Managing Director of Wealth Transfer Strategy

Moneta; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Moneta is seeking a Managing Director of Wealth Transfer Strategy to lead advanced estate and wealth transfer planning for UHNW clients nationwide. You will interpret complex documents, advise on gift and GST strategies, and guide business succession from a wealth perspective.

As a senior thought leader, you will mentor the wealth strategy team, collaborate with advisors and attorneys, and contribute to thought leadership and education across the firm.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school; LLM in Taxation preferred.
• Licensed to practice law in the United States (though not providing legal representation).
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in estate planning, with substantial drafting experience (e.g., IDITs, BDITs, SLATs, grantor trusts, GST planning).
• Proven track record advising UHNW clients, families, or family offices on sophisticated wealth transfer strategies.
• Experience with business succession planning from a wealth and family planning perspective.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a track record of building structured, scalable, and logic-driven models.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex analyses into understandable narratives for non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach to working across multiple office locations and with outside advisors.

Responsibilities

• Engage directly with UHNW clients nationwide to understand goals and deliver customized estate and wealth transfer strategies.
• Review, interpret, and summarize complex estate planning documents with clear recommendations for client consideration with legal counsel.
• Advise on wealth transfer approaches including gift, estate, GST, and philanthropic planning.
• Guide business owners on succession planning from a wealth and family continuity perspective.
• Collaborate with partners, senior advisors, and tax professionals to embed estate and succession planning into comprehensive wealth plans.
• Educate and mentor internal financial advisors on complex wealth transfer concepts and legislative changes.

Skills

Estate planning

Wealth transfer

GST planning

Business succession

Client advisory

Public speaking

Analytical thinking

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

LLM in Taxation

Job description

This Managing Director of Wealth Transfer Strategy serves as a senior-level planning professional responsible for delivering advanced estate, wealth transfer, and business succession strategies to ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals, families and family office clients nationwide. This role is central to advancing Moneta’s Family Office and Wealth Strategy offering, collaborating closely with clients, advisors, attorneys, and internal teams to design customized solutions that reflect each family’s goals, values, and legacy vision.

As a senior thought leader and subject matter expert, the incumbent will bring deep expertise in estate and trust planning, generation-skipping and gift tax strategies, philanthropic planning, and business succession. The role focuses on providing personalized strategic advice by analyzing and interpreting existing planning documents, recommending enhancements, and aligning wealth transfer strategies with client goals.

Working as part of a high-performing team with extensive wealth strategy experience, the role will help integrate estate and succession planning into comprehensive wealth strategies, without providing legal representation or document drafting. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional communication skills, the ability to simplify complex topics, and strong presence in both client engagements and educational settings, contributing actively to thought leadership.

Client Strategy and Advice

• Engage directly with UHNW clients across the country to understand their goals and deliver customized estate and wealth transfer strategies.
• Review, interpret, and summarize complex estate planning documents, including, but not limited to, irrevocable trusts, operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, voting trusts, and shareholder agreements, providing clear recommendations for client consideration with their legal counsel.
• Advise on wealth transfer approaches, including gift, estate, generation-skipping transfer tax strategies, and philanthropic planning.
• Advise and support clients and their families through estate settlement processes, helping coordinate communication and alignment with legal counsel and heirs.
• Guide business owners on succession planning from a wealth and family continuity perspective, helping them prepare for generational transitions.

Integrated Wealth Planning

• Collaborate with partners, senior advisors, family office strategists, and tax professionals to embed estate and succession planning into comprehensive wealth plans.
• Support seamless client experiences by translating technical wealth transfer concepts into accessible, client-friendly discussions.
• Coordinate with client’s outside advisors and attorneys to align strategies and facilitate implementation.

Internal Leadership and Education

• Serve as a subject matter expert on advanced gift, estate, and GST planning and wealth transfer strategies.
• Lead and develop a team of wealth transfer experts.
• Educate and mentor internal financial advisors on complex gift, estate, and GST concepts, keeping them informed about legislative changes, industry trends, and best practices.
• Contribute to firmwide training sessions and thought leadership initiatives to strengthen wealth transfer knowledge across the team.
• Coordinate with internal firm resources to manage document review, leverage software options to improve efficiency, access family learning, philanthropy, and family governance tools.

Business Development and Client Service

• Participate in client meetings and presentations to strengthen relationships and support new business opportunities.
• Assist in closing new business and contribute to growth efforts, with opportunities to build equity by sourcing new relationships.
• Uphold the highest standards of ethics, client confidentiality, and fiduciary responsibility in all interactions.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; LLM in Taxation preferred.
• Licensed to practice law in the United States (though this role will not involve providing legal representation or document drafting).
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in estate planning, with substantial prior drafting experience (e.g., IDITs, BDITs, SLATs, grantor trusts, GST planning).
• Proven track record advising UHNW clients, families, or family offices on sophisticated wealth transfer strategies.
• Experience with business succession planning from a wealth and family planning perspective.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a track record of building structured, scalable, and logic-driven models.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex analyses into understandable narratives for non-technical stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to interpret, critique, and explain complex estate planning documents.
• Strong client communication skills, with the ability to simplify technical concepts.
• Collaborative approach to working across the team’s multiple office locations and with clients’ outside advisors.
• Comfort with public speaking, including client meetings, seminars, and internal training sessions.