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 c olleagues 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. The Role As a result of continuous growth, we are now recruiting for a Paraplanner Manager & Technical Support to join our Financial Planning Service Line. The successful candidate can be based at any of our offices: Carlisle, West Cumbria, Dumfries, Glasgow, Hexham, Kendal, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Penrith, Settle or Skipton. 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 Team, whilst also being an appointed Line Manager for a specified group of Paraplanners. The main elements of this role will include: Line managing and developing a team of Paraplanners Conducting required research to produce all kinds of advice for new or existing clients Supporting the technical accuracy of Financial Planning literature, articles, and other related materials Assisting with supporting and ensuring that the firms stated compliance requirements and standards are met Supporting with the development of the internal technical and advice infrastructure within the Financial Planning Team, including supporting FPC's and FPA's with the development of their technical knowledge, and research knowledge, as appropriate Supporting the due-diligence and record keeping of the Armstrong Watson Financial Planning Limited Investment Committee and Protection Committee Supporting with complex and high risk advice cases, which will include preparing suitability reports and associated research. An example of this could be the Business Property Relief / Inheritance Tax Advice Cases 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 Full UK Driving Licence A Level 4 Diploma in Financial Planning (minimum requirement) A Level 6 Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning or Chartered Paraplanner Qualification (desirable) Detailed knowledge and understanding of Business Standards - Conduct of Business (COBS) Detailed knowledge and understanding of Business Standards - Product Intervention and Governance (PROD) Detailed knowledge and understanding of High Level Standards - Code of Conduct (COCON) Good knowledge and understanding of FCA Money Laundering Section of the Systems & Controls Sourcebook (SYSC) Minimum industry experience of 5 years in relevant prior roles Experience of line managing staff and following HR related practices (such as conducting 1-1s, appraisals, performance reviews etc) Technically strong and therefore able to complete chargeable event calculations, capital gains tax calculations, pension carry forward allowance calculations, and pension annual taper calculations Comfortable carrying out and collating fund research Excellent communication skills, in both verbal and written forms Able to prioritise workloads under strict deadlines and work well under pressure General IT skills Good attention to detail to ensure that reports are compiled to the highest possible quality 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 up to 26 days, plus Bank Holidays 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 Ongoing access to online training courses and materials Paid professional membership fees Charity of the Month Colleague of the Month Subsidised social events throughout the year 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. 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