Head of Advisor Onboarding & Development

Archer; Malvern (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking an executive to build and lead the advisor onboarding and development strategy within Vanguard Personal Advisor Services and Wealth Management. This leader will create best-in-class programs from onboarding through advanced career stages, ensuring excellence in onboarding, training, readiness, coaching, and professional growth.

A key mandate is evolving advisors from a service mindset to a proactive, consultative sales mindset while maintaining Vanguard's client-first

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in wealth management, financial advice, or development.
• Deep knowledge of financial planning, advisory services, wealth management products, advisory business models, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience building and scaling advisor training, onboarding, or professional development programs.
• Experience leading teams and influencing senior stakeholders across complex organizations.
• CFP®, CFA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, or similar professional designation preferred.
• MBA, master's degree, or equivalent advanced education preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy and execution of building advisor onboarding and professional development programs.
• Build scalable learning pathways from entry-level to senior roles.
• Design training on client engagement, financial planning, advice delivery, and relationship management.
• Develop training to move advisors to a consultative sales mindset while preserving client-first approach.
• Develop expertise in Vanguard's investment philosophy, products, services, and tools.
• Lead capabilities in practice management, client segmentation, and book development.
• Oversee advisor technology enablement, including CRM and planning tools.
• Establish readiness standards, coaching frameworks, and certification requirements.
• Lead a high-performing team of trainers and development professionals.
• Partner with Personal Wealth, HR, Compliance, Risk, Product, and Tech to deliver advisor excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Wealth management

Learning & development

Stakeholder influence

Executive presence

Coaching

Change leadership

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent

MBA preferred

CFP/CFA/CIMA/CPWA or similar designation preferred

Tools

CRM platforms

Planning tools

Digital engagement tools

Job description

Archer is collaborating with Vanguard to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role. Drives the delivery of transformational change by providing leadership and direction to large, complex, multi-stakeholder programs focused on overarching improvements to processes, operations, or teams. Leads and directs the activities of multiple large departments or several managers and specialists.

Vanguard is seeking an accomplished executive leader to build and lead the advisor development strategy for Vanguard Personal Advisor Services and Wealth Management within Personal Wealth. This role is responsible for creating a best-in-class advisor development program that supports advisors & advisor leadership from onboarding through advanced career stages, ensuring excellence in onboarding, training, readiness, coaching, and professional growth. The Head of Advisor Onboarding & Development will establish the architecture, programs, and standards that enable advisors to deliver exceptional client experiences while building deep client relationships grounded in Vanguard's investment philosophy and advice methodology. A key mandate is helping advisors evolve from a service-oriented mindset to a proactive, consultative sales mindset while preserving Vanguard's client-first approach.

What It Takes

• Lead the strategy and execution of building advisor onboarding and professional development programs.
• Build scalable learning pathways that support advisors from entry-level through senior advisor and specialist roles.
• Design training focused on client engagement, financial planning, advice delivery, and relationship management across phone, video, and in-person channels.
• Build training and coaching that helps advisors move to a consultative sales mindset, enabling them to identify client needs, deepen relationships, and confidently connect clients with relevant advice and solutions.
• Develop advisor expertise in Vanguard's investment philosophy, products, services, account types, planning tools, and client resources.
• Build capabilities in practice management, client segmentation, referral generation, book development, and intergenerational wealth relationships.
• Lead advisor technology enablement, including CRM platforms, planning tools, and digital engagement capabilities.
• Establish readiness standards, coaching frameworks, certification requirements, and performance measures.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of trainers, coaches, instructional designers, and advisor development professionals.
• Partners across Personal Wealth, Human Resources, Compliance, Risk, Product, and Technology to deliver advisor excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in wealth management, financial advice, advisor development, learning and development, or practice management.
• Deep knowledge of financial planning, advisory services, wealth management products, advisor business models, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience building and scaling advisor training, onboarding, or professional development programs.
• Experience leading teams and influencing senior stakeholders across complex organizations.
• Strong executive presence with exceptional communication, coaching, and change leadership capabilities.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• CFP®, CFA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, or similar professional designation preferred.
• MBA, master's degree, or equivalent advanced education preferred.
• Experience building advisor academies or enterprise learning organizations preferred.

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission. To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.