Client Service Associate

Acorn Financial Services; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Autonomy to build processes

Flexible time off

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Acorn Financial Services seeks a Mid-Level Client Services Associate to own the post-sale operational lifecycle. You will serve as the critical strategic liaison between the advisory staff, operations team, and custodians, building smarter processes and scalable workflows for high-net-worth clients.

You will mentor junior associates, handle complex account onboarding and money movements, and ensure strict compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience onboarding and maintaining complex client accounts with high-net-worth structures.
• Strong understanding of KYC, due diligence, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to document and optimize operational workflows and policies.

Responsibilities

• Onboard and maintain highly complex client accounts, process high-value money movement, and handle estate settlement needs.
• Act as the primary operational liaison between advisory staff, operations, and custodians.
• Develop and formalize process policies to maximize efficiency and ensure compliance.
• Educate clients and staff on regulatory requirements and review documents to minimize exceptions.
• Train and review Junior Client Service Associates to optimize daily workflow.

Skills

Operational excellence

Workflow design

CRM systems

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

Mentoring juniors

Education

Bachelor's in Finance or Business

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Mission

Acorn Financial Services integrates tax strategists, estate planners, and investment managers to build one unified plan for our clients. Operating at this level of integration and complexity requires flawless, highly scalable operational infrastructure. As a Mid-Level Client Services Associate, your mission is to own the post-sale operational lifecycle. You will serve as the critical strategic liaison between our internal advisory staff, our broader operations team, and our institutional custodians. You are tasked with building smarter processes, creating stronger workflows, and expertly managing the complexities of high-net-worth client operations.

Who You Are

• You build with the long game in mind. You don't just mechanically process a task; you analyze the workflow and ask, "How can we systemize and scale this?"
• You develop operational processes that compound in efficiency over time. You navigate complexity with extreme empathy.
• You are assertive but highly empathetic in nature. You possess the emotional intelligence to handle a frustrated client, authenticate complex money movement requests, and calm an anxious advisor, all within the same hour.
• You grow through rigorous feedback and challenge. You embrace the profound responsibility of self-review and peer-review.
• You view operational bottlenecks not as annoyances, but as intellectual challenges to master. You lead by raising standards daily.
• You naturally gravitate toward mentoring junior associates, patiently teaching them the regulatory intricacies of wealth management operations and ensuring the entire team plays to win.

What You Will Do

• Expertly onboard and maintain highly complex client accounts (including intricate corporate, trust, and pension structures), process high-value money movement, and handle complex estate settlement needs.
• Serve as the primary, authoritative operational liaison between Acorn's integrated advisory team, the internal operations staff, and external custodians.
• Proactively develop, formally document, and continuously optimize process policies and procedures for the department to ensure maximum operational efficiency and strict compliance.
• Educate clients and staff on KYC due diligence, beneficial ownership certification, and shifting regulatory requirements. Review vital documents to minimize technical exceptions and mitigate operational risk.
• Train, guide, and rigorously review the daily work of Junior Client Service Associates, intelligently prioritizing tasks and managing the overall departmental workflow.

How We Measure Success (Outcomes)

• Successfully design and implement workflow automations within the CRM that measurably reduce average account opening and asset transfer times.
• Maintain a zero-defect environment regarding high-risk financial transactions, including wire transfers, estate liquidations, and complex corporate actions.
• Drive the successful onboarding, ongoing training, and strict SLA adherence of the entire junior client services team under your purview.

What We Offer

We offer a highly critical leadership role operating at the operational hub of a $1.4B AUM firm. You will be granted the autonomy to build processes and own outcomes, entirely free of micromanagement and workplace politics. We provide exceptional benefits, flexible time off, and a culture that actively, tangibly invests in its highest performers.