Associate Advisor

Position Summary

The Associate Advisor is a hybrid advisory, investment operations, and financial planning position responsible for supporting the Firm's advisors and clients while developing the skills and experience necessary to assume greater client relationship responsibilities.

The position has primary responsibilities related to transaction confirmation, portfolio trading, options trading development, financial planning data gathering, client relationship development, and certain administrative and accounting functions. As a Series 65-licensed Associate Advisor, the position will also increasingly participate in client meetings, financial planning discussions, and ongoing client relationship management.

Key Responsibilities

Transaction Confirmation & P&S Journal

• Maintain the Firm's Purchase & Sales ("P&S") Journal.
• Review and confirm client transactions following established Firm procedures.
• Verify that transactions have been completed accurately and appropriately documented.
• Identify discrepancies or potential errors and immediately escalate them to the appropriate supervisor.
• Maintain complete and accurate transaction records.

Portfolio Trading

• Facilitate client trades on both an individual-account and block-trade basis.
• Execute approved portfolio changes and rebalancing instructions in accordance with Firm procedures.
• Review trade information for accuracy before submission, including account, security, action, quantity, and other applicable trade instructions.
• Monitor submitted trades through completion and promptly identify and escalate rejected, incomplete, or potentially erroneous transactions.
• Assist with maintaining client portfolios in accordance with the Firm's investment models and advisor instructions.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of trading activity.

Options Trading Development

• Assist in building and developing the Firm's options-trading capabilities.
• Research options strategies, trading platforms, procedures, and risk-management practices.
• Assist in developing standardized processes for evaluating, executing, monitoring, and documenting options positions.
• Support options trading for the Firm and client accounts as authorized and appropriate.
• Monitor existing options positions and applicable expiration dates, assignments, exercises, and other relevant events.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the risks associated with each strategy utilized by the Firm.

Financial Planning & Financial Portraiture

• Serve as a financial portraiture data gatherer for the Firm's financial planning process.
• Gather and organize client information regarding assets, liabilities, income, expenses, insurance, taxes, estate planning, retirement benefits, and other relevant financial information.
• Identify missing or incomplete information and coordinate with clients and team members to obtain necessary documentation.
• Enter and maintain accurate client information within the Firm's financial planning and CRM systems.
• Assist advisors in preparing financial planning analyses and client presentations.

Accounting & Administrative Support

• Provide light bookkeeping and accounting support for the Firm.
• Upload and maintain invoices and related documentation.
• Prepare checks and facilitate payments as directed.
• Assist with maintaining accurate Firm expense and payment records.
• Complete other operational and administrative responsibilities as needed.

Performance Expectations

The Associate Advisor position requires a high level of accuracy, urgency, accountability, communication, and attention to detail.

Because the position includes responsibilities that directly affect client accounts and Firm assets, the Associate Advisor is expected to carefully review work before submission and immediately communicate any mistake, discrepancy, uncertainty, or potential problem.

The Associate Advisor is expected to:

• Take ownership of assigned responsibilities from beginning through completion.
• Complete assignments within established deadlines.
• Proactively communicate delays, questions, or obstacles.
• Follow all Firm trading, compliance, documentation, and supervisory procedures.
• Maintain accurate and current client and transaction records.
• Demonstrate continued development of investment, financial planning, and advisory knowledge.
• Provide professional and responsive service to clients and other members of the Firm.
• Develop assigned client relationships and actively identify opportunities to provide additional services or bring additional assets under the Firm's management.
• Seek supervisory guidance whenever there is uncertainty regarding a transaction, recommendation, client request, or Firm procedure.

Development of the Position

The Associate Advisor role is intended to develop over time. As knowledge, experience, judgment, and client relationship skills increase, the Associate Advisor may be assigned greater responsibility for client meetings, financial planning, investment recommendations, relationship management, business development, and the growth of assigned client relationships.

The Firm may modify the responsibilities of this position based upon business needs, regulatory requirements, the employee's professional development, and demonstrated competency.

Client Meetings & Advisory Support

• Participate in client meetings alongside senior advisors.
• Assist with meeting preparation, financial planning discussions, investment reviews, and meeting follow-up.
• Develop relationships with assigned clients and serve as an additional point of contact for the Firm.
• Respond to client questions within the scope of the Associate Advisor's responsibilities and escalate matters when appropriate.
• As experience develops, assume greater responsibility for conducting portions of client meetings and managing assigned client relationships.

Client Relationship Development & Business Development

• Build and strengthen relationships with clients assigned to the Associate Advisor.
• Develop a deeper understanding of each client's broader financial situation, goals, family circumstances, and outside financial relationships.
• Identify planning needs and opportunities that may not yet be addressed by the Firm.
• Identify outside investment assets, retirement accounts, insurance needs, estate-planning needs, tax-planning opportunities, and other areas where the Firm may be able to provide additional value.
• Proactively follow up on opportunities identified during client meetings and ongoing service interactions.
• Work with senior advisors to determine appropriate next steps for additional planning or asset consolidation opportunities.
• Help deepen existing client relationships by increasing the scope of services provided by the Firm.
• Assist with new business development efforts, introductions, referrals, and prospect follow-up as assigned.
• Maintain accurate documentation of identified opportunities and follow-up activity within the Firm's CRM.
• Demonstrate increasing responsibility for the retention, development, and growth of assigned client relationships.