Collective Firm Payment and Program Administration (HYBRID)

Equitable; City of Syracuse (NY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Equitable is seeking a seasoned collective-firm payment program specialist to join the Elite Advisor Group, driving on-boarding, eligibility, and compensation design. You will partner with Wealth Management, Finance, Technology, Legal, and Compliance to deliver accurate payments, robust governance, and scalable processes.

This hybrid role blends strategy with hands-on administration and data-driven analysis, in support of premier advisors.

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of knowledge working with retail wealth management operations and advisor compensation programs, including GDC statements, PC statements, W-2 reporting, and 1099 reporting.
• Demonstrated understanding of advisor teaming structures, compensation methodologies, and financial modeling principles.
• Proven ability to design innovative solutions to complex business challenges while balancing operational, financial, and compliance considerations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary field‑facing SME for the Collective Firm Payment program, providing guidance on program eligibility, team structures, financial modeling, payment calculations, and ongoing administration.
• Lead the administration and ongoing development of firm‑level compensation and advisor teaming programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, business objectives, and operational requirements.
• Manage and monitor the Collective Firm Payment shared mailbox, ensuring inquiries are addressed accurately, consistently, and within established service standards.
• Coordinate cross‑functional responses to complex or escalated matters involving program design, eligibility, financial modeling, compensation calculations, and policy interpretation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for new firm onboarding, existing firm maintenance, and participant updates.
• Manage program eligibility and onboarding activities for firms and individual participants, including tracking eligibility, team member changes, agreement execution, and payment setup.
• Identify newly qualified firms and coordinate startup discussions, financial modeling, agreement execution, and implementation to support annual program launches.
• Proactively partner with firm principals, leads, and team members to ensure timely completion of agreements, documentation, and other program requirements.
• Identify, document, and communicate exceptions to established processes to support accurate reporting, effective controls, and timely compensation payments.
• Lead the development, implementation, administration, and analysis of firm‑level compensation and teaming programs that support business objectives and the advisor experience.
• Design and enhance compensation programs through financial modeling, payment calculations, trend and cost analysis, and compensation package design.
• Analyze existing business processes and identify opportunities to improve accuracy, efficiency, controls, scalability, and overall program effectiveness.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify operational challenges, develop solutions, and implement sustainable process improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that streamline cross‑functional workflows, reduce manual intervention, and strengthen the end‑to‑end administration of firm‑level compensation programs.
• Partner closely with Wealth Management, Field Compensation, Finance, Technology, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and other key stakeholders to implement compensation programs, enhancements, and process improvements.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen compensation reporting, payment reconciliation, financial transparency, and internal control processes.
• Develop reporting and reconciliation enhancements that reduce balance sheet exposure, minimize manual intervention, and improve operational efficiency.
• Provide strategic consultation and subject matter expertise on compensation programs, policy interpretation, and complex advisor payment matters.
• Advise management on policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives impacting firm‑level compensation and advisor teaming programs.
• Develop, maintain, and administer program documentation and communications, including agreements, contracts, schedules, operating procedures, field bulletins, guidelines, and educational materials.
• Ensure program documentation remains current, compliant, and aligned with business and regulatory requirements.
• Provide ongoing education, training, and support to operations teams, administrative staff, advisors, and leadership regarding Collective Firm Payment and related compensation programs.
• Build strong relationships with Financial Professionals, field leaders, and internal business partners through proactive communication, collaboration, and trusted partnership.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and resource to stakeholders across all levels of the organization.

Skills

Collective Firm Payment SME

Program administration

Financial modeling

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Primary Location

UNITED STATES-NC-Charlotte

Other Locations

UNITED STATES-NY-New York, UNITED STATES-NY-Syracuse

Organization

Equitable

Schedule

Full-time

About the Role

At Equitable, we help clients secure their financial well‑being so they can pursue long and fulfilling lives - a mission we’ve honed since 1859.

Equitable is looking for a Collective Firm Payment and Program Administration team member to join Equitable’s Elite Advisor Group (EAG) who partners strategically with top advisors to drive practice excellence, support team growth, and strengthen business continuity. The EAG is seeking a highly motivated professional to support the Collective Firm Payment program by delivering a best-in-class, white‑glove service experience to our premier advisors. This role serves as a trusted resource for program eligibility, team structure design, sophisticated financial modeling and analysis, payment calculations, and ongoing program administration, helping advisors make informed business decisions and maximize the value of the program.

What You’ll Be Doing

Collective Firm Payment Program Management & Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as the primary field‑facing Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Collective Firm Payment program, providing guidance on program eligibility, team structures, financial modeling, payment calculations, and ongoing administration.
• Lead the administration and ongoing development of firm‑level compensation and advisor teaming programs, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, business objectives, and operational requirements.
• Manage and monitor the Collective Firm Payment shared mailbox, ensuring inquiries are addressed accurately, consistently, and within established service standards.
• Coordinate cross‑functional responses to complex or escalated matters involving program design, eligibility, financial modeling, compensation calculations, and policy interpretation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for new firm onboarding, existing firm maintenance, and participant updates.

