Director of Operations

A strong Director of Operations does more than maintain order—they anticipate friction before it appears and build the structure that allows a growing advisory practice to scale without sacrificing white-glove service, compliance, or profitability. A growing wealth management firm is seeking a calm, strategic, highly accountable operations leader to build systems, eliminate friction, strengthen execution, and free advisors to focus on client relationships and advice. This person will hold a seat on the leadership team and serve as a key coordinator, thought partner, and accountability leader across the practice. Core mandate: Create an error-resistant, scalable operating environment that supports growth, protects the client experience, and helps the business run smoothly, compliantly, and profitably. WHAT YOU WILL OWN Design, document, and continuously improve workflows across client onboarding, planning meetings, money movement, trading, rebalancing, billing, account opening, reporting, and service requests. Identify process gaps, bottlenecks, and operational risk, then implement practical solutions before issues evolve. Maintain high standards for CRM accuracy, data integrity, documentation, and team follow-through. Create a smooth onboarding and service experience for high-net-worth families. Standardize service expectations, including response times, reporting cadence, client touchpoints, and follow-up. Partner with advisors to resolve complex client-service issues and improve client satisfaction and retention. Manage weekly team meetings, coordinate priorities, and ensure team members understand responsibilities without constant direction. Hold quarterly conversations with team members and work with advisors to establish clear roles, accountability, performance expectations, and career paths. Hire, train, and manage operations staff as the practice grows, including client-service, trading, and administrative team members. Lead capacity planning and help the firm scale client volume without degrading service. OPERATIONAL STRATEGY, TECHNOLOGY & DATA Select, manage, and optimize core systems, including CRM, portfolio accounting, custodial, planning, reporting, and compliance tools. Drive automation that reduces manual work, improves efficiency, and lowers the risk of errors. Lead integrations between platforms and evaluate emerging fintech solutions. Use data and analytics to guide business decisions and operational priorities. Track key performance indicators such as revenue per client, cost to serve, margins, client satisfaction, and retention. COMPLIANCE, RISK & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Support adherence to applicable regulatory requirements and maintain strong operational policies and procedures. Coordinate audits, regulatory filings, and third‑party compliance support as needed. Mitigate operational and reputational risk through clear controls, documentation, and accountability. Support budgeting, forecasting, expense controls, pricing strategy, and profitability improvements. Manage relationships with custodians and third‑party vendors, including technology, compliance, and reporting partners. Lead project and change‑management efforts so new requirements, tools, or business lines are adopted smoothly. CLIENT EXPERIENCE & ADVISOR ENABLEMENT Participate in client planning meetings to understand the full‑service model and how advice is delivered. Learn and reinforce the firm’s standards around investment communication, tax and estate planning coordination, retirement cash flow, Social Security and Medicare planning, tax‑loss harvesting, Roth conversions, client events, gifts, and relationship touchpoints. Streamline trading, rebalancing, reporting, and service workflows so advisors can focus on advice, relationships, and revenue generation. Support business‑development efforts with the operational readiness required to deliver on new commitments. WHAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED You remain calm and solutions‑focused when priorities shift or complexity increases. You see chaos and instinctively create structure, clarity, and accountability. You are highly process‑oriented, meticulous with details, and comfortable owning outcomes. You communicate clearly and build trust across advisors, support staff, vendors, and clients. You are technologically capable, curious, and willing to challenge inefficient processes. You think strategically while remaining willing to work directly in the details when needed. You bring ideas that help the practice evolve rather than simply maintaining the status quo. INITIAL PRIORITIES First 30 days: Learn the current operating model, identify gaps, and improve CRM cleanliness and visibility. Days 30–60: Document workflows, track KPIs, and address bottlenecks or inconsistent handoffs. Days 60–90: Improve the client experience, optimize systems, and establish a practical roadmap for scalable operations. #J-18808-Ljbffr