Director, Operations

Director of OperationsHilltop Wealth Advisors | Chapel Hill, NCRole PurposeHilltop Wealth Advisors is scaling toward a $50M revenue future. To do that, the firm needs an operations function that is reliable, visible, accountable, and not dependent on the President stepping into daily operational firefighting.The Director of Operations will build and lead that function.This is a?hands-on operational builder role?for someone who can create order while leading the work. Reporting to the President, who currently serves as Hilltop's interim COO/CCO, the Director of Operations will own day-to-day operational performance, client-service execution, workflow discipline, team accountability, and operational capacity.This person will not inherit a fully built operations department. They will establish the rhythms, standards, documentation, reporting, and team structure required to support Hilltop's next stage of scale.The Director supports compliance execution but does?not?serve as Hilltop's CCO. CCO responsibility remains with the President, supported by Comply, until Hilltop makes a future decision to establish a dedicated COO/CCO or CCO seat.Reports ToPresident / Interim COO-CCODirect ReportsInitially:Client Services Team Lead / Senior Client Service AssociateClient Service AssociatesOther client service or operations personnel as assignedAs the team scales:Operations ManagerOffice ManagerClient Services Team LeadPrimary Outcome OwnedHilltop's operations and client service function delivers accurate, timely, repeatable work at the capacity required to support advisor productivity, exceptional client experience, compliance execution, and scalable growth.Key ResponsibilitiesBuild the Operations FunctionAssess Hilltop's current operations, client-service workflows, CRM usage, task management, service capacity, and operational risks.Establish clear ownership, service standards, workflows, and escalation paths for recurring operational work.Build the operating cadence for the department, including daily workflow visibility, weekly team meetings, KPI review, and issue escalation.Create and maintain practical documentation for core workflows, including client onboarding, account maintenance, transfers, billing support, service requests, and custodian interactions.Identify the highest-leverage process, technology, staffing, and capacity improvements required for Hilltop to scale.Recommend the future structure and timing for an Operations Manager and Office Manager as the function matures.Lead Daily Operations and Client ServiceDirectly lead the current client service and operations team until an Operations Manager is in place.Assign, prioritize, track, and follow up on operational work, client requests, workflow backlogs, and cross-functional handoffs.Ensure client service requests, account paperwork, transfers, onboarding, billing support, and other core workflows are completed accurately and within defined standards.Monitor operational workload, capacity, errors, rework, overdue tasks, and service failures; intervene quickly when standards are not met.Serve as the escalation point for complex client-service, workflow, and operational issues.Partner with advisors to improve service handoffs, advisor support, and client experience.Systems, Data, and Process DisciplineDrive consistent use of Hilltop's CRM, workflow tools, documentation standards, and task-management systems.Improve CRM data quality, operational reporting, workflow visibility, and accountability.Partner with the President and other leaders on the Advyzon CRM transition, related process changes, and data cleanup.Identify recurring friction, redundant steps, and bottlenecks; implement practical improvements.Ensure the firm has reliable operational data to make decisions about staffing, capacity, service levels, and priorities.Team Leadership and DevelopmentSet clear expectations, scorecards, development plans, and accountability for direct reports.Coach and develop the Client Services Team Lead/Senior CSA in technical leadership, quality control, training, and future management readiness.Build cross-training and coverage plans so critical workflows do not depend on one person.Hire, onboard, and develop future operations and client-service talent as approved.Address unclear ownership, missed commitments, and sustained underperformance directly.Compliance and Risk ExecutionEnsure operational compliance workflows, recordkeeping, documentation, and follow-up tasks are completed accurately and on time.Partner with the President and Comply on audits, compliance requests, operational evidence, and remediation activity.Escalate material client-service, process, documentation, or compliance risks promptly.Reinforce adherence to established compliance policies and procedures across the operations and client-service function.This role executes and manages compliance-related operational workflows. It does not independently interpret regulations, establish compliance policy, or replace the President as the CCO.Key Performance IndicatorsClient service requests completed within defined service standardsNew-client onboarding turnaround time and accuracyWorkflow completion rate, overdue task volume, and backlog agingCRM data completeness, accuracy, and workflow adherenceOperational error, rework, and exception ratesAdvisor satisfaction with operational and client-service supportClient-service team capacity, workload balance, and cross-training readinessCompletion rate for priority operational improvement initiativesCompliance workflow and documentation completion rateTime required from the President for operational escalations and firefightingWhat Great Looks Like in 90 DaysFirst 30 DaysUnderstands Hilltop's service model, client-service team, workflow volume, systems, and current bottlenecks.Identifies the highest-risk breakdowns in CRM data, task ownership, workflow handoffs, and client-service capacity.Builds strong relationships with the President, advisors, client service staff, Comply, custodians, and key vendors.Establishes clear ownership and immediate priorities for the current team.By 60 DaysImplements a visible daily and weekly operating cadence.Creates a prioritized list of workflow, capacity, CRM, and service-level improvements.Establishes baseline metrics for workflow backlog, turnaround time, errors, and service capacity.Begins reducing the most material overdue work, dropped-ball risks, or recurring bottlenecks.Gives the President consistent visibility into operational issues without requiring them to manage the details.By 90 DaysCore workflows have defined owners, documented standards, and predictable escalation paths.The current client-service team has clearer accountability, stronger workload visibility, and improved process discipline.Priority operational backlogs and recurring execution failures are materially reduced.The President is spending less time in daily operations and has a clear recommendation for the next operations-layer hire: Operations Manager, Office Manager, or another targeted role.Decision RightsThe Director of Operations may independently:Assign and prioritize work across the operations and client-service team.Set daily workflow-management practices, service standards, training expectations, and team meeting rhythms.Implement process improvements within approved systems and policy boundaries.Hold direct reports accountable for performance, workflow discipline, and quality.Escalate client-service, capacity, operational, and compliance risks.Recommend staffing, role design, technology, workflow, and capacity changes to the President.The Director of Operations requires President/Interim COO-CCO approval for:New headcount, compensation changes, or material organizational changesMaterial vendor, technology, or systems investmentsChanges to firm-wide client segmentation or service modelMaterial policy changes or regulatory communicationsCompliance-policy interpretation or final compliance decisionsIdeal Candidate ProfileYou are a?hungry builder, not a caretaker of an already mature department.You can move between strategic judgment and hands-on execution. You are comfortable creating structure from ambiguity, leading a small team directly, enforcing standards, and improving the work without waiting for a large support layer to appear.You have enough maturity to work closely with senior leadership, but you are not above rolling up your sleeves to resolve workflow failures, coach team members, clean up process gaps, and make daily execution more reliable.Required Qualifications10+ years of operations, client service, or business-process leadership experience in wealth management, financial services, or a similarly regulated professional-services environment3+ years leading or supervising teamsDemonstrated experience improving workflows, service delivery, accountability, and operational capacityExperience managing CRM, workflow, documentation, reporting, and process-improvement effortsStrong people leadership, communication, problem-solving, and follow-throughAbility to lead in a scaling, changing, and resource-conscious environmentBachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experiencePreferred QualificationsRIA or wealth-management operations leadership experienceExperience with Advyzon, Orion, Tamarac, Salesforce, Redtail, Wealthscape, or comparable systemsExperience supporting compliance operations in a regulated environmentFPQP®, CFP®, operations certification, or comparable credentialCompensation Range: $145,000 - $185,000