VP, Outside Recruiting Firm Partner Program Leader

LPL Financial•San Diego, CA

10d•$136,990 - $228,248

About The Position

The VP, Outside Recruiting Firm Partner Program Leader leads LPL’s strategy and execution for partnerships with third-party advisor recruiting firms. The role builds a program that positions LPL as a preferred partner for consultative recruiting firms and connects prospective advisors with the affiliation model best suited to their goals. As a player-coach, the leader manages the partner management team and is accountable for partner relationships, including direct management of approximately five strategic partners. The position combines sales and advisor recruiting expertise with people leadership and disciplined program management. It advances proactive, accountable partner management, with emphasis on expanding W-2 and wirehouse opportunities while continuing to grow the 1099 channel. The leader develops the team and program, oversees partner strategy and governance, and works across LPL functions to deliver recruiting outcomes. Success calls for executive presence, the ability to build trust, and the judgment to address challenges and business issues directly.

Requirements

10+ years of relevant wealth management experience spanning sales, business development, advisor recruiting, or strategic relationship management.
Sales and advisor recruiting experience, with a record of generating qualified opportunities and improving conversion.
Experience leading and developing a team, including coaching, goal setting, and performance management.
Ability to travel up to 30% for partner meetings, home office visits, and industry events.
Experience owning a program or leading complex initiatives across multiple functions.
Understanding of employee and independent advisor business models, advisor transition considerations, and the third-party recruiting landscape.
Ability to interpret pipeline and performance data, develop forecasts, and translate findings into action.
Strong executive communication, presentation, and conflict-resolution skills.
Sales and recruiting judgment: understands advisor motivations and partner business models, and distinguishes referral volume from qualified opportunity and sustainable growth.
People leadership: sets clear direction, coaches specific behaviors, holds the team accountable, and supports development.
Influence and executive presence: builds credibility with senior stakeholders, gains commitment across functions, and handles challenging conversations constructively.
Program discipline: establishes clear ownership and repeatable processes, anticipates dependencies, and manages delivery against commitments.
Commercial and analytical judgment: balances growth, partner economics, risk, and long-term relationship value.
Communication and emotional intelligence: listens carefully, adapts to different audiences, and explains decisions with clarity and empathy.
Accountability and improvement: takes ownership of results, acts with urgency, and changes course when evidence shows a better approach.

Nice To Haves

Experience with commercial negotiations, partner economics, or contract governance.

Responsibilities

Personally manage approximately five strategic partners, building relationships with owners, decision-makers, and influential recruiters.
Establish joint business plans that identify target advisor segments, qualified pipeline opportunities, and measurable commitments from LPL and each partner firm.
Use advisor recruiting experience to help partners understand advisor motivations, position LPL’s affiliation options, and improve referral quality and conversion.
Coordinate with the recruiting team to advance opportunities, clarify ownership, and resolve barriers throughout the recruiting process.
Use pipeline data, partner feedback, and competitive intelligence to identify growth opportunities and recommend changes to coverage or investment.
Hold the program accountable for agreed recruiting outcomes, including pipeline AUM, advisor meetings, joins, and conversion.
Lead, coach, and develop Partner Account Managers and the Partner Analyst, setting expectations for performance, professional growth, and partner experience.
Model consultative relationship management through direct partner coverage and hands-on coaching.
Build a team culture that values preparation, candid feedback, follow-through, and continuous improvement.
Influence stakeholders across Sales, Business Line Strategy, Sales Enablement and Operations, Marketing, and other functions to secure support and deliver shared priorities.
Engage executive sponsors in strategic relationships and ensure their involvement supports specific partner objectives.
Address underperformance and difficult partner conversations with clarity, sound judgment, and respect.
Lead the team through organizational and program changes while maintaining partner confidence.
Develop and execute the partner program growth strategy with LPL Recruiting leadership and other business partners.
Own the annual program plan, translating strategy into defined initiatives, accountable owners, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
Establish and maintain partner segmentation, coverage standards, and earned benefits based on performance and strategic contribution.
Own business governance for partner pricing, payout administration, contracts, and the annual addendum process, working through appropriate Legal, Procurement, Finance, and Compliance approvals.
Establish clear decision rights and documented exception procedures so partners and internal teams receive consistent answers.
Oversee account planning, business reviews, sales reporting, monthly forecasting, and pipeline management.
Lead business adoption of the partner technology portal and work with supporting teams to improve system intake, reporting, and data quality.
Define service expectations and escalation paths, preserving Account Manager capacity for relationship development while the Analyst supports routine processing.
Implement partner scorecards and feedback mechanisms, using findings to improve recruiting outcomes and ease of doing business with LPL.
Communicate program results, risks, and resource needs to senior leadership.