Client Relationship Associate

Cerity Partners; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) match

Flexible PTO

Parental Leave

Education assistance

Community involvement

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Cerity Partners in Chicago, IL seeks a Client Relationship Associate who acts as the operational engine of the Retirement Plan Consulting (RPC) practice. The CRA coordinates the delivery of services for clients and assists our consultants in the day-to-day management of clients.

You will learn many intricacies of retirement plan consulting, attend committee meetings, and collaborate with HR, Benefits, and Finance contacts at plan sponsors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Proficient in Salesforce CRM.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and Zoom scheduling.
• Excellent business writing; minutes serve as fiduciary records.
• Highly detail-oriented, organized, reliable, proactive, and self-directed.

Responsibilities

• Schedule committee meetings and manage the governance calendar.
• Draft meeting agendas.
• Take minutes and track action items.
• Coordinate delivery of meeting materials.
• Manage fiduciary files and document control.
• Perform Salesforce and data integrity reviews.
• Lead new client onboarding and plan implementation.

Skills

Proactive communication

Quality control

Ownership mentality

Detail orientation

Quick learner

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Microsoft 365

Zoom scheduling tools

Job description

The Client Relationship Associate is the operational engine of the Retirement Plan Consulting (RPC) practice. The CRA coordinates the delivery of services for clients and assists our consultants in the day-to-day management of clients. The CRA owns everything from scheduling committee meetings, preparing agendas, coordinating materials, taking minutes and tracking action items as well as an integral part in managing the fiduciary governance process and interacting with clients daily. This is a client-facing role, and you will learn many of the intricate parts of the retirement plan consulting business. The CRA attends committee meetings, communicates directly with HR, Benefits, and Finance contacts at plan sponsor organizations, and coordinates with recordkeeper relationship managers. The role will provide the opportunity to learn directly from experienced retirement plan consultants. For those interested in a career in this field, you will gain tremendous field experience with opportunities to advance your career.

Primary Responsibilities

• Committee Meeting Scheduling and the Governance Calendar
• Drafting Meeting Agendas
• Meeting Minutes and Action Item Accountability
• Coordination of Meeting Materials Delivery
• Fiduciary File and Document Management
• Salesforce and Data Integrity Reviews
• New Client Onboarding and Plan Implementation

Core Competencies

• Proactive communication
• Quality control discipline
• Ownership mentality
• Detail orientation
• Quick learner

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Working proficiency in Salesforce CRM.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills — Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams — and comfort with Zoom scheduling tools.
• Demonstrated business writing ability. Committee minutes are a legal record of fiduciary process and must read as such.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational discipline; reliable, proactive, and self-directed.

Preferred

• Two or more years in client service, operations, or account support within financial services.
• Experience servicing workplace retirement plans— RIA, recordkeeper, TPA, or plan sponsor benefits function.
• Working knowledge of ERISA, defined contribution plan mechanics, and fiduciary governance concepts.
• Exposure to defined benefit, cash balance, or nonqualified deferred compensation plans.
• Experience with Box or a comparable document management system.
• Knowledge and experience utilizing AI Tools (e.g., Claude, Zocks, etc.)

Compensation Range

$60,000 - $75,000

Why Cerity Partners

Our people drive our success by working together to deliver exceptional service to our clients. Below is a glimpse of the key elements of our total rewards package:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance – day 1!
• 401(k) savings and investment plan options with 4% match
• Flexible PTO policy
• Parental Leave
• Financial assistance for advanced education and professional designations
• Opportunity to give back time to local communities
• Commuter benefits

Cerity Partners is committed to providing an environment where all individuals can be their authentic selves. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer who respects each individual and supports the diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences of our colleagues. We are dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce and will not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.

Cerity Partners is committed to working with and providing accommodations to applicants with disabilities or special needs. For those needing accommodations, please reach out to [e-mail]. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.