Director of Wealth Management

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a strategic, client-focused Director of Wealth Management to lead and scale a comprehensive private client and family office advisory business. The role owns the client experience for high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients, sets investment and service strategy, oversees product and platform delivery, manages risk and compliance, and drives P&L growth through business development, partnerships, and operational excellence. The Director will be responsible for talent development, advisor productivity, and digital adoption while preserving a high-touch, fiduciary relationship model.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Wealth Advisor / Lead Financial Advisor
Head of Private Client Group / Regional Private Banker
Director of Financial Planning or Head of Family Office Services

Advancement To:

Head of Private Wealth / Head of Wealth Management
Chief Wealth Officer / Chief Investment Officer (for private client business)
Partner or Division President in a multi-family office or wealth management firm

Lateral Moves:

Head of Private Banking
Director of Family Office Services
Head of Client Solutions (Multifamily Office / Institutional Private Clients)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the strategic planning and execution of the wealth management business, setting revenue targets, defining growth initiatives for HNW and UHNW segments, and holding accountability for P&L performance and margin improvement.
Build, coach, and scale high-performing teams of relationship managers, portfolio managers, financial planners, and client service professionals; set clear performance objectives, succession plans, and compensation structures.
Own overall client relationship strategy for top-tier clients, personally managing key relationships and overseeing protocols for onboarding, retention, escalation, and bespoke service delivery.
Design and govern investment platform strategy including discretionary and advisory mandates, asset allocation frameworks, model portfolios, manager selection, and ongoing due diligence on third-party managers and alternative investments.
Drive product development for wealth solutions (portfolios, private equity, structured products, lending, custody, trust & estate services), working cross-functionally with product, legal, tax, and investment research teams to bring compliant offerings to market.
Oversee financial planning and wealth advisory capabilities, ensuring integrated delivery of retirement planning, cash-flow modeling, estate planning, tax-efficient strategies, and philanthropic advisory for multi-generational clients.
Ensure rigorous risk management and regulatory compliance across wealth activities—lead coordination with legal/compliance on SEC/FINRA guidance, AML/KYC programs, fiduciary documentation, policy updates, and audit responses.
Own client segmentation, pricing, and fee schedules; optimize fee-for-service models, RIA transition strategies, and tiered service models to balance revenue, margin, and client satisfaction.
Develop and execute client acquisition and retention strategies, including lead generation, cross-sell initiatives, referral partnerships with CPAs and attorneys, and targeted business development for UHNW prospects.
Serve as the primary liaison between investment research, trading, operations, and technology teams to ensure seamless trade execution, reporting accuracy, and integration of custodial and portfolio management platforms.
Implement and govern digital client engagement platforms, CRM (e.g., Salesforce, Wealthscape, Envestnet), client reporting portals, and onboarding workflows to improve scalability and the client experience.
Monitor market trends, macroeconomic risks, and regulatory changes to update investment policies, client communications, and strategic positioning of the wealth business.
Lead strategic initiatives such as M&A assessments, partnership development with asset managers or fintech providers, and expansion into new geographies or service lines (e.g., lending, credit solutions).
Develop and deliver thought leadership, white papers, and client-facing content to support brand positioning, trust-building and advisor marketing initiatives targeted at HNW and UHNW segments.
Establish performance metrics and analytics (AUM growth, client attrition, revenue per advisor, client satisfaction scores) and report regularly to executive leadership and the board on business health and strategic progress.
Oversee pricing and underwriting of lending solutions for wealth clients, including securities-based lending, mortgages for investment property, and bespoke credit facilities for family offices.
Coordinate complex multi-disciplinary initiatives for high-net-worth families, including estate settlement, trust administration, intergenerational wealth transfer planning, and family governance.
Manage vendor relationships for custody, reporting, risk aggregation and alternative investment platforms; negotiate commercial terms and SLAs to deliver best-in-class service.
Own annual budgeting, forecasting, and expense management for the wealth business; align resources to growth priorities and drive efficiencies through process improvement and automation.
Represent the firm at industry conferences, private banking forums, and client events; cultivate strategic referral relationships with centers of influence (legal, tax, real estate, philanthropy).
Lead integration planning and execution for onboarding new teams or acquired practices to ensure cultural alignment, data migration, client communication, and retention of key relationships.
Maintain fiduciary standards in all client interactions; ensure transparency in fees, conflicts disclosure, and suitability of investment recommendations for client objectives.
Drive continuous training and professional development programs (CFP, CFA, trust officer training) to raise advisor competency in financial planning, estate planning, tax strategies, and alternative investments.
Coordinate with technology and cybersecurity teams to maintain data privacy, secure electronic communications, and robust disaster recovery plans for wealth operations.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Lead RFP responses and due diligence questionnaires for prospective institutional or family office clients.
Review and approve complex client proposals, engagement letters, and discretionary mandate documentation.
Provide executive mentorship to high-potential advisors and participate in talent recruiting and campus outreach programs.
Partner with marketing to create targeted campaigns, event programming, and client education series to deepen relationships and drive referrals.
Provide oversight to client billing, invoicing accuracy, and reconciliation of fees across accounts and service lines.
Support corporate governance initiatives related to client risk committees and product approval panels.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep expertise in portfolio construction, asset allocation, and multi-asset modeling for HNW/UHNW clients.
Demonstrated experience with discretionary portfolio management and managed account platforms (Envestnet, Orion, Fidelity, Schwab Custody).
Strong knowledge of private markets, alternatives, hedge funds, private equity, real assets, and direct investments including manager selection and operational due diligence.
Advanced financial planning skills including estate planning, trust structuring, tax-efficient strategies, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
Proficiency with CRM and wealth technology stacks (Salesforce, Tamarac, eMoney, MoneyGuidePro, Addepar) and client reporting tools.
Solid understanding of regulatory regimes and compliance requirements (SEC, FINRA, ERISA, AML/KYC) applicable to wealth management.
P&L ownership experience with budgeting, forecasting, pricing and revenue optimization for advisory businesses.
Analytical capability with data-driven decision making, portfolio analytics, and KPI reporting (AUM growth, net new assets, client retention).
Experience negotiating and managing third-party manager contracts, custody agreements and vendor SLAs.
Expertise in designing lending solutions for wealth clients (SBL, margin lending, bespoke credit).
Familiarity with tax reporting, international estate planning and cross-border wealth structures.
Experience conducting M&A integration, practice acquisition, or advisor onboarding at scale.

