Director, Head of Data Product (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.

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 multi-family offices, * Cresset is guided by long-term relationships, shared success, and a belief that wealth should serve a life well lived.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Head of Data Product to ensure that Cresset’s data, analytics, and business intelligence capabilities support growth, operational excellence, regulatory requirements, and an exceptional advisor and client experience.

This leader works closely with business and technology teams to identify opportunities where data can improve decision-making, streamline operations, and increase advisor effectiveness. They are accountable for defining priorities, overseeing the delivery of data-related capabilities, driving adoption across the business, and ensuring investments deliver measurable value. The ideal candidate brings a business-first product mindset, deep familiarity with wealth management data (client, household, account, portfolio, and advisor information), and a track record of turning data strategy into adopted, outcome-driving capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Data Product Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and maintain the firm’s data strategy and multi-year roadmap aligned with business priorities.
• Define and prioritize data initiatives that improve advisor productivity, client service, operational efficiency, and business performance.
• Partner with business leaders, technology teams, risk, compliance, and operations to align priorities and deliver solutions that address business needs.
• Measure the effectiveness of data investments and ensure expected business outcomes are achieved.
• Build and lead a high-performing team focused on delivering practical business value through data and analytics.

Data Strategy & Governance

• Establish a single source of truth for client, household, account, portfolio, and advisor information.
• Improve consistency of data across CRM, custodial, investment, and planning systems.
• Define data ownership and accountability across business functions, and establish governance and quality standards to ensure data is accurate, trusted, and compliant.
• Implement processes to monitor and improve data quality, and strengthen controls related to privacy, retention, and regulatory requirements.
• Improve visibility into where data comes from and how it is used.

Data-Informed Decision Making

• Deliver executive reporting on growth, productivity, client acquisition, retention, and profitability.
• Provide advisor insights related to client engagement, household growth, and business opportunities.
• Support investment reporting for portfolio performance and risk oversight.
• Enable early identification of client retention risks and growth opportunities.
• Standardize reporting and analytics across the organization, reducing reliance on manually created reports and spreadsheets.

Advisor Productivity & Operational Efficiency

• Simplify advisor workflows, reduce system switching, and improve access to client and portfolio information.
• Automate onboarding, account opening, and service processes, and streamline recurring operational and compliance tasks.
• Reduce manual reconciliation and reporting activities.
• Improve visibility into work queues and service requests.

Platform Reliability & Business Readiness

• Improve reliability of reporting, analytics, and client-facing platforms, and establish service level expectations for critical business systems.
• Reduce delays in data availability and reporting.
• Improve monitoring and incident response capabilities, and strengthen disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
• Ensure data platforms support future growth in advisors, clients, and assets under management.

Workplace Modernization

• Improve advisor desktop and CRM experiences, and modernize internal applications and employee tools.
• Support mobile and remote work capabilities, and create easier access to firm knowledge, policies, and procedures.
• Improve collaboration across advisory, investment, planning, tax, trust, and service teams.
• Reduce complexity by consolidating redundant tools and systems.

How This Role Partners with the Head of Engineering

The Head of Data Product focuses on the business side of data — determining which problems should be solved, prioritizing investments based on business value, understanding advisor, client, and operational needs, defining requirements and success measures, and driving adoption and business outcomes. The Head of Engineering focuses on the technology side of delivery — designing technical solutions and architecture, building and maintaining platforms, and managing reliability, scalability, security, and performance. In simple terms, the Head of Data Product determines where the firm should invest and what outcomes it expects to achieve; the Head of Engineering is responsible for building and operating the technology needed to deliver those outcomes.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Data/Analytics, or a related field; advanced degree a plus.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data, analytics, or product management, with 4+ years leading data or product teams.
• Prior experience in wealth management, an RIA, or a similarly regulated financial services environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of defining a data strategy and delivering adopted, measurable business outcomes.

Technical & Domain Expertise

• Strong understanding of data governance, data quality, master data management, and business intelligence/analytics practices.
• Familiarity with the wealth management data ecosystem — CRM, custodial, portfolio accounting, performance reporting, and financial planning systems.
• Experience with modern data platforms, reporting/BI tools, and analytics capabilities; enough technical fluency to partner effectively with engineering.
• Awareness of privacy, retention, and regulatory requirements affecting client data at an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Proven ability to define strategy, build consensus, and lead cross-functional change across business and technology stakeholders.
• Strong product management discipline: prioritization, requirements definition, success measurement, and adoption management.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate between business needs and technical delivery.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams and managing external vendors and partners.

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. Salary will be based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, licenses/certifications, industry knowledge, and geographic location. Cresset offers a competitive compensation package including an annual incentive and a benefits package to all full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, health savings accounts, short and long-term disability insurance, voluntary critical and accident insurance, and pre-tax parking and transportation programs.

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 .

*Barron's Top 100 RIA Firms (issued 09.2026). Based on data from July]]> <