National Director of Sales – NT OCIO+, Wealth Management

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

20h • $171,700 - $300,500

About The Position

The National Director of Sales for NT OCIO+ leads the national sales strategy for Northern Trust’s institutional OCIO practice, with primary accountability for acquiring new clients across foundations, endowments, retirement, healthcare, associations, educational institutions, and other institutional segments. The role reports to the Head of OCIO and has matrixed responsibilities to the Wealth Management and Asset Management sales organizations.

The director establishes a consistent national go-to-market framework, including target-market segmentation, sales priorities, opportunity qualification, pipeline management, sales execution, internal referrals, and performance measurement. The position provides leadership, coaching, training, and accountability for the national sales organization, working with OCIO leadership and colleagues across Wealth Management, Asset Management, client service, investments, marketing, philanthropic advisory, and other subject-matter teams.

As the central coordinator of the business’s national growth strategy, the director aligns sales resources, processes, and activities with strategic priorities and annual growth objectives. The position may have sales professionals reporting to it if reporting lines are established, and is likely to require FINRA Series 24 registration in that circumstance.

Requirements

• Significant experience in institutional business development, investment management, wealth management, OCIO, nonprofit/endowment/retirement advisory, or a related financial services environment.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing sales strategies that produce measurable organic growth.
• Strong knowledge of the institutional marketplace and institutional clients’ investment, governance, and advisory needs.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop experienced sales professionals.
• Experience managing complex institutional sales cycles involving senior executives, investment committees, boards, consultants, and other decision makers.
• Strong command of pipeline management, forecasting, CRM discipline, sales analytics, and performance measurement.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across a matrixed organization and influence professionals and senior leaders outside direct reporting relationships.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, relationship-management, and executive-presence skills.
• Strong strategic orientation and ability to translate strategy into disciplined execution.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future employment-based visa sponsorship.
• FINRA Series 24 registration is likely to be required if sales professionals report to this position.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree or relevant professional designation.
• FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses are preferred, or may be required depending on supervisory responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a national go-to-market framework defining target segments, priority markets, prospect profiles, coverage expectations, and sales activities.
• Identify market expansion and client-penetration opportunities across foundations, endowments, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, associations, and other institutional segments.
• Develop strategies to meet or exceed revenue and asset growth objectives, prioritizing sales resources according to growth potential.
• Promote proactive business development, relationship building, and self-sourced opportunity generation.
• By the end of the first year, establish a recommendation on creating an OCIO Search Consultant Relations function.
• Lead, direct, coach, and develop the national institutional OCIO sales organization; establish expectations for activity, prospect development, pipeline progression, collaboration, and performance.
• Coach sales professionals on pipelines, prospecting, complex opportunities, RFPs, finalist presentations, pricing, negotiations, and professional development.
• Establish consistent sales best practices while allowing for regional and client-specific strategies; support recruiting, selection, onboarding, succession planning, and talent development.
• Provide oversight for appropriately licensed sales professionals in accordance with regulatory and supervisory requirements.
• Oversee the national new-business pipeline; set standards for opportunity qualification, pipeline stages, probability assessments, close dates, and CRM data integrity.
• Conduct pipeline reviews, assess sales-funnel movement and conversion, forecast anticipated assets and revenue, and report trends, opportunities, and risks to senior leadership.
• Analyze sales performance and metrics, using data to improve execution and inform resource allocation, market prioritization, and sales strategy.
• Build connectivity with Wealth Management and Asset Management sales organizations, develop internal referrals, and establish follow-up and accountability mechanisms with referral partners.
• Provide senior-level oversight for significant and complex institutional opportunities, including pursuit strategy, team composition, prospect meetings, finalist presentations, and board-level discussions.
• Establish finalist-preparation standards, participate directly in strategically important opportunities, and conduct post-decision reviews of significant wins and losses.
• Ensure the practice effectively communicates its investment, advisory, philanthropic, and broader capabilities to institutional decision makers.
• Set and monitor sales performance indicators; evaluate individual and team performance, recognize strong performance, and address gaps through coaching or development plans.
• Oversee the NT OCIO+ sales incentive program and provide transparent reporting on performance, pipeline health, and progress toward annual objectives.
• Identify onboarding bottlenecks and process obstacles, communicate them through the COO function, and track approved opportunities through funding into established client relationships.
• Partner with Marketing and internal stakeholders on campaigns, events, thought leadership, and sales materials; ensure sales teams have effective tools, messaging, presentations, and competitive intelligence.
• Monitor industry trends, competitor activity, institutional buying behavior, and client needs, incorporating market intelligence into strategic planning.

Benefits

• Retirement benefits, including 401(k) and pension.
• Health and welfare benefits, including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, and disability coverage.
• Paid time off.
• Parental and caregiver leave.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Other voluntary and well-being benefits.
• Discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
• Flexible and collaborative work culture.
• Movement within the organization is encouraged, and senior leaders are accessible.

What This Job Offers

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