Retirement Fund Administration Manager

Job Title: Fund Administration Manager

Job Type: Permanent | Full-Time

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Industry: Financial Services / Employee Benefits

Functional Area: Operations & Administration Management

Seniority Level: Management

About the Company

Ensimini Administration Services is a leading South African retirement fund and employee benefits administration provider. We are built on a people-first philosophy, and our team is driven by integrity, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to delivering excellent outcomes for our clients and their fund members. We are growing — and we want the right people to grow with us.

About the Role

We are looking for a seasoned Fund Administration Manager to take ownership of the full retirement fund administration function for a portfolio of clients. You will lead and develop a dedicated administration team, maintain excellent client relationships, and ensure that all fund processes — contributions, claims, compliance, and reporting — are executed accurately, on time, and in line with applicable legislation and SLAs.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring deep technical knowledge of retirement fund administration, strong people management skills, and a track record of maintaining excellent client relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full fund administration function including claims processing, monthly contribution updates, reconciliations, and cashflow management
• Lead, mentor, and develop the administration team through coaching, KPA assessments, and performance management
• Serve as the primary client escalation point — maintaining high service standards and strong, lasting client relationships
• Prepare and review Section 13(a) compliance reports and manage non-compliance reporting
• Oversee year-end audit preparation, address audit queries, and ensure ongoing audit readiness
• Analyse fund rules and legislative changes and translate these into updated team procedures
• Sign off on EFT payments, investment and disinvestment instructions, and workflow releases
• Drive process improvement, automation adoption, and digital workflow efficiency within the team
• Prepare, review, and submit quarterly administration reports for clients

Minimum Requirements

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in retirement fund / employee benefits (EB) administration
• Minimum 3 years in a people management or team leadership role within retirement fund administration
• Proven experience managing client relationships in a retirement fund administration environment
• Everest administration platform experience — advantageous (candidates with Everest knowledge will be prioritised)
• Defined benefit fund experience — advantageous

Qualifications:

• Matric (essential)
• Relevant post-matric qualification in Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field (advantageous)

Technical Skills:

• Advanced MS Office: Excel, Word, Outlook, Microsoft Teams
• Solid understanding of the Pension Funds Act, Income Tax Act, FAIS, and POPIA
• Experience with digital fund administration tools, online portals, and reporting platforms

Key Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills — able to build trust with clients, staff, and stakeholders
• Proven leadership: ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team
• High attention to detail and strong analytical thinking
• Deadline-driven with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Conflict resolution and client relationship management
• Proactive, solutions-oriented approach to process and legislative changes

What We Offer

• Competitive market-related salary
• A leadership role in a growing, well-established retirement fund administration business
• Ongoing professional and leadership development
• A high-performance team culture built on trust, accountability, and collaboration