Director, Senior Compliance (Chicago)

About Cresset

Cresset is a firm built by clients, for clients. As an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm, we are reimagining the way wealth is experienced. Our purpose is to help ensure that both wealth and life are fully optimized—integrated, intentional, and aligned with each client’s vision of success.

We provide access to the caliber of talent, ideas, and investment opportunities typically available to the largest single-family offices and institutions. Our approach is personalized, entrepreneurial, and client-first.

Proudly owned by our clients and employees, Cresset was built to endure. We are creating a 100+ year firm—one focused on delivering an exceptional experience, not only for the families we serve but for the team that serves them. Recognized by Barron’s among the nation’s top RIA firms, and as one of the industry’s best places to work,* Cresset is guided by long-term relationships, shared success, and a belief that wealth should serve a life well lived.

Job Description

Cresset is seeking an experienced Senior Compliance to provide leadership across its private fund and wealth advisory compliance program. This role is designed as a senior leadership position with direct reports and broad responsibility for team guidance, escalation management, business partnership and regulatory judgment.

The Senior Role will serve as a trusted adviser to Compliance colleagues and business leaders, provide clear and practical guidance on complex or recurring matters, and act as a senior escalation point before issues are elevated to the Chief Compliance Officer. The role will also provide substantive oversight and backup coverage for marketing review involving both wealth advisory and private fund activities.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Team Development and Guidance

• Lead, coach, and develop Compliance team members by establishing clear priorities, accountability, decision rights, and performance expectations, while providing regulatory guidance and mentorship.
• Build a high-performing, self-sufficient team by delegating meaningful responsibility, strengthening independent judgment, identifying resource and training needs, and reducing key-person dependencies.
• Promote consistent, timely, and well-supported compliance decisions, communications, and documentation across the Compliance function.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex, sensitive, cross-functional, and judgment-intensive compliance matters.
• Build trusted partnerships across the business by delivering practical, solutions-oriented compliance advice that enables business objectives while maintaining regulatory compliance and fiduciary standards.

Marketing and Advertising Review

• Provide senior oversight and substantive review of marketing and advertising materials for both wealth advisory and private fund business.
• Serve as the firm's senior compliance resource for marketing and advertising matters, with deep expertise in the SEC Marketing Rule and extensive experience supporting private fund materials and investor communications.
• Oversee the review of marketing and investor communications to ensure they are fair, balanced, and compliant with regulatory requirements and consistent with the firm's disclosures, offering documents, and business practices.
• Provide backup coverage to the existing private fund marketing review function and help maintain consistent review standards, templates, disclosures, checklists and escalation protocols.
• Identify recurring issues and deliver training to business teams.

Private Funds Compliance

• Own or provide senior oversight of private fund compliance guidance and related team responsibilities.
• Oversee or support private fund policies and procedures, Form ADV, Form PF and other regulatory filings, compliance testing and annual review.
• Support fund launches, annual review, testing, remediation, and strategic initiatives affecting private fund activities.

Wealth Advisory Compliance and Business Partnership

• Provide practical guidance regarding fiduciary duty, disclosures, conflicts, fees, performance reporting, referrals, affiliated services and client communications.
• Build trusted relationships with business leaders and understand business priorities, products, clients, and operating challenges.
• Communicate regulatory developments and required actions clearly and proactively.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; law degree, advanced degree or relevant professional certification a plus.
• Generally 10 or more years of relevant compliance, legal, regulatory or consulting experience, including meaningful experience with an SEC-registered investment adviser.
• Significant experience supporting both private wealth investment advisory activities and private fund advisers.
• Deep, hands-on experience reviewing investment adviser marketing and advertising materials under the SEC Marketing Rule. Experience reviewing private fund performance, offering or other marketing materials.
• Demonstrated experience managing, supervising, coaching or developing Compliance professionals.
• Strong working knowledge of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, private fund compliance obligations, Form ADV, Form PF, disclosures, conflicts and regulatory examination expectations.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, make decisions with incomplete information and communicate clear recommendations to senior professionals.
• Excellent organization, planning, written communication, verbal communication and follow-through skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with compliance technology and artificial intelligence tools.

What We Offer:

At Cresset, we focus on people first. As a service business, our people are our assets. Engaging our clients and employees is our highest priority. Cresset offers a competitive compensation package for the Internship Program. We also offer an opportunity to work in the wealth management environment allowing you to understand the industry and determine if it is the right step for you in your future endeavors. The program includes learning and development activities to give you broader exposure to the company and networking opportunities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of Cresset to ensure equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, or related conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. It is Cresset’s policy to comply with applicable laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities, including reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities.

Everything Starts With Culture.

Our Vision

We exist to optimize wealth and elevate life—giving clients the time, clarity, and trusted partnership to pursue what matters most.

*Disclosures related to awards, recognitions, and rankings available here .

Cresset refers to Cresset Capital Management, and all its respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Cresset Asset Management, LLC, also conducts advisory business under the names of Cresset Sports & Entertainment, CH Investment Partners, and Cresset Capital. Cresset provides investment advisory, family office, and other services to individuals, families, and institutional clients. Cresset also provides investment advisory services to investment vehicles investing in private equity, real estate, and other investment opportunities. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC registered investment advisor. SEC registration does not imply any specific level of skill or training.