Director of Operations

Our Story

Founded in 2008, Hightower is a wealth management firm that provides investment, financial and retirement planning services to individuals, foundations and family offices, as well as 401(k) consulting and cash management services to corporations. Hightower’s capital solutions, operational support services, size and scale empower its vibrant community of independent‑minded wealth advisors to grow their businesses and help their clients achieve their financial vision.

Based in Chicago with advisors across the U.S., we operate as a registered investment advisor (RIA).

The Director of Operations will play a pivotal role in shaping the advisor new account onboarding (NAO) and integration experience at our firm. Reporting to the Head of Billing & Account Operations (BAO), this role will lead operational strategy, drive cross‑functional initiatives, and champion transformation across our custodian infrastructure, client agreement workflows, and acquisition integrations.

This role is essential in ensuring smooth operations and advisor business integration experiences. It demands a strategic thinker with deep wealth management operational knowledge, a passion for process excellence, and the ability to build strong relationships across advisors, custodians, third‑party vendors, and internal teams. The Director of Operations must be able to handle complex and fast‑paced environments and want to make a lasting impact on the advisor and client experience.

• Operational Activities
  • Oversee custodian infrastructure operations, cultivating strong relationships and managing escalations.
  • Manage client agreement review workflows, resolve escalations, and build trusted partnerships with advisor practices.
  • Ensure service queue SLAs are consistently met and proactively monitored.
  • Maintain, uphold, and document all policies and procedures related to NAO.
• Integration Activities
  • Collaborate with the Integration Management Office (IMO) on external and internal acquisition initiatives; lead cross‑functional integration efforts with the BAO team, including due diligence, planning, and execution.
  • Manage onboarding of client agreements & related records, including repapering processes for newly acquired advisor teams.
  • Oversee complex data conversion activities for internal integrations, coordinating bulk data loads and timelines across multiple teams.
  • Build strong relationships with incoming advisory teams to understand billing practices, household set up, and client agreement structure, including participating in onsite visits.
• Transformation
  • Champion transformative initiatives, including the design and deployment of new tools related to the Client Management Lifecycle (CML) and the broader NAO experience.
  • Own and continuously improve the end‑to‑end NAO workflow, enhancing both advisor and home office experiences through process innovation and operational alignment.
• Leadership
  • Lead a team of 5–10 professionals, fostering continuous skill development and providing mentorship.
  • Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that promotes teamwork, accountability, and innovation.
  • Develop and present key operational metrics to senior leadership, including NAO processing volumes, service SLAs, integration milestones, and team capacity.
  • Partner with internal and external auditors to manage audits and ensure full compliance with regulatory standards.

• Bachelor’s degree required, 10+ years of progressive experience in operations, within wealth management, financial services, or a related industry.
• Prior experience in an operational role at an RIA.
• Demonstrated success leading cross‑functional initiatives, managing complex integrations, and driving operational excellence on a scale.
• Knowledge in advisor onboarding, custodial infrastructure, and client agreement workflows, with working knowledge of CRM systems, client reporting platforms, advisory fee billing, and related technologies.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Detail‑oriented, with excellent organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Communication and stakeholder management skills,…