Client Service Associate

Cerity Partners; City of Albany (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Flexible PTO

Parental Leave

Education assistance

Community involvement

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Cerity Partners is seeking a Client Service Associate to provide high-touch accounting, executive administrative support, and investment operations for ultra-high-net-worth clients. The role blends QuickBooks-based bookkeeping with executive-level client service, and close collaboration with wealth management teams.

Ideal candidates will have strong organizational, communication, and time-management skills, plus experience with QuickBooks, Salesforce, and custodial processes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of bookkeeping or personal accounting experience, ideally supporting high net worth individuals or family offices.
• Prior experience as an executive assistant, personal assistant, or in a similar support role for a principal or high net worth individual.
• Discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive personal and financial information.
• Organizational skills.
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• A strong knowledge of QuickBooks, Excel, Word, Outlook and Salesforce is preferred.
• Familiarity with personal insurance policies and ability to liaise with brokers on coverage questions.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Poise and professionalism when managing time-sensitive requests.
• Ability to take ownership of work in an entrepreneurial team environment.
• Willingness to support Personal Accounting and Wealth Management teams in various tasks and projects.

Responsibilities

• Bill Pay & Personal Accounting: Organize and manage daily account payable invoices in QuickBooks; review vendor statements; coordinate payroll reports; monthly bank reconciliations; manage 1099s; prepare accounting reports; be the go-to for bill payment questions.
• Executive & Administrative Support: Daily client communications; act as Chief of Staff for ultra-high net worth clients; liaison with insurance brokers; coordinate calendars and travel; draft correspondence; manage confidential matters; coordinate with household staff and vendors.
• Investment & Custodial Support: Interact with custodians (primarily Fidelity); process openings, funding, deposits, and money movements; cash transfers and reporting; learn trading processes; manage client data; prepare client reports.
• Client Meeting & CRM Support: Prepare and follow up for client meetings; take notes and share summaries; maintain CRM (Salesforce); coordinate inter-department tasks; interact with high-net-worth clients.

Skills

Bookkeeping

Executive assistant

Discretion

Organizational skills

Time management

QuickBooks

Excel

Word

Outlook

Salesforce

Communication

Insurance liaison

Tools

Salesforce

QuickBooks

Excel

Word

Outlook

Job description

Position Summary: The Client Service Associate provides high-touch personal accounting, executive administrative support, and investment operations assistance to ultra-high net worth clients at Cerity Partners, blending hands‑on bookkeeping and bill pay responsibilities in QuickBooks with executive assistant‑level client service, investment and custodial support, and client meeting coordination. The ideal candidate is highly organized and comfortable serving as a trusted point of contact for clients, their families, household staff, and outside advisors, exercising sound judgment and strong time management to juggle multiple priorities across several clients.

Primary Responsibilities

Bill Pay & Personal Accounting

• Organize and manage a daily cycle of account payable invoices with QuickBooks software.
• Review vendor statements and work with vendors to keep invoices current and resolve billing issues.
• Work with payroll company to ensure payroll is properly processed and that reports are properly filed.
• Regular review and monthly reconciliations of bank accounts.
• Ownership of annual 1099 process and filing, including analyzing which vendors should receive 1099s.
• Prepare accounting reports.
• Point person for questions pertaining to bill payment, client requests, QuickBooks, etc.

Executive & Administrative Support

• Day‑to‑day communication with clients, their household staff, and outside advisors (attorneys, CPAs, insurance brokers) via telephone and email.
• Serve as Chief of Staff for ultra‑high net worth client, coordinating priorities and daily needs.
• Liaise with client insurance broker and assist team with insurance review.
• Coordinate calendar, travel, and scheduling as needed.
• Draft correspondence and manage other confidential personal matters on the client’s behalf.
• Coordinate with household staff and outside vendors on the client’s behalf.
• Demonstrate initiative and judgment, particularly in meeting client requests.
• Work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Maintain organized files and time management among various clients.
• Miscellaneous administrative team support, including but not limited to, mailing, scanning, and electronic document management.

Investment & Custodial Support

• Frequent custodian interaction and paperwork processing; process account openings, funding, electronic check deposits, and money movements with custodians (primarily Fidelity).
• Responsible for cash transfers, wires, data maintenance, reporting, and trading as needed.
• Develop knowledge of investment accounts, products, and the forms required to transact business; learn how to trade client accounts (e.g., buy and sell securities).
• Assist with ongoing client data management, including tax, investment, and other relevant information.
• Prepare client‑specific reports (tax documents, quarterly investment reports, etc.).

Client Meeting & CRM Support

• Assist with basic preparation and follow‑up for client meetings, including preparing client forms and financial reports in advance.
• Attend meetings to take notes and send summaries to both the client and the advisory team.
• Ongoing maintenance and quality control of CRM (Salesforce).
• Receive client calls and resolve questions/issues as needed.Assist with internal coordination across departments to ensure tasks and follow‑up are completed in a timely manner.
• Regular interaction with third parties and high‑net‑worth clients.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of bookkeeping or personal accounting experience, ideally supporting high net worth individuals or family offices.
• Prior experience as an executive assistant, personal assistant, or in a similar support role for a principal or high net worth individual.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive personal and financial information.
• Organizational skills.
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• A strong knowledge of QuickBooks, Excel, Word, Outlook and Salesforce is preferred.
• Familiarity with personal insurance policies and ability to liaise with brokers on coverage questions.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Poise and professionalism when managing time‑sensitive requests.
• Ability to take ownership of work in an entrepreneurial team environment.
• Willingness to support Personal Accounting and Wealth Management teams in various tasks and projects.

Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrate strong and effective communication, organizational and time management skills.
• Drive to learn
• Detail oriented
• Ability to work in a team based/collaborative environment.
• Must accept and thrive in a fast‑paced, changing environment.
• Adherence to all compliance policies & procedures.
• Demonstrate the Cerity Partners culture.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Compensation Range

$65,000 - $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.