Lead Planning Advisor

Lead Planning Advisor

The Lead Planning Advisor serves as the day-to-day team lead for Arcadia's Planning Department, providing leadership, coaching, workflow oversight, and technical guidance to Planning Advisors while continuing to actively perform financial planning responsibilities. This role is designed to support the Director of Planning by increasing departmental leadership capacity, strengthening team accountability, and ensuring consistent execution of planning standards across the department. The Lead Planning Advisor acts as the primary resource for Planning Advisors on workflow, priorities, and day-to-day support while remaining actively engaged in client planning work.

Approximately 80% of this role is dedicated to traditional Planning Advisor responsibilities, including financial plan preparation, case analysis, advisor support, and client-related planning activities. The remaining 20% is focused on leadership responsibilities such as coaching, training, quality review, workload management, and team development.

The Lead Planning Advisor serves as an extension of the Senior Leadership Team and may be called upon to provide feedback, insight, and collaboration on departmental initiatives, talent development, workflow improvements, and planning operations. Success in this role requires a strong partnership with the Director of Planning, who maintains overall responsibility for the Planning Department and sets the strategic direction, priorities, and standards for the team. The ideal candidate is a proven financial planning professional who demonstrates strong technical expertise, leadership capability, sound judgment, and a commitment to developing others while continuing to lead by example through execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Advisors on client planning engagements and case strategy.
• Gather, organize, and analyze comprehensive client financial data.
• Enter and maintain accurate information within eMoney and other planning software.
• Draft financial plan analyses and recommendations for Advisor review.
• Prepare annuity and insurance quotes and supporting fact sheets.
• Prepare meeting agendas, financial plans, and client-facing presentation materials.
• Assist with complex planning scenarios and advanced case preparation.
• Maintain planning quality standards across all assigned work.
• Continue to manage and execute planning work at a level consistent with an experienced Planning Advisor.
• Communicate directly with clients to collect, clarify, and follow up on required information.
• Proactively track outstanding planning items and follow-through requirements.
• Coordinate with Advisors and Client Service Specialists to ensure meeting readiness.
• Maintain accurate, secure, and organized client records.
• Support Advisors in delivering a Second-to-None client experience through preparation, responsiveness, and accuracy.
• Serve as a planning resource for Advisors on complex cases and planning needs.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for Planning Advisors regarding workflow, priorities, and support.
• Establish and maintain a high level of communication across the Planning Advisor team to ensure alignment, collaboration, accountability, and awareness of departmental priorities.
• Own regular 1:1 meetings with Planning Advisors to provide coaching, support, feedback, and professional development.
• Own quarterly check-ins and annual performance review processes for Planning Advisors in partnership with the Director of Planning and Director of People & Culture.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and real-time guidance while working alongside Planning Advisors on day-to-day planning activities.
• Assist with onboarding and training of new Planning Advisors.
• Identify skill gaps and development opportunities within the team.
• Foster accountability, ownership, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Serve as the first point of escalation for day-to-day planning questions, workflow challenges, and resource needs.
• Help identify opportunities to improve team effectiveness, planning quality, and operational efficiency.
• Support the implementation of departmental initiatives and process improvements established by the Director of Planning.
• Partner closely with the Director of Planning and Director of People & Culture on talent development initiatives.
• Assist in assigning and balancing workloads across the Planning Advisor team.
• Monitor department capacity and proactively identify bottlenecks.
• Conduct quality reviews and provide feedback on planning deliverables to support consistency, development, and accuracy across the team.
• Help ensure service-level expectations and deadlines are met.
• Support planning workflow improvements and operational efficiencies.
• Assist with prioritization of department work during periods of high volume.
• Promote consistency in planning processes, standards, and execution.
• Prepare and process compliance documentation related to onboarding, recommendations, and transactions.
• Coordinate with Operations, Client Service, Tax, Legacy, and Advisory teams to ensure timely execution of planning work.
• Assist with Pontera rebalancing and monitoring as applicable.
• Participate in planning team meetings, case reviews, and departmental initiatives.
• Support process documentation and continuous improvement efforts.
• Ensure planning workflows remain aligned with compliance and operational requirements.
• Foster a positive, growth-oriented team culture built on accountability, collaboration, and ownership.
• Recognize and celebrate Planning Advisor contributions and successes.
• Encourage open communication and knowledge sharing across the department.
• Model Arcadia's standards of professionalism, engagement, and client service.
• Actively participate in firm-wide initiatives, cultural events, and leadership activities.
• Serve as a steward of Arcadia's culture and values through visible leadership and consistent behavior.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent financial services experience.
• Experience in financial planning, wealth management, or advisory support roles required.
• Ideally, 5 to 7 years prior leadership, supervisory, mentoring, or team lead experience required.
• Series 65 or Series 66, Life, Accident & Health license required.
• Strong understanding of investment, retirement, insurance, tax, and estate planning concepts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, influence, and develop others.
• Highly organized with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Expectations

• Demonstrates ownership and accountability for both personal work and team outcomes.
• Leads through example and credibility earned through technical expertise.
• Maintains strong attention to detail and planning accuracy.
• Communicates proactively and effectively with Advisors, clients, and team members.
• Balances leadership responsibilities while remaining an active contributor to department production.
• Supports departmental consistency while adapting to changing priorities and business needs.
• Builds strong working relationships across departments.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and leadership growth.
• Demonstrates the maturity, judgment, and professionalism expected of a leader who serves as a trusted extension of the Senior Leadership Team.

What Success in the First 90 Days Looks Like

• Build strong working relationships with the Director of Planning, Advisors, Planning Advisors, and key cross-functional partners by establishing trust and credibility as both a planning professional and team leader.
• Gains a thorough understanding of Arcadia's planning philosophy, workflows, systems, service standards, and departmental priorities.
• Successfully balances personal planning responsibilities while providing day-to-day leadership and support to the Planning Advisor team.
• Establishes a consistent communication cadence with Planning Advisors through regular 1:1 meetings, team collaboration, and workflow discussions.
• Develops a clear understanding of team strengths, development opportunities, capacity, and workflow challenges.
• Begins providing coaching, guidance, and real-time support to Planning Advisors while maintaining high planning quality standards.
• Identifies opportunities for increased efficiency, improved communication, and stronger team collaboration.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, ownership, and leadership presence in day-to-day decision-making.
• Serves as a reliable partner to the Director of Planning by helping drive execution, consistency, accountability, and team development across the Planning Department.

Benefits

We believe in taking care of the people who take care of our clients. Our benefits are designed to support