Paraplanner

Department: Financial Planning

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Newcastle

Description

About Us

Armstrong Watson are a trusted and leading independent Accountancy and Business Advisory firm based in the North of England and Scotland. Our services and advice are all centred around our Quest to support our clients to achieve prosperity, a secure future and peace of mind, which cannot be achieved without the expertise of our dedicated and valued colleagues.

With approximately 800 colleagues situated across 19 offices, our people and our culture are at the heart of what we do. We recognise the unique impact we have on not only our clients, but also our colleagues, and the communities in which we operate. Our success is dependent on every colleague embracing all four of our core values: Honesty, Humanity, Trust and Passion.

We are proud to hold the Investors in People Gold accreditation and to be recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Best Places to Work. This reflects our commitment to fostering an environment where both emerging and experienced talent can continuously learn, develop, and grow.

The Role

As a result of continuous growth, we are now recruiting for a Paraplanner to join our Newcastle office and wider Financial Planning Service Line.

The main purpose of this position is to provide technical and advisory support to the Financial Planning Team, including Financial Planning Consultants and Financial Planning Assistants, together with the Leadership & Compliance Teams.

The main elements of this role will include:

Conducting required research to produce all kinds of advice for new or existing clients
Compiling suitability letters based on the advice being given
Processing new business
Providing feedback to Financial Planning Consultants in respect of potential improvements to fact find completion
Supporting Financial Planning Consultants and Financial Planning Assistants with the development of their technical and research knowledge, as appropriate
Maintaining and developing your own technical knowledge

Please note that we will not be accepting candidates from agency suppliers in connection with this vacancy.

The Candidate

In order to fulfil the responsibilities of the position, we would like candidates to be / have:

A Level 4 Diploma in Financial Planning qualification (minimum requirement)
Significant Paraplanning experience (a minimum of 5 years' experience is desirable but not essential)
Detailed knowledge and understanding of Business Standards - Conduct of Business (COBS)
Detailed knowledge and understanding of High Level Standards - Code of Conduct (COCON)
Good knowledge and understanding of FCA Money Laundering Section of the System & Controls Sourcebook (SYSC)
Basic knowledge of other Accountancy services, including Audit, Tax, Insolvency, Corporate Finance, VAT and Accounting
Excellent communication skills (in both written and verbal forms) and a passion for delivering exemplary service to clients
Comfortable working in a fast paced environment
A dedicated team player, and willing to assist colleagues in the team where possible
Able to prioritise workloads under strict deadlines and use initiative to solve problems
General IT skills
Good attention to detail to ensure that reports are compiled to the highest possible quality
A Full UK Driving Licence (desirable not essential requirement)

The Benefits

In return for your hard work helping us shape our future growth and development; we will provide a competitive salary and a positive benefits package which includes:

Salary Sacrifice Employer Contribution Pension Scheme including Life Cover (4x salary) and Income Protection
Competitive Annual Leave entitlement & Annual Leave Purchase Scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional days annual leave each year
Smart Working Policy, giving you the ability to balance home and remote working
Health Shield Cash Plan (cash back on a range of Health benefits and discounts on holidays, fashion and entertainment)
Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential support for wellbeing and health)
Paid flu jabs and eye tests
Introductory Commission Scheme (financial reward if you refer a new client)
Employee Referral Scheme (financial reward if you refer new AW colleagues) enabling you to claim up to £2,500 for each referral
Investment towards Continuous Professional Development (CPD), which includes access to comprehensive training courses and materials
Paid professional membership fees

In addition to all the benefits you would expect from an award winning employer, you will be given the utmost encouragement and support to develop your career further.

When you're with us... we're with you.

The Role

The Candidate

The Benefits

About Armstrong Watson