SVP, Senior Director Wealth Strategist & Fiduciary Services

Westwood Holdings Group Careers•Dallas, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The SVP, Senior Director Wealth Strategist & Fiduciary Services serves as a trusted technical expert for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients and prospects. In close collaboration with internal teams and external advisors, this role designs and delivers sophisticated, strategic wealth solutions aligned with family and business goals. The ideal candidate brings initiative, accountability, discretion, and a proactive approach to every engagement. In addition to client-facing work, this role leads the firm’s fiduciary practice - setting policies and standards, chairing the trust and fiduciary committee, overseeing the fiduciary team, and serving as the firm’s senior internal authority on fiduciary matters.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) and Bachelor’s degree in Business or Finance required.
Must be licensed and in good standing the State Bar of Texas
Minimum 10 years of professional experience, including at least 7 years of estate planning experience in private practice or advisory settings.
Must be a minimum of 18 years of age and possess unrestricted authorization to work in the United States
Must have unrestricted authorization to work in the USA.
No visa sponsorship is available.
Demonstrated leadership in fiduciary services, trust administration, or estate planning, with the ability to lead others while remaining hands-on in complex matters.
Demonstrated fiduciary training and meaningful trust administration experience; relevant credentials such as CTFA, AEP, or equivalent strongly preferred.
Proficiency with trust accounting systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
Demonstrated excellence in legal research and writing.
Expert understanding of federal and state estate and tax laws, with emphasis on advanced planning strategies.
Strong technical knowledge of taxation, insurance, business succession, and charitable entities.
Superior written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex concepts into clear, engaging language.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and drive execution on complex planning initiatives.
Creative and strategic problem solver with a collaborative mindset.

Nice To Haves

Strong background in family governance, including experience advising on family constitutions, family councils, next-generation education, and governance frameworks for multi-generational wealth preferred.
Experience facilitating family meetings and helping families align around shared values, decision-making processes, and stewardship of wealth across generations preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the firm’s fiduciary practice; oversee the work, performance, and professional development of fiduciary team members.
Chair the firm’s trust and fiduciary committees, guiding decisions on discretionary distributions, complex administration matters, and beneficiary issues.
Establish, maintain, and continuously improve fiduciary policies, procedures, and risk-management frameworks across the firm; ensure staff training on policy updates and compliance standards.
Partner with compliance, legal, and operations to ensure adherence to applicable trust law, regulatory requirements, and firm standards.
Serve as the senior internal authority and escalation point on sensitive trust administration, discretionary distribution, and beneficiary matters.
Mentor and develop colleagues on fiduciary best practices; represent the firm externally on fiduciary topics with clients, professional advisors, and industry forums.
Serve as primary point of contact with regulators and external auditors.
Draft form client agreements and other documents impacting the firm’s fiduciary services.
Serve as the firm’s fiduciary subject-matter expert in litigation matters in support of the firm’s counsel
Assist with the wealth planning process from start to finish, ensuring seamless collaboration across client teams.
Analyze and summarize estate plans to aid client understanding and uncover opportunities for optimization and tax efficiency using advanced trust and wealth transfer strategies.
Bring understanding of succession, exit, philanthropic, retirement, and risk management planning.
Use estate planning and AI tools to model strategies and illustrate outcomes.
Prepare high-quality client materials, including comprehensive summaries and actionable recommendations.
Coordinate implementation with clients’ legal counsel and track progress to completion.
Lead client and prospect meetings and serve as a subject-matter expert on estate and fiduciary topics.
Provide guidance and research-based recommendations to internal teams on estate and trust matters.
Approach every recommendation through a fiduciary lens, maintaining awareness of complex legal and litigation issues affecting wealth planning.
Partner with Wealth Advisors and external tax and legal professionals to develop innovative, customized planning solutions.
Engage directly with clients and stakeholders to refine estate structures, succession strategies, and legacy goals.
Develop educational resources and training programs for colleagues and clients.
Stay current on emerging planning techniques, legal developments, and fiduciary best practices.