Program Eligibility, Onboarding & Administration

• Manage program eligibility and onboarding activities for firms and individual participants, including tracking eligibility, team member changes, agreement execution, and payment setup.
• Identify newly qualified firms and coordinate startup discussions, financial modeling, agreement execution, and implementation to support annual program launches.
• Proactively partner with firm principals, leads, and team members to ensure timely completion of agreements, documentation, and other program requirements.
• Identify, document, and communicate exceptions to established processes to support accurate reporting, effective controls, and timely compensation payments.

Compensation Strategy, Analysis & Process Improvement

• Lead the development, implementation, administration, and analysis of firm‑level compensation and teaming programs that support business objectives and the advisor experience.
• Design and enhance compensation programs through financial modeling, payment calculations, trend and cost analysis, and compensation package design.
• Analyze existing business processes and identify opportunities to improve accuracy, efficiency, controls, scalability, and overall program effectiveness.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify operational challenges, develop solutions, and implement sustainable process improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that streamline cross‑functional workflows, reduce manual intervention, and strengthen the end‑to‑end administration of firm‑level compensation programs.

Cross‑Functional Partnership, Governance & Controls

• Partner closely with Wealth Management, Field Compensation, Finance, Technology, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and other key stakeholders to implement compensation programs, enhancements, and process improvements.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen compensation reporting, payment reconciliation, financial transparency, and internal control processes.
• Develop reporting and reconciliation enhancements that reduce balance sheet exposure, minimize manual intervention, and improve operational efficiency.
• Provide strategic consultation and subject matter expertise on compensation programs, policy interpretation, and complex advisor payment matters.
• Advise management on policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives impacting firm‑level compensation and advisor teaming programs.

Program Documentation, Training & Relationship Management

• Develop, maintain, and administer program documentation and communications, including agreements, contracts, schedules, operating procedures, field bulletins, guidelines, and educational materials.
• Ensure program documentation remains current, compliant, and aligned with business and regulatory requirements.
• Provide ongoing education, training, and support to operations teams, administrative staff, advisors, and leadership regarding Collective Firm Payment and related compensation programs.
• Build strong relationships with Financial Professionals, field leaders, and internal business partners through proactive communication, collaboration, and trusted partnership.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and resource to stakeholders across all levels of the organization.

This position offers a hybrid work schedule, with an on‑site presence of 2–3 days per week combining flexibility with team collaboration.

The base salary range for this position is $85,000-$95,000. Actual base salaries vary based on skills, experience, and geographical location. In addition to base pay, Equitable provides compensation to reward performance with base salary increases, spot bonuses, and short‑term incentive compensation opportunities. Eligibility for these programs depends on level and functional area of responsibility.

For eligible employees, Equitable provides a full range of benefits. This includes medical, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off. For detailed descriptions of these benefits, please reference the link below.

Equitable Pay and Benefits: Equitable Total Rewards Program

What You Will Bring

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree
• 5+ years of knowledge working with retail wealth management operations and advisor compensation programs, including GDC statements, PC statements, W-2 reporting, and 1099 reporting.
• Demonstrated understanding of advisor teaming structures, compensation methodologies, and financial modeling principles.
• Proven ability to design innovative solutions to complex business challenges while balancing operational, financial, and compliance considerations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Established analytical, problem‑solving, and strategic thinking skills.

Skills

Communicating Complex Concepts: Knowledge of effective presentation tools and techniques to ensure clear understanding; ability to use summarization and simplification techniques to explain complex technical concepts in simple, clear language appropriate to the audience.

Cross‑functional Collaboration: Knowledge of collaborative techniques and approaches; ability to promote a culture of continuous improvement and working together across functions to solve business problems and meet business goals.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Managing Multiple Priorities: Knowledge of effective self‑management practices; ability to manage multiple concurrent objectives, projects, groups, or activities, making effective judgments as to prioritizing and time allocation.

About Equitable

At Equitable, we’re a team committed to helping our clients secure their financial well‑being so that they can pursue long and fulfilling lives.

We turn challenges into opportunities by thinking, working, and leading differently – where everyone is a leader. We encourage every employee to leverage their unique talents to become a force for good at Equitable and in their local communities.

We are continuously investing in our people by offering growth, internal mobility, comprehensive compensation and benefits to support overall well‑being, flexibility, and a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

We are looking for talented, dedicated, purposeful people who want to make an impact. Join Equitable and pursue a career with purpose.

Equitable is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to our employees, applicants and candidates based on individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, mental or physical disabilities, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information or any other class protected by federal, state and local laws.

NOTE: Equitable participates in the E-Verify program.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process or to perform the essential job functions of this position, please contact Human Resources at [phone] or email us at [e-mail].