Large Market Direct Sales Executive, Investments, West

The Vanguard Group • Scottsdale, AZ

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Large Market Direct Sales Executive, Investments is responsible for driving significant growth in Vanguard’s institutional asset base by developing and converting high-priority strategic relationships and whitespace opportunities. The role owns a defined portfolio of named strategic accounts and serves as the senior investment sales executive for those relationships. The portfolio may include large prospective relationships, underpenetrated institutional relationships with significant growth potential, and select large Vanguard recordkeeping relationships with low investment share of wallet.

The executive builds senior- and executive-level relationships and pursues opportunities across defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB), corporate, and other institutional assets. The role coordinates closely with Key Account Consultant Sales, Consultant Relations, Recordkeeping Sales, and other Vanguard partners, and provides leadership beyond the assigned portfolio through coaching, market intelligence, and support for the broader Investment Sales organization.

The position is based on the West Coast, either in Vanguard’s Scottsdale, Arizona office or remotely in a major West Coast metro area. Significant travel throughout the Western United States and broader travel as business needs require. Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position. Vanguard’s hybrid working model applies to the majority of crew members and is designed to support flexibility, in-person learning, collaboration, and connection.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• At least 10 years of financial services or institutional investment experience, including substantial demonstrated success in institutional sales, business development, or complex strategic relationship management.
• Proven record of developing and closing large, complex institutional investment opportunities and establishing new relationships with sophisticated institutional organizations.
• Demonstrated success building credibility and relationships with C-suite, investment committee, and other senior institutional decision-makers.
• Extensive knowledge of institutional investment markets, retirement plans, investment products, and the competitive landscape.
• Strong understanding of mutual funds, CITs, and broader institutional investment structures and capabilities.
• Proven ability to originate opportunities and develop business within long-cycle, complex institutional relationships.
• Exceptional executive presence, judgment, negotiation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Advanced strategic account planning, opportunity management, and commercial execution capabilities.
• Ability to lead complex cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including the ability to coach and develop other sales professionals.
• Series 7 and 63 licenses, or ability to obtain them within 60 days.
• Ability to travel significantly throughout the Western United States and more broadly as business needs require.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree, CFA, and/or other relevant advanced professional credentials.

Responsibilities

• Originate, develop, and close complex institutional investment opportunities across a defined portfolio of high-priority strategic accounts to achieve significant sales goals.
• Own the strategy and commercial development of assigned accounts, establishing multi-year plans to deepen relationships, create opportunities, and increase Vanguard’s institutional share of wallet.
• Develop senior- and executive-level relationships with institutional buyers and decision-makers, identify their priorities, and position Vanguard’s investment capabilities to address their needs.
• Proactively create new opportunities and develop institutional whitespace rather than relying primarily on established searches, RFPs, or inbound opportunities.
• Identify opportunities across DC, DB, corporate, and other institutional asset pools beyond a single retirement mandate.
• Lead complex institutional sales processes, including prospecting, relationship development, RFI/RFP activity, searches, finals, negotiations, decision, and implementation.
• Coordinate Vanguard investment specialists, Consultant Relations, Key Account Consultant Sales, Recordkeeping Sales, relationship management, and other experts around strategic accounts.
• Maintain senior-level accountability for pipeline quality, progression, forecasting, opportunity qualification, next steps, barriers, and conversion strategy.
• Coach aligned sales resources, share market and competitive intelligence, and help improve the effectiveness of the broader Investment Sales organization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior