Director, WAMS Institutional Strategy

Charles Schwab Corporation; Westlake (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary + bonus opportunity

401(k) with company match

Paid time for vacation and sabbatical

Parental leave and family benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

Charles Schwab Corporation seeks a Director, WAMS Institutional Strategy to shape strategy for the Institutional business, align across RIA and Intermediary channels, and translate priorities into measurable outcomes. You will lead with senior stakeholders, define roadmaps, and partner across Schwab to drive sustainable growth.

The role emphasizes aligning WAMS strategy with enterprise objectives, leveraging analytics, and guiding initiatives through lifecycle from concept to adoption.

Qualifications

• Extensive strategy experience in financial services or asset management.
• Ability to synthesize industry, client, product, competitive insights into strategic priorities.
• Proven track record influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills for senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Shape strategic direction for the Institutional business, including goals and roadmaps.
• Develop a clear point of view on RIA and Intermediary channels and client needs.
• Define goals, roadmaps, and initiatives with WAMS leadership across Schwab.
• Frame complex problems and synthesize insights into actionable recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and influence decisions.
• Partner with the WAMS Institutional Enablement lead to translate priorities into outcomes.
• Work with enterprise partners to measure success and report progress to leadership.
• Promote consistency across Institutional business and align with enterprise strategies.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Relationship-building

Problem solving

Education

Undergraduate degree

Advanced degree or CFA/ CFP / CIMA preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Tableau

Job description

Your Opportunity

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together.

The Wealth & Asset Management Solutions (WAMS) team is part of the Wealth, Advice, Bank and Trust (WABT) enterprise. The WAMS team is responsible for the distribution and support of proprietary and select third-party asset management products and services across multiple channels. The team also supports the marketing of these solutions in partnership with Offer Management, Product, and Marketing.

We are looking for an experienced strategic leader to serve as Director, WAMS Institutional Strategy. This senior individual-contributor role will shape strategy for the Institutional business, define goals and priorities, develop the strategic roadmap, and identify opportunities to strengthen distribution effectiveness and support sustainable growth. Reporting to the Head of Distribution Strategy, the Director will be responsible for strategy across the RIA and Intermediary channels while connecting those priorities to the broader WAMS and enterprise strategy.

The Director will draw on industry expertise, evolving client needs, product and offer availability, and competitive insights to identify opportunities and influence strategic decisions. The role will build alignment among WAMS leaders and partners across Schwab while collaborating closely with the Director, WAMS Institutional Enablement to translate strategic priorities into adoption and measurable business outcomes.

What you’ll do

• Shape the strategic direction for the Institutional business, with responsibility for strategic framing, opportunity identification, and forward‑looking recommendations that strengthen distribution effectiveness and client outcomes.
• Develop and maintain a clear point of view on the Institutional landscape, including the RIA and Intermediary channels, evolving client and advisor needs, product and offer availability, industry trends, and competitive dynamics.
• Define channel goals, objectives and key results, strategic priorities, roadmaps, and key initiatives in partnership with WAMS leadership and stakeholders across Schwab.
• Frame complex business problems, evaluate opportunities, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and influence decisions across functions and business units without direct authority.
• Partner closely with the Director, WAMS Institutional Enablement throughout the initiative lifecycle, establishing clear roles, coordinated handoffs, and shared accountability for outcomes.

• Work with enterprise partners to define success measures, monitor progress against channel goals and roadmaps, evaluate business impact and return on investment, and communicate strategic progress to leadership.
• Promote consistency across Institutional business while connecting channel‑specific priorities to broader WAMS and enterprise strategies.

What you have

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in financial services, including relevant experience in wealth management, asset management, or a related field.
• Undergraduate degree required.
• Demonstrated experience shaping strategy, defining priorities and roadmaps, developing business cases, and influencing complex decisions.
• Ability to synthesize industry, client, product, competitive, and business insights into clear strategic recommendations and actionable priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex, multifaceted problems, navigate ambiguity, and balance long‑term strategic objectives with near‑term business needs.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and align senior stakeholders across functions, business units, and organizational levels without direct authority.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, including the ability to define success measures and evaluate business impact and return on investment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and credibly with senior leaders and cross‑functional partners.
• Strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and demonstrated commitment to collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in institutional asset management distribution, with knowledge of the RIA and Intermediary channels.
• Experience partnering across product and offer management, marketing, finance, field enablement, business intelligence, and related enterprise functions.
• Experience using customer relationship management, sales enablement, and business intelligence tools, such as Salesforce and Tableau.
• Advanced degree or relevant professional designation, such as CFA, CFP, or CIMA.

What’s in it for you

At Schwab, we’re committed to empowering our employees’ personal and professional success. Our purpose‑driven, supportive culture, and focus on your development means you’ll get the tools you need to make a positive difference in the finance industry. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our ongoing commitment to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and our strong belief in the value of being together in person on a regular basis.

We offer a competitive benefits package that takes care of the whole you, both today and in the future:

• Base salary + bonus opportunity for eligible positions
• 401(k) with company match and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and a 4‑week sabbatical after 5 years of service for eligible positions
• Paid parental leave and family‑building benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health, dental, and vision insurance