Communications Officer

Title : Communications Officer
Duration : Permanent
Grade (Hay system) : 15
Ref : PO002/2024

The Ombud Council is a regulatory body established as a financial services body and public entity under
the Financial Sector Regulation (FSR) Act No.9 of 2017. Its role is in summary to oversee the functioning
of the financial sector ombud system to ensure that financial customers have access to effective alternative dispute resolution processes for complaints about financial institutions. The Ombud Council is seeking a Stakeholder and Communications reporting to the Head of Regulation and Oversight.

Purpose of the Role:
To support the Head of Regulation and Oversight in managing and nurturing stakeholder relationships in
terms of the Ombud Council’s objectives. To promote the Ombud Council’s objective to collaborate with
stakeholders to promote consumer awareness of ombuds and their services and the ombud system, to
support financial inclusion. To develop and implement internal and external communication strategies for
the Ombud Council by managing the Ombud Council’s website and intranet, social media platforms,
networking, identifying and building long-term relationships with stakeholders

Requirements:
Matric certificate or equivalent. Appropriate National Diploma / Bachelors Degree in Communications or
equivalent. A minimum of 3-5 year’s experience in a professional Communications and Stakeholder
Management role. Fluent in English. Fluency in at least one additional official language will be
advantageous

Key Performance Areas:
Internal & External Stakeholder strategy for engagement, communication and evaluation & reporting.

Other Key Competencies:
The candidate must demonstrate the following skills and attributes:
Excellent writing and verbal communication skills. Good organisational and time management skills.
Design, organise and execute all event-related activities as well as full administrative support. Good
networking skills. Knowledge and ability to use digital communication and content-creation tools, as well as computers (programs and applications) and technology efficiently.

Employment Equity employer:
The Ombud Council is an employment equity employer, and as such preference will be given to suitably
qualified candidates who are members of designated groups, in accordance with the Ombud Council’s EE
targets. Please note that correspondence and communication will only be conducted with short listed
candidates and that the Ombud Council reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not
identified.

Kindly forward your C.V to the following email address: HR@ombudcouncil.org.za before the
closing date: 23 August 2024.

Who we are

The Ombud Council was established through the Financial Sector (FSR)Regulation Act (2017), Chapter 14. Its objective is to assist financial customers to have access to affordable, effective, independent and fair alternative dispute resolution when they have complaints about financial institutions. This includes complaints that relate to financial products, financial services and services provided by market infrastructures such as exchanges.

The Ombud Council does not handle customer complaints itself, but oversees all financial sector ombud schemes, in essence operating as the regulatory authority for ombuds. The Ombud Council will assist complainants with identifying which ombud is responsible for hearing their complaint in cases where the jurisdiction is unclear.

The Ombud Council will promote:

• Accessibility and use of the ombud system,
• Cooperation and coordination among ombuds
• Effectiveness of the ombud system – including through imposing common standards of good practice.

Vision

The Ombud Council will ensure that a known, trusted and easily accessible ombud system exists for all in the financial sector.

Mission

The Ombud Council will help the ombud system work better for financial customers by:

• Using our statutory powers to harmonise the system, improve its coverage and visibility, and keep track of its performance; and
• Proactively supporting regulatory reforms to improve the system’s structure.

List of Board Members

Ms Eileen Meyer

Chairperson

Adv. Dikeledi Chabedi

Deputy Chairperson

Mr Adam Horowitz

Board Member

Mr Emmanuel Lekgau

Board Member

Ms Charmaine Soobramoney

Board Member

Ms Lebogang Senne

Board Member

Mr Unathi Kamlana

Board Member (Commissioner FSCA)

Ms Leanne Jackson

Chief Ombud
(Chief Ombud)

Board Secretariat

Sebolelo Seutloali

Board Secretariat & Administrative Support

Executive Team

Ms Leanne Jackson

Chief Ombud

Mr Siphiwe Dube

Head of Operations

Devrani Moonsamy

Head of Finance

Mandate of Ombud Council

The Ombud Council’s mandate.

The Ombud Council is a statutory body established in terms of the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 2017 (FSR Act). In terms of the Act, the Ombud Council’s objective is “to assist in ensuring that financial customers have access to, and are able to use, affordable, effective, independent and fair alternative dispute resolution processes for complaints about financial institutions in relation to financial products, financial services, and services provided by market infrastructures” (section 176 of the FSR Act).

The FSR Act sets out the Council’s functions and confers a range of supervision and enforcement powers over ombud schemes. In effect, our role is to act as the “regulator” of ombud schemes.

When should you complain to the Ombud Council about an ombud scheme?

The Ombud Council’s enforcement powers enable us to take various regulatory actions – including conducting investigations – against ombud schemes where a scheme contravenes or is likely to contravene a financial sector law, insofar as that law relates to ombud schemes. Certain actions may also be taken where an ombud scheme has contravened its own governing rules in a material way. The governing rules of industry ombud schemes are available (here).

The Ombud Council can therefore only deal with a query against an ombud scheme that indicates that this type of contravention has occurred or is likely to occur.  If you have this type of query against an ombud scheme, please submit it through our website (here) or send an e-mail to enquiries@www.ombudcouncil.org.za.

What the Ombud Council cannot do.

The Ombud Council does not have any jurisdiction over the conduct of financial institutions. We therefore cannot deal with complaints against financial institutions, and these complaints should be submitted to the applicable ombud scheme. Details of applicable ombud schemes are set out (here).

It is also not our role to become involved in, or review or reconsider the outcome of any specific complaints handled by ombud schemes. This would be inconsistent with our mandate to protect the independence and impartiality of ombuds (section 177(1)(c) of the FSR Act.)

Other options that may be available to you.

• Ombud scheme appeal processes: If an ombud scheme has adjudicated your complaint against a financial institution, but you are dissatisfied with the outcome, please ask the ombud scheme for details of their appeal processes, as it may be possible to appeal the scheme’s decision.
• The FAIS Ombud’s statutory jurisdiction: If you have submitted a complaint about a financial institution to an ombud scheme, but the scheme has advised that they do not have jurisdiction to deal with it, the FAIS Ombud’s office may be able to assist you.
• The Ombud Council’s designation powers: If you are unable to find any ombud scheme that has jurisdiction to deal with your complaint against a financial institution, please let the Ombud Council know (here) or e-mail us at enquiries@www.ombudcouncil.org.za. We may be able to point you in the right direction or, in some cases, designate an existing scheme to deal with your complaint.
• Approach the FSCA: The Financial Sector Conduct Authority is the conduct regulator of financial institutions. If you believe that a financial institution has contravened a financial sector law, or that an entity is providing financial services without the necessary license, contact the FSCA through their website www.fsca.co.za or call them on 0800 20 37 22.  Bear in mind though that the FSCA’s role in such cases will be to consider regulatory enforcement action against the financial institution, which will not necessarily include redress for financial customers. Also note that the FSCA will not be able to assist you if your complaint is about an ombud scheme, as it does not have jurisdiction over ombud schemes.