Head of Estate Management

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Business Unit: Discovery Life

Function: Management

Date: 13 Feb 2026

About Discovery

Discovery's core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.

About Discovery Wills and Trust Services

Discovery Will and Trust Services (DWTS) is an ever growing fast paced and dynamic environment that provides wills, trust and related estate administration services to individual clients. This environment thrives on customer engagement and customer experience as well as mutually beneficial relationships with our brokers and other stakeholders. It is important for our employees to provide world class service to our internal and external clients, thereby ensuring long and sustainable relationships.

About the DWTS Estate Administration division (team)

Estate and Trust Administration Division centralise and professionalise the administration of deceased estates and testamentary trusts. The division addresses the complexity, regulatory intensity, and emotional sensitivity inherent in fiduciary administration by introducing specialist expertise, robust governance, and scalable operating models. By reducing legal, compliance, and reputational risk, enhancing client experience, and enabling sustainable revenue growth, the division will position the organization as a trusted end to end fiduciary partner.

Role Description

This role will be pivotal in setting up the Estate administration division, establishing its process, system and operating model as well as managing and coordinating the relationship between Discovery, the client, and the panel administrators. The role will engage with the panel of administrators to monitor estate progress, gather status updates, and ensure timely and accurate reporting. They will provide structured feedback to heirs and relevant stakeholders through ensuring transparency and consistent communication.

The role requires strong estate administration expertise to effectively assess, report on, and monitor the performance and efficiency of panel administrators. In addition, the individual should possess the technical capability to directly administer estates, enabling Discovery to pilot and potentially establish an internal estate administration function. The role also requires strong emotional intelligence to deal with and support grieving heirs.

Key Outputs / Job Responsibilities

• Set up estate administration team and function
• Create operating model and SOP for the team's functions
• Specify system requirements for the estate administration system
• Engage with panel of administrators and consolidate weekly reports on the status updates of deceased estates and testamentary trusts
• Engage and regularly communicate with heirs, brokers involved in a deceased estate
• Perform any necessary estate/trust administration task that may be required whilst the team scales.

Job / Role Requirements

Work Experience

Required

• Minimum of 5 years' experience on deceased estate and trust administration at a senior level with a trust company/law firm/fiduciary service provider, with proven track record in the administration of estates

Preferred (would be advantageous)

Education / Qualifications / Accreditations with Professional Body

Education / Qualifications Required

• Admitted attorney or CFP with legal qualifications
• Legal degree combined with high level experience

Professional Registration

• Admitted attorney/Law society (Commissioner of Oaths, either an admitted attorney or CFP with legal qualifications)
• FISA or FPI

Preferred (would be advantageous)

Technical Skills or Knowledge

Required

Skills

Level: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert

• Extensive knowledge on deceased estate & trust administration, with a proven track record in the administration of estates.
• Strong client relationship management capabilities are essential, supported by a high level of emotional intelligence to effectively manage sensitive matters, complex family dynamics, and high-net-worth clients.
• Strong complaint resolution skills, the ability to manage escalations professionally, and maintain effective and consistent reporting standards.
• Advanced

Preferred (would be advantageous)

Decisions and impact made by role:

• Team structure and operating model

Internal and External Stakeholders

Internal:

• Discovery Life
• Discovery Wills and Trust Services (DCS)

External:

• Heirs
• Existing Panel of Executors
• Major Brokerages

Personal Attributes or Competency Profile

The Discovery Person

• Values Driven
• Learns on the Fly
• Resilient
• Instils Trust
• People Savvy
• Drives Results

Role Specific Behaviours

Discovery Core Competencies

• Business astuteness and prudence
• Integrity, honesty and fairness
• People Savvy

Discovery Leadership Charter

• Leaders are students and masters of communication
• Leaders build an environment for optimal performance
• Leaders have a bias for action
• Leaders treat others with care, dignity & respect
• Set ambitious goals and implement highest standards

The Company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.