Description:
Financial Planning Manager (High-Net-Worth Clients)
Department: Financial Planning
Reports To: Executive Leadership
Mandate: Lead, elevate, and standardize the financial planning function for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.
Position Overview:
The Financial Planning Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for owning the quality, consistency, and strategic sophistication of all financial planning deliverables for high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients.
This is not a maintenance role.
This position exists to:
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Take control of the planning function
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Eliminate inconsistency
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Build a high-performance team
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Ensure all planning work is accurate, timely, and strategically valuable
The ideal candidate combines:
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Deep technical expertise (tax, estate, advanced planning)
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Leadership and team-building capability
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Strong judgment under complexity
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A process-driven mindset
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The authority and confidence to enforce standards
Requirements:
Core Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Management
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Lead, manage, and develop a team of financial planners
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Establish clear expectations, accountability standards, and performance metrics
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Conduct regular reviews of team output for quality, accuracy, and completeness
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Mentor planners on complex planning strategies and client communication
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Recruit, hire, and onboard new planning team members
Own the Output (No Exceptions)
The Financial Planning Manager holds final accountability for all planning deliverables. Responsibilities include:
Implementing a mandatory review structure: Planner Peer Review ? Senior Review ? Final Approval
Ensuring all work is:
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Technically correct
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Strategically sound
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Advisor-ready and client-ready
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Rejecting substandard work and requiring revisions when necessary
No work goes out the door unless it meets standard.
High-Net-Worth Planning Oversight
Oversee creation and delivery of comprehensive financial plans, including:
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Retirement planning
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Tax planning strategies
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Estate and trust planning coordination
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Cash flow and liquidity planning
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Concentrated stock and equity compensation strategies
Additional duties:
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Review and approve complex planning cases
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Serve as escalation point for advanced planning scenarios
Advanced Planning & Strategy
Design and implement sophisticated strategies for HNW/UHNW clients:
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Multi-year tax minimization
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Entity structuring
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Trust and wealth-transfer strategies
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Charitable planning (DAFs, CRTs, foundations)
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Asset location and tax-efficient portfolio structuring
Collaborate closely with:
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CPAs
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Attorneys
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Investment team
Establish and Enforce Standards
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Define what “good” looks like across all planning outputs
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Standardize templates, structure, and language
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Eliminate variability across planners
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Ensure clarity, consistency, and technical excellence
Workflow Redesign & Process Optimization
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Build and refine scalable planning processes and workflows
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Identify bottlenecks and eliminate inefficiencies
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Ensure the right people are doing the right work
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Improve turnaround times and reduce rework
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Ensure efficient use of CRM and planning tools
Cross-Department Collaboration Work closely with:
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Advisors — align planning with client goals
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Investment team — integrate planning with portfolio strategy
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Operations — ensure seamless execution
Client Engagement (Selective)
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Participate in high-value or complex client meetings
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Present advanced planning strategies
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Serve as subject matter expert in client-facing situations
Authority of the Role
This role has the authority to:
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Reject or require revisions to planning work
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Redesign workflows and processes
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Reassign responsibilities
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Implement new standards
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Address performance issues directly
Qualifications (Required)
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Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field
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CFP® designation
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8–12+ years of financial planning experience with HNW clients
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3–5+ years of leadership or team management experience
Deep expertise in:
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Tax planning
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Estate planning
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Retirement and cash flow modeling
Preferred
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CPA, CFA, or JD
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Experience with UHNW clients (10M+)
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Experience in an RIA or complex advisory environment
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Experience with advanced planning tools and CRM systems
Core Competencies
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Technical Mastery – deep understanding of complex planning strategies
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Leadership – ability to manage, mentor, and elevate a team
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Strategic Thinking – see the “big picture” across a client’s financial life
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Execution & Accountability – dives results with clear ownership
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Communication – translates complexity into clear insights
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Process Orientation – builds scalable, repeatable system
Success Metrics
Within 6-12 months, success looks like:
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Consistent, accurate, high-quality planning output
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Predictable and reduces turnaround times
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Advisors trust the planning team’s work without rechecking
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Clear workflow with minimal breakdowns
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Transparent and improving team performance
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Significant reduction in rework and errors
What This Role is (and is Not)
This role IS:
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A senior leadership position
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Focused on complex, high-value client work
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Responsible for both strategy and execution quality
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A builder and enforcer of standards
This role is NOT:
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A passive manager
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A coordinator of chaos
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A junior planning or paraplanner role
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A siloed technical role with leadership responsibilities
