Responsibilities
- Manage and direct daily Client Service activities, ensuring appropriate coverage and consistent service levels.
- Prioritize work and adjust resources in response to fluctuating volumes, market activity, and seasonal demands.
- Step in during high-volume or high-stress periods to maintain service continuity and team stability.
- Serve as the primary owner for complex, escalated, or non-routine service issues involving advisors, clients, internal teams, or custodial partners.
- Drive issue resolution through effective coordination, sound judgment, and a unified, professional approach.
- Identify recurring issues and partner with stakeholders to address root causes and improve outcomes.
- Retain a limited CSA workload to maintain direct client engagement and provide hands-on support for the team.
- Lead, develop, and unify a geographically dispersed Client Service team through clear expectations, accountability, and engagement.
- Coach team members to deliver high-quality, high-touch service and support their professional growth.
- Provide regular feedback and performance coaching to achieve departmental and firm-wide goals.
- Recruit, onboard, train, and develop Client Service team members.
- Address performance and conduct matters in accordance with firm policy.
- Foster a positive, collaborative team culture and support employee engagement initiatives.
- Run team meetings to align priorities and reinforce standards.
- Monitor service metrics and trends to assess workload, capacity, and coverage needs.
- Ensure consistent service delivery through standardized service expectations and best practices.
- Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and resource constraints.
- Pursue efficiencies through effective use of tools, processes, and documentation.
- Leverage CRM and service tools to improve workflow management, visibility, and accountability.
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with advisory teams and advisory leadership.
- Advocate for Client Service while balancing advisor expectations, client experience, and firm priorities.
- Partner closely with Operations, Platform, Compliance, and other internal teams to support service delivery and change management.
- Coordinate with leadership to anticipate challenges and define actionable solutions.
- Lead communication and represent Client Service in firm initiatives, projects, and cross-functional efforts.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in the financial services industry, including a minimum of three years in the RIA industry.
- Demonstrated leadership ability with sound judgment, integrity, discretion, and the trust of colleagues.
- Proven ability to independently resolve complex or escalated service issues.
- Strong coaching and people leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and develop team members.
- Commitment to delivering an outstanding advisor and client service experience.
- Excellent communication, active listening, organizational, and relationship-management skills.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels and work well with diverse personalities.
- Self-starter with a strong bias for action and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
- Extensive knowledge of industry back-office practices and custodial platforms, including Charles Schwab and Fidelity.
- Fluency with service and workflow tools such as CRM systems (Salesforce), Orion, Pontera, and related platforms.
Nice to Have
- 2+ years of experience supervising or managing service-oriented or operational teams
Work Arrangement
Hybrid
Additional Information
- The Manager, Client Service is a exempt position.