Estate Planning Advisor

Empirical Wealth Management; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan with company match

Professional development

Job summary

Empirical Wealth Management seeks an Estate Planning Advisor to lead sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners within our integrated advisory model.

You will collaborate with financial advisors, tax professionals, and attorneys to design, implement, and maintain estate strategies aligned with clients’ goals and family dynamics.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in estate planning or related areas serving high-net-worth individuals and families.
• JD required; LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning is a plus.
• Ability to explain complex estate and tax concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams (attorneys, CPAs, advisors) on integrated client planning.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including leading meetings.

Responsibilities

• Serve as internal subject-matter expert on estate, gift, and wealth transfer planning for Empirical advisors and clients.
• Develop and present comprehensive estate planning recommendations addressing wealth transfer, tax minimization, asset protection, and charitable planning objectives.
• Review wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Prepare client-facing summaries and diagrams to help families understand estate plans.
• Participate in client meetings to explain concepts and coordinate actions.
• Recommend planning structures such as revocable trusts, bypass trusts, ILITs, SLATs, GRATs, and charitable trusts.
• Collaborate with tax, financial planning, and investment teams to integrate estate planning with tax and retirement strategies.
• Support business development and client engagement through workshops, webinars, and content.

Skills

Estate planning

Trust administration

Tax concepts

Client communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

LL.M. in Taxation

Job description

We are seeking an Estate Planning Advisor to lead and support sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners within Empirical Wealth Management’s integrated advisory model. This role is ideal for a planning-driven professional who enjoys combining technical estate, gift, and income tax knowledge with practical, client-facing advice in a collaborative wealth management environment.

The Estate Planning Advisor will work closely with financial advisors, tax professionals, and external attorneys to design, implement, and maintain estate planning strategies that align with clients’ goals, family dynamics, and financial circumstances.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal subject-matter expert and trusted resource on estate, gift, and wealth transfer planning for Empirical advisors and their clients
• Collaborate with lead advisors to develop and present comprehensive estate planning recommendations addressing generational wealth transfer, tax minimization, asset protection, and charitable planning objectives
• Review existing estate plans (wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, beneficiary designations) and identify gaps, risks, and planning opportunities
• Prepare clear, client-facing summaries and visual overviews of estate structures, including flow charts or diagrams, to help clients and family members understand how their plans work
• Participate in client meetings (in person and virtual) with advisors to explain estate planning concepts, coordinate action items, and support ongoing implementation
• Recommend planning strategies and structures such as revocable trusts, marital and bypass trusts, dynasty trusts, ILITs, SLATs, GRATs, charitable trusts, family entities, and beneficiary designations appropriate to client fact patterns
• Work closely with Empirical’s tax, financial planning, and investment teams to integrate estate planning with income tax planning, business succession, retirement distribution, risk management, and investment strategy
• Support business development and client engagement initiatives, including educational workshops, webinars, and content for clients, prospects, and professional partners

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in estate planning, trust administration, or related areas (e.g., private client services, tax, or wealth management) serving high-net-worth individuals and families
• JD required; LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning, or an advanced estate planning designation is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to explain complex estate and tax concepts clearly and practically to non-technical audiences.
• Experience collaborating with or within multi-disciplinary teams (attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors) on integrated client planning
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort leading meetings and presenting to small groups
• Proficiency with or ability to quickly learn planning and research tools; familiarity with wealth management CRM and document management systems is a plus

Compensation

• Salary range: $200,000 – $250,000
• Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, and Disability Insurance for employees are 100% paid for by the company
• 401(k) Plan + match

Our Culture

Empirical is truly unique. We believe that each employee is a valuable contributor to the overall effectiveness of the firm. The sharing of concepts and ideas is paramount to the growth of each employee, so we believe in cultivating an environment that promotes collaborative development. Our employees are passionate about the work they do and want to inspire that work ethic into those around them. We are a hard‑working, high‑performance, no‑excuse team of 100 professionals who together want to take charge of our careers alongside the opportunity that Empirical offers.