Senior Private Client Adviser

at  abrdn

Job Description
At abrdn, our purpose is to enable our clients to be better investors.
Clients worldwide trust us to find future-fit investment opportunities to deliver the outcomes they want. Our technology and insight help empower them to make better decisions, while the powerful partnerships we build help to enhance the expertise that we offer. And by enabling clients to invest responsibly, it helps us to build a better world.
Everything we do at abrdn Financial Planning & Advice Ltd is designed with our clients in mind. We seek to achieve the best possible outcomes for those who trust us to look after their wealth. We believe that the right advice, given at the right time and in the right way, can make a big difference to helping our clients achieve their goals.
About the role
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior Private Client Adviser (In House Senior Private Client Legal Adviser) to join us. This role provides high quality specialist tax, trust and succession planning advice and services to clients within any applicable guidelines and internal service levels set out by the Company and Professional/ Regulatory bodies.

In this role you will

• Work effectively both independently and when assisting and working with others in the team to ensure timely and efficient delivery of high quality advice and documentation that meet the needs of the clients and is delivered in accordance with the Private Client Services agreed service levels.
• Understand and comply with the relevant internal Compliance, TCF, T&C, Financial Crime and Customer Due Diligence Procedures of the Company at all times.
• To keep up to date with all relevant product, legislative and technical changes and ensure those changes are reflected in the advice and services provided.

You will be specifically responsible for:

• Providing tax, trust and succession planning advice and services, drafting and reviewing documentation and client communications specifically relating to (but not limited to) such of the following areas as shall arise in their day-to-day role:
• Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Trust Deeds
• Inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax
• HMRC forms
• Trust and probate accounting
• Trust, probate and estate administration including the calculation of distributions to beneficiaries.
• Leading client meetings and supervision of junior colleagues.
• Managing (alongside other advisers and the Private Client Directors) a case load of clients and files effectively and efficiently.
• Communicating effectively with all parties (specifically to include but not limited to clients, associated parties such as trust or estate beneficiaries, Financial Planning Consultants and Paraplanners, colleagues, referrers of clients, external partners, professional advisers) to deliver excellent and efficient client service.
• Dealing promptly with referrals into the department.
• Identifying new business development opportunities (both internal and external) and attending appropriate networking and other corporate events to develop relationships with other potential client referrers.
• Identifying opportunities to maximise the commercial value of existing clients by ensuring that their needs (both private client and financial planning) are being fully met.
• Adhering to all Departmental procedures at all times and responding within stated timelines to all requests for information and input from any of the members of the Private Client Services Senior Management Team.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues in other parts of the Company to ensure a joined up service is delivered to clients and that client relationships are maintained and wherever possible, strengthened and deepened.
• Ensuring that client files are maintained in good order at all times with a full audit trail and that all file progress reports are completed timeously.
• Undertaking appropriate and adequate continuous professional development which can include internal and external training events, private study and studying for directly relevant formal qualifications such as those offered by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• Competently and effectively utilising the IT software and capability available.

What we’re looking for:

• Member of Law Society of Scotland with at least 5 years of post qualified Solicitor experience.
• Ideally to be already training towards or have gained a directly relevant and recognised professional qualification such as STEP although this is not necessary.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong organisation and communication skills, both written and verbal and attention to detail.
• Ability to effectively manage time and workload, be proactive when appropriate, to take responsibility and ownership for actions, to organise self, work under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines and internal service levels.
• An understanding of any Regulatory requirements applicable to Private Client Services and the incorporation of these into day-to-day working practices.
• IT literate, particularly in Microsoft Office programmes.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. Therefore, if you have a disability and would like to submit an application to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire and one of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.
We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.
If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist

In this role you will

• Work effectively both independently and when assisting and working with others in the team to ensure timely and efficient delivery of high quality advice and documentation that meet the needs of the clients and is delivered in accordance with the Private Client Services agreed service levels.
• Understand and comply with the relevant internal Compliance, TCF, T&C, Financial Crime and Customer Due Diligence Procedures of the Company at all times.
• To keep up to date with all relevant product, legislative and technical changes and ensure those changes are reflected in the advice and services provided

You will be specifically responsible for:

• Providing tax, trust and succession planning advice and services, drafting and reviewing documentation and client communications specifically relating to (but not limited to) such of the following areas as shall arise in their day-to-day role:
• Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Trust Deeds
• Inheritance tax, capital gains tax and income tax
• HMRC forms
• Trust and probate accounting
• Trust, probate and estate administration including the calculation of distributions to beneficiaries.
• Leading client meetings and supervision of junior colleagues.
• Managing (alongside other advisers and the Private Client Directors) a case load of clients and files effectively and efficiently.
• Communicating effectively with all parties (specifically to include but not limited to clients, associated parties such as trust or estate beneficiaries, Financial Planning Consultants and Paraplanners, colleagues, referrers of clients, external partners, professional advisers) to deliver excellent and efficient client service.
• Dealing promptly with referrals into the department.
• Identifying new business development opportunities (both internal and external) and attending appropriate networking and other corporate events to develop relationships with other potential client referrers.
• Identifying opportunities to maximise the commercial value of existing clients by ensuring that their needs (both private client and financial planning) are being fully met.
• Adhering to all Departmental procedures at all times and responding within stated timelines to all requests for information and input from any of the members of the Private Client Services Senior Management Team.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues in other parts of the Company to ensure a joined up service is delivered to clients and that client relationships are maintained and wherever possible, strengthened and deepened.
• Ensuring that client files are maintained in good order at all times with a full audit trail and that all file progress reports are completed timeously.
• Undertaking appropriate and adequate continuous professional development which can include internal and external training events, private study and studying for directly relevant formal qualifications such as those offered by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• Competently and effectively utilising the IT software and capability available