Financial Planning Team Lead

Guardian Life Insurance•New York, NY

4d•$132,420 - $217,545

About The Position

The Planning Team Leader for Guardian Wealth Partners (GWP) is a strategic leadership role responsible for building, leading, and scaling a high-performing advisor team within Guardian’s fee-based Registered Investment Advisor platform. In addition to overseeing the GWP Planning team and client delivery, this leader will play a critical role in developing and executing the client acquisition go-to-market strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners, including target client segments, referral pathways, distribution partnerships, and scalable engagement models. This individual will own the end-to-end acquisition, growth and retention strategy for prospects and clients originating from other Guardian business lines, with accountability for converting qualified opportunities into long-term advisory relationships, delivering differentiated client experience, and building servicing models that support retention, and deeper engagement. The role will partner closely with Group Distribution and other enterprise stakeholders to build the Guardian Wealth Partners practice, strengthen connectivity across business lines, and ensure the offering is positioned as a compelling wealth management solution for clients across different targeted segmentations ranging from mass affluent to high net worth through a combination of fully digital and hybrid engagement models.

Requirements

Series 65/66
Bachelor’s degree
10+ years of experience in wealth management, advisory sales, or financial planning, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
Deep understanding of fee‑based advisory models, holistic financial planning, and investment management
Experience leading advisor teams across multiple client segments, including affluent and HNW
Demonstrated experience developing and executing client acquisition, go-to-market, or distribution partnership strategies within wealth management, financial planning, advisory sales, or a related financial services environment.
Proven ability to scale sales organizations using digital and hybrid engagement models
Strong working knowledge of RIA regulatory and fiduciary standards
Proven ability to build and scale servicing and retention models that improve client engagement, deepen relationships, and support long-term business growth.
Experience partnering with field distribution, sales leadership, or enterprise channels to build referral strategies, improve lead conversion, and drive practice growth.
Strong strategic orientation with the ability to translate business objectives into clear operating plans, performance metrics, advisor routines, and client experience improvements.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree and/or CFP®, CFA®, or similar credentials preferred

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a team of (centralized/in-house) advisors responsible for converting inbound leads into long‑term advisory relationships.
Define and execute the client acquisition go-to-market strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners, including client segmentation, channel prioritization, referral source development, advisor coverage models, and conversion strategies.
Develop segmented servicing models that align client needs, complexity, and relationship value with the appropriate combination of digital, hybrid, and advisor-led engagement.
Drive growth across subscription‑based planning, fee‑based financial planning, and fee‑based investment management offerings.
Build the operating rhythm, metrics, and feedback loops needed to evaluate go-to-market effectiveness, including lead quality, conversion rates, advisor productivity, client acquisition cost, revenue growth, and client outcomes.
Serve as a strategic partner to senior leaders across Distribution, Wealth Management, Product, Marketing, Operations, and Compliance to support the continued growth and maturation of the Guardian Wealth Partners practice.
Design and oversee the servicing and retention strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners clients, ensuring clients receive consistent, high-quality experience from initial engagement through onboarding, planning, implementation, and ongoing relationship management.
Ensure a consistent experience across digital planning tools, fully digital workflows, and hybrid advisor‑led engagements.
Champion a client‑centric, education‑driven approach that builds trust, clarity, and long‑term partnerships with clients.
Ensure advice delivery is aligned with fiduciary standards and the firm’s holistic planning philosophy.
Establish proactive client engagement standards, including ongoing planning reviews, education touchpoints, relationship deepening opportunities, and service escalation protocols.
Monitor client experience, retention indicators, and service quality to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and ensure the practice delivers on its client promise.
Collaborate with Group Distribution leaders and Field Leaders to identify market opportunities, clarify referral expectations, improve handoff processes, and create consistent field engagement strategies.
Create mechanisms for ongoing feedback between Guardian Wealth Partners advisors, Group Distribution and Field partners to improve lead quality, client readiness, and conversion outcomes.
Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of advisors.
Set clear performance expectations, sales goals, and activity metrics aligned with firm objectives.
Develop a way to track performance/activity metrics and goals to utilize as coaching and share with senior leadership.
Foster a strong sales and advice culture focused on collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
Support advisors through training and coaching in building consultative skills across planning, education, and investment implementation.