisation: Translate strategy into actionable plans (1–2-year horizon), document business initiate automation/digitisation, ensure systems (e.g., admin platforms) are optimally used. processes, 
• Compliance & Risk Management: Establish and maintain frameworks, ensure adherence to SLAs, fund rules, legislation, internal policies and external regulation. Manage audit findings, investigations (fraud, irregularities), escalate appropriately. 
• Team Management & Leadership: Lead multi-team through team leaders; coach, mentor and develop staff; conduct performance reviews; manage staffing and succession. 
• Budget & Cost Control: Prepare and monitor departmental budget; approve invoices/payments; drive operational efficiencies and cost-effectiveness.

Minimum Requirements 

• Degree or Diploma in Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, or a related field. 
• Relevant retirement-fund qualification (e.g., Certificate of Proficiency, RE1, RE5) or working towards it. 
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in retirement-fund or employee-benefits administration (claims, transfers, pensioner payroll). 
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing and coaching teams in a high-pressure, high-productivity environment. 
• Strong knowledge of the Pension Funds Act (Sections 14, 37C, 37D), fund rules, unclaimed benefit regulations, trust-law concepts.  Demonstrated experience in claims, transfers, unclaimed benefits, pensioner payroll and trust fund administration. 
• Sound understanding of POPIA, FICA, FAIS, and related compliance/regulatory obligations.
• Excellent analytical, reporting and communication skills (written/verbal); ability to interpret data and drive action. 
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook); knowledge of fund administration systems (e.g., “Everest” or equivalent) is advantageous. 
• Strong commercial acumen, strategic insight, risk-awareness and ability to lead change/process improvement.

Knowledge & Skills: Key 

• Deep understanding of retirement-fund administration, fund rules, claim adjudication, transfers, trust lifecycle. 
• Ability to manage contracts, service level agreements, operational workflows and budgets. 
• Leadership, coaching and team-development skills; performance management. 
• Attention to detail, time-management, process-improvement mindset.  Strong interpersonal effectiveness, conflict resolution, stakeholder-management (members, employers, trustees, regulators). 
• Strategic thinking, initiative, decision-making, risk management and compliance orientation.