Soft Skills

Executive leadership with proven ability to inspire, coach, and retain senior advisors and multi-disciplinary teams.
Exceptional client-facing communication and presentation skills; comfortable advising families, boards, and investment committees.
Strategic thinker with strong commercial instincts and ability to translate market trends into product and distribution strategies.
Strong interpersonal skills and aptitude for building trusted relationships with centers of influence (CPAs, attorneys, private bankers).
High ethical standards and fiduciary mindset with meticulous attention to detail and governance.
Resilient change agent who can lead technology adoption and operational transformation while preserving client experience.
Effective negotiator and consensus-builder; skilled at cross-functional influence across compliance, legal, ops, and technology.
Problem solving and crisis management skills—able to manage market volatility, reputational issues, and escalation scenarios.
Coaching and talent development focus with appetite to create formal career paths and performance frameworks.
Client-service orientation with relentless focus on delivering measurable outcomes and proactive advice.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration or related field.

Preferred Education:

MBA, MS Finance, or advanced degree.
Professional certifications such as CFA, CFP, CTFA, or JD (with trust & estate focus).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance
Economics
Business Administration / Management
Accounting
Law (estate & tax)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10–20+ years in wealth management, private banking, or family office environments with progressive leadership responsibility.

Preferred:

12+ years managing teams and P&L for HNW/UHNW client segments, with demonstrable track record of AUM growth, client retention, and product innovation.
Experience leading or integrating advisory teams, digital platform deployments, and cross-border wealth solutions.
Proven network of referral partners and track record of complex relationship origination and conversion.