Wealth Advisor - Banking Channel

The Company:

Merit is a fast growing, pioneering financial services firm that invests heavily in the growth and development of team members. Merit seeks to establish, educate, and help individuals reach their financial goals as they transition into and experience retirement. With an unswerving commitment to excellence and reliability, Merit provides objective financial advice and believes in establishing long-lasting relationships. By offering an array of services, clients can receive tailored solutions that promote growth and help them achieve financial goals.

Merit believes in addressing the retirement challenges in America by helping clients reach financial freedom and confidence to the working population and retirees alike. This focus on comprehensive financial wellness enables us to deliver the ultimate client experience.

Headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, with 39 locations across the country, Merit balances tactical advice with innovative strategy. Our 250 hardworking employees are leaders rooted in humility and we are poised to grow. Merit is a multi-generational firm with a foundation built around servant leadership and total team leadership. We have been recognized as a “Best Places to Work” by InvestmentNews and have made the fastest growing companies list in both INC 5000 and Georgia’s Fastest 40. As we expand and work to bring our relationship-driven approach to the financial industry, we are looking for the right individuals to join our team.

The position:

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Banking Channel operates as a high-touch, holistic wealth partner serving mass affluent, high-net-worth (HNW), and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients introduced through Merit’s bank relationships. This role must seamlessly integrate investment management, retirement planning, estate coordination, tax-aware strategies, and banking solutions into a cohesive client experience.

Responsibilities:

Bank Relationship Leadership

• Serve as the primary wealth management representative within assigned bank markets.
• Build and deepen relationships with retail, commercial, mortgage, and treasury teams.
• Align wealth strategies with the bank’s deposit retention, lending growth, and client acquisition initiatives.
• Conduct internal training and education sessions to enhance referral quality and financial literacy.
• Act as a strategic growth partner to bank leadership.

Client Advisory & Relationship Management

• Lead consultative discovery meetings with mass affluent, HNW, and UHNW clients.
• Deliver comprehensive financial planning strategies encompassing:
• Investment management
• Retirement income design
• Tax-aware planning
• Estate and legacy coordination
• Business succession and liquidity planning
• Risk management solutions
• Translate complex financial strategies into actionable, client-centered solutions.
• Guide clients through proposal presentation, onboarding, and implementation.
• Coordinate internal specialists to deliver a seamless, white-glove client experience.

Business Development & Growth

• Drive organic growth through internal bank referrals and strategic community relationships.
• Develop centers of influence connected to bank ecosystems (CPAs, attorneys, business advisors).
• Maintain disciplined pipeline management from introduction to close.
• Operate with a long-term relationship mindset rather than transactional focus.

Community & Financial Education

• Deliver financial literacy workshops for bank clients and employees.
• Represent Merit and partner banks in community-facing events.
• Position wealth management as a strategic extension of the bank’s trusted relationship model.

*Please note the above job responsibilities may vary, grow, and change.

Salary + Benefits:

• Competitive, based on experience
• Medical Insurance
• Dental/Vision Insurance
• Life & Personal Accident Insurance 
• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA) or Dependent Care FSA
• 401(k) Plan with company matching
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays 

  Best Places To Work for Financial Advisors 2018-2024: Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 – Recognized firms were required to be a registered investment advisor (RIA) that has been in business at least one year and having a minimum of 15 full-time/part-time employees. The assessment consisted of a questionnaire on benefits and policies completed by human resources staff along with an engagement & satisfaction survey completed by a minimum of 40% of staff. 50 firms were selected for this award from an undisclosed list of submissions. There was no charge to be included in this award listing.

Georgia Fast 40 2019 and 2022: The Georgia Fast 40 for 2019 and 2022 was awarded by the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. To be eligible companies must be for profit and headquartered in Georgia and the most recent year-end revenues ranging from $15 million to $500 million and have three years of verifiable revenue and employment growth.

Inc 5000 2019, 2020 & 2021: The Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, which consists of more than 5000 companies, represents virtually all of the capitalization of the entire U.S. stock market

Compensation: Merit Financial Advisors offers competitive compensation based on experience, qualifications, location, and market data. Where required by applicable law, salary ranges will be provided during the hiring process.

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of experience in affluent/private wealth management or high-net-worth bank advisory.
• Experience working within or alongside banking institutions preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business, Economics, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Series 65 or Series 7 & 66 – preferred.
• Established success serving HNW/UHNW clients.
• Strong relationship-building skills across internal bank stakeholders.
• Holistic planning expertise beyond investment management alone.
• Ability to operate independently with an ownership mentality.
• Strategic thinking aligned to bank growth objectives.
• Advanced communication skills with executive presence.
• Comfort wearing multiple hats within a growth-oriented platform.
• Ability to understand banking terminology and balance sheet dynamics while thinking holistically.