Associate II, Client Relations

William Blair•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Investors rely on William Blair Private Wealth Management to activate their capital with purpose and precision. Our wealth advisors and their teams do this by delivering thoughtfully constructed, integrated wealth planning and by providing access to compelling investment opportunities. As one of the last true global partnerships in the investment industry, William Blair combines the world-class investment resources of a full-service global firm and the high-touch service, stability, and culture of an independent boutique. This model empowers us to be singularly focused on our clients’ success across market cycles and across generations. The firm has been a well-respected provider of private wealth management since 1935 and has won several awards from Barron’s and Forbes for best wealth advisors and wealth advisor teams. William Blair Private Wealth Management is seeking an Associate II - Client Relations to act as a trusted resource to both William Blair clients and Wealth Advisors and to provide diligent, timely, and accurate client service by responding to client inquiries and requests. The qualified candidate will own the accuracy of client documentation, ensuring adherence to our compliance and policy regulations, apply understanding of firm products, policies, systems, and current market conditions to support Wealth Advisor teams through client interactions and provide operational support to Wealth Advisors with minimal supervision. In addition, the selected individual will seek out areas for improvement within the team’s processes, communication, and efficiency and participate in ad hoc projects as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience required
2 – 4 years of experience required, with financial services industry experience preferred
Series 7, 63/65 (or 66) licenses required; SIE Exam, Series 7, and Series 63/65 (or 66) must be acquired within 150 days of employment (new hires - post 10/1/2018, for US only)
Client service orientation
Strong ability to organize and prioritize responsibilities and meet strict deadlines
High attention to detail and quality
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Strong ability to work independently and cooperatively in a team environment
Strong ability to collaborate and build trusted relationships
Knowledge of applicable compliance/ security industry rules and regulations
Proficiency in MS Office Suite

Responsibilities

Assess and respond to client requests in a diligent, timely, and accurate manner with a focus on client onboarding, cash management, account billing, trading (where required) and operational requests.
Own the identification and communication of issues/potential problems that may require escalation.
Ensure all required client account documentation adheres to William Blair’s legal and compliance.
Seek out areas for improvement within the team’s processes, communication, and efficiency. Communicate these to senior team members and collaborate on ways to implement improvements.
Regularly update Client Relationship Management (CRM) system.
Facilitate the maintenance/updating of clients’ investment profile information.
Develop an understanding of clients’ needs and preferences, as well as an understanding of current market conditions and regulatory requirements.
Be responsive to changes in the business and compliance environment when communicating with clients.
Develop and maintain internal and external relationships focused on enhancing the client experience.
Leverage internal resources to ensure the integrated delivery of client solutions.
Learn the full scope of client offerings within the firm. Collaborate with senior team members to determine if there are clients who could utilize additional services.
Review client information and assist in the preparation of performance reports.
May attend client and prospect meetings as an integral member of the Advisor support team when deemed appropriate.
Proactively leverage ideas, insight and relationships to help facilitate new and incremental business.
Provide support to Business Managers, Investment Associates, and Wealth Advisors.
Participate in additional projects as requested by Advisors and/or management.
Take ownership of general administrative tasks, if requested by Wealth Advisor(s), including but not limited to meeting set-up and travel arrangements.
Ensure work activities follow established risk controls and are in compliance with applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
Actively engage in available training and education programs to maintain current status on policies, procedures and risk awareness.
Additional responsibilities as requested.