Director of Financial Planning

Squarely LLC; California; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid schedule

Performance bonus

Full benefits

Job summary

Squarely LLC, a fast-growing, independent RIA in California, seeks a Senior Director of Financial Planning / CFP SME to lead our centralized planning function. You will work with lead wealth advisors and client service staff to deliver bespoke wealth strategies for high-net-worth families.

The role blends expert technical leadership with client-facing advisory work, mentoring junior planners, and shaping firm-wide planning methodologies and tools in a hybrid, in-office setting.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of comprehensive financial planning experience with a focus on HNW ($5M+) and UHNW ($20M+).
• Strong leadership and ability to mentor junior planners and collaborate with advisors.

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME on advanced planning topics for HNW/UHNW clients and guide the team.
• Review and quality-check complex financial plans for technical accuracy.
• Mentor associate planners and foster strategic thinking.
• Partner with wealth advisors in client meetings to present sophisticated strategies.
• Develop and improve planning methodologies, workflows, and deliverables.
• Stay current on regulatory, tax, and economic changes and translate into insights.
• Evaluate and optimize planning tools and software to streamline workflows.

Skills

Estate planning

Executive compensation

Wealth transfer

Tax efficiency

Team leadership

Senior consulting

Client presentation

Financial planning tools

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's in Financial Planning / Finance / MST

Tools

eMoney

RightCapital

MoneyGuidePro

Income Lab

Holistiplan

Job description

A fast-growing, independent RIA is seeking a Senior level Director of Financial Planning / CFP® Subject Matter Expert (SME) to lead and elevate our centralized financial planning function. Our team works directly alongside lead wealth advisors and client service staff to deliver bespoke, sophisticated wealth strategies to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families. Our internal SME model is a true differentiator—providing deep technical expertise, thought leadership, and peer mentorship across the firm rather than treating planning as an afterthought.

About the Role

The ideal candidate is an elite practitioner and technical SME who thrives on solving complex financial puzzles for HNW and UHNW clients. In this internal and client-facing leadership role, you will serve as the firm's go-to expert for advanced wealth planning strategies, guide and mentor a team of associate planners, and collaborate directly with advisors to present sophisticated solutions to complex client situations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the firm-wide Subject Matter Expert (SME) on advanced HNW/UHNW planning topics, including estate planning, executive compensation, wealth transfer, tax efficiency, and business succession.
• Review, refine, and quality-check complex financial plans created by the planning team to ensure technical accuracy and consistency.
• Mentor and train associate financial planners, fostering their technical growth, case preparation skills, and strategic thinking.
• Partner with wealth advisors in high-stakes client and prospect meetings to present advanced planning strategies clearly and persuasively.
• Establish and continuously improve firm-wide planning methodologies, standardized workflows, and deliverable standards.
• Stay current on regulatory, tax, and economic changes, translating complex updates into actionable insights for both internal teams and clients.
• Evaluate and optimize advanced planning tools and financial software to streamline high-touch workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required (Master's in Financial Planning, Finance, or MST a plus).
• 8-10+ years of comprehensive financial planning experience, with a heavy focus on HNW ($5M+) and UHNW ($20M+) client cases.

Required Skills

• Expert knowledge of estate planning structures (trusts, wealth transfer, gifting strategies), executive equity compensation (NQSOs, ISOs, RSUs), and business entity structuring.
• Strong leadership and peer-coaching ability with a passion for teaching and developing junior planning talent.
• Exceptional technical research skills and the ability to synthesize complex multi-generational wealth scenarios into executive summary-level insights.
• Superior communication skills, with proven success co-presenting in high-net-worth client environments alongside senior advisors.
• Mastery of modern financial planning and visualization tools (e.g., eMoney, RightCapital, MoneyGuidePro, Income Lab, Holistiplan).

Pay range and compensation package

Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus performance bonus and full benefits package. Standard Monday-Friday in-office/hybrid schedule, with occasional extended hours during peak client review cycles.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices.