Aspiriant seeks to recruit a Manager for our Client Experience (Planning Strategy & Research) (PS&R) group.
This is a nationwide search, with the opportunity to be located anywhere that Aspiriant has an office (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mountain View, Irvine, San Diego, Austin, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, or New York).
The Manager is an important generalist role, accountable for helping to maintain and improve our exceptional wealth management platform and its integration with other client service areas. The Manager will also provide deep technical financial planning expertise and direct operational development and support.
The Manager will report to the Chief Client Officer, and will collaborate as part of PS&R with other departments across the firm, including the Client Service Practice, Investment Strategy & Research, Client Service Operations, and IT.
PS&R is responsible for building, innovating, and maintaining Aspiriant’s wealth planning platform and serving as the guardian and advocate of the client experience for the entire firm. PS&R’s mission is to help advisors across the Practice foster intimate and durable client relationships that help our clients achieve their financial goals, peace of mind and live life well. We endeavor to continue to evolve a wealth planning platform that supports advisors across the Practice with the technology, tools, training, and materials that make client service seem intuitive, effortless, and satisfying.
Here are some examples of PS&R initiatives to demonstrate the range of our work:
- Prepare quarterly meeting materials as a starting place for the Practice to utilize with clients
- Develop wealth planning conventions for the Practice to use
- Develop and refine the new client onboarding process
- Enhance the process of the Practice to provide an excellent and caring experience when a client is going through major life events that is well coordinated with our Client Service Operations, Compliance and Finance teams
- Facilitate our annual client survey, including preparing related client and internal communications
- Coordinate with our Investment Strategy & Research and Client Service Operations Teams to support the Practice with centralized resources during times of crisis (i.e., COVID pandemic, regional banking concerns, etc.)
- Work closely with our Client Service Operations and Compliance teams to develop and integrate new steps into our processes to be compliant with new and ongoing regulations.
We are Aspiriant, a leading, independent, 100% employee-owned wealth management firm. Our core values guide us to seek out a broad range of perspectives, talent, and backgrounds to achieve our mission; one where all staff contribute to and share our success. We recognize, respect and value the contributions of each employee, and we strive to cultivate a work environment that strikes an agreeable balance between our professional and personal lives.
- Collaborative work environment where together we achieve more
- Environment supportive of learning and growing your career
- Continuing education assistance program
- 401(k) with company match
- Bonus program
- Company contribution up to 95% for health insurance
- Hybrid work arrangement
How you will contribute:
- Partner with key stakeholders to proactively develop and then maintain the processes, intellectual capital, communications, tools, etc., that create an effective decision-making environment for clients and superior client experience
- Understand advisors’ needs across the Practice and act as a proactive partner to support them in delivering intimate client service.
- Promote and champion Aspiriant’s wealth planning philosophy and consistent use of key planning tools by the Practice to deliver high quality wealth planning services
- Stay apprised of wealth management trends, best practices, and developing law changes to help bring innovative planning strategies and techniques to Aspiriant
- Identify and assess external resources such as technology platforms, consultants, and service providers to enhance advisor capabilities and support client needs
- Serve as a point person for PS&R’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), providing technical expertise, quality control, and direct assistance to create leverageable wealth planning materials and related processes
- Partner with our Learning & Development (L&D) team to create advisor focused training and education programs to further build competencies (technical and relational) among the Practice, needed to serve clients with distinction
- Partner with our Compliance team to develop and/or modify our standard processes to adhere to the changing regulatory landscape
- Partner and collaborate with the Information Technology (IT) department to identify technological solutions that modernize and enhance the client experience
- Proactively monitor all aspects of the client experience across the Practice, developing and executing enhancements as needed
- Analyze client feedback from annual surveys and other channels to develop actionable strategies for improving client engagement and satisfaction.
- Develop materials (articles, webinars, and internal and external presentations) to educate current and future clients on a broad range of wealth planning topics. This includes partnering with our internal marketing team to enhance Aspiriant’s brand and create content for select initiatives
- Serve as a respected external ambassador for Aspiriant, continuing to build on our strong reputation
- Perform other duties as and when required
Is this you?
An ideal candidate will be motivated by our mission to empower families to take control of their financial lives, live their values with clarity and peace of mind, and actualize their dreams. We seek out a wide range of talented team members who share our values and vision. We value intellectual intensity, collaboration, and compassion. A strategic partner once compared us to “a cocker spaniel.” We like the comparison. Our relationships with clients are professional first and foremost, they are also warm, passionate and genuine.
The attributes and talents that lead to success in the role are:
Knowledge:
- Possess deep technical knowledge of and passion for wealth management, including expertise in income tax, estate planning, family governance, executive compensation, and/or insurance
- An initiative-taker who takes accountability for their work and enjoys working as part of a team completing important projects
Skills:
- Excellent listening skills
- Exceptional relationship management and people skills
- Excellent attention to detail and follow-through
- Dedication to developing leadership skills and a growth mindset
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to set priorities among a variety of tasks and an occasionally heavy volume of work
Abilities:
- Brings effective communication (both written and verbal) and presentation skills for internal and external purposes
- Ability to interact and collaborate effectively and respectfully with colleagues across a range of functions to help Aspiriant become more successful
- Willing and able to jump in on any tasks requiring attention
- Able to help establish more effective and efficient client service processes for the benefit of clients and Aspiriant
- Innovative and goal oriented
- Embodies the core values of Aspiriant and contributes to the firm’s culture
Experience and Education:
We will consider any combination of experience and education which provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job. A typical way to acquire the requirements would be:
- Bachelor’s Degree with preference for experience in business, tax, finance, economics, and financial planning
- A CFP® designation is required
- Seven or more years of direct client service experience in a wealth management firm, working with high net worth and/or ultra-high net worth individuals and families
- Experience participating and/or leading a wealth management committee at an RIA is highly desired
- Demonstrated ability and experience with the financial planning process, including discovery, date gathering, analysis and plan development, implementation, and monitoring
- Demonstrated analytical skills
- Excellent personal and professional references
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
Primarily sedentary work in an office with minimal distractions; walking throughout the office. Learn and memorize tasks; execute tasks independently; apply knowledge and use judgment to manage situations. Occasionally exert up to ten pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Perform repetitive motions; substantial movements of the wrists, hands, and fingers for computer keyboard operation. Use near visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing documents, operating a computer, and reading. Speak and hear to communicate with team members and clients by phone and in-person.
Aspiriant is committed to diversity, inclusion and belonging.
A diverse and inclusive culture is essential to providing the best to both our clients and our people. Including a variety of perspectives in all that we do is necessary for our innovation and growth. We envision a firm where our people see a community they belong to and an inspiring future…a firm where people can be themselves, learning is limitless, and everyone can thrive.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer that believes in and follows Fair Chance Ordinances, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position.
www.aspiriant.com
Aspiriant is a Registered Investment Adviser, subject to SEC regulation, and requires all employees (and at times, family members) to disclose securities holding and transactions. There are also restrictions on trading certain securities. Candidates are encouraged to request further information regarding these policies.