VP/Wealth Strategies Director, Trust and Estate Planning

AllianceBernstein L.P.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Employee wellness program

Life and disability insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid holidays

Sick and vacation time

Job summary

Bernstein Private Wealth Management seeks a Wealth Strategies Director, Trust and Estate Planning, with 8–12 years of law firm practice in trusts and estates and tax. The role leads a client-facing wealth planning resource, develops customized solutions, and collaborates with Advisors to grow the private wealth business.

The candidate will explain complex estate, trust, and tax concepts clearly, presenting to diverse audiences with strong public speaking skills and a client-centric mindset.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of law firm practice in trusts and estates and tax.
• Strong trusts and estates background with tax knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Analyze potential investment strategies with Financial Advisors for high net worth clients.
• Communicate research conclusions and capabilities to clients and professionals.
• Establish Bernstein brand in the high net worth channel and engender trust.
• Help win business in competitive situations.
• Work closely with Financial Advisors as a strategic partner.
• Train Advisors and Wealth Strategies team on Bernstein’s investment process for trusts and estates.
• Identify and research current issues in asset allocation, tax management, and private client topics.
• Conduct original research and publish articles and client presentations.

Skills

Trusts & Estates

Tax planning

Leadership

Public speaking

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

J.D. or equivalent

Tools

NumberCruncher

Excel

Job description

Who You’ll Work With

Bernstein’s Wealth Strategies team is a multi‑disciplinary group of professionals dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate complex wealth planning needs. Our mandate is to provide actionable, research‑based advice related to lifetime spending, wealth transfer, philanthropy, and the investment implementation of these plans. We begin by uncovering client priorities, values, and goals, and then craft tailored strategies that align with these objectives. Within Bernstein Private Wealth Management, Wealth Strategies plays a critical role in collaborating with Advisors to deliver a distinctive planning experience that integrates both qualitative and quantitative insights.

What You’ll Do

We are seeking a Trusts and Estates attorney or Tax attorney with strong trusts and estates background and 8-12 years’ law firm practice experience for the role of Wealth Strategies Director, Trust and Estate Planning. This individual will take a leadership role in helping to support and expand the private wealth business. Therefore, a strong background in trusts and estates and tax is required, including experience in and knowledge of estate administration, taxation of business entities and investment structures, and tax and estate planning strategies. As part of Bernstein’s Investment and Wealth Strategies team, the individual will help develop customized wealth planning solutions for the firm’s clients. As a client‑facing wealth planning resource, candidates must have exceptional presentation skills and be able to explain complex estate, trust, and tax concepts clearly and at a level appropriate to the audience.

Key Activities

• Working with the firm’s Financial Advisors and high net worth clients in analyzing potential investment strategies, reflecting client tax and estate planning circumstances;
• Communicating our latest research conclusions and capabilities to clients, prospects, and professionals, to audiences both large and small, sophisticated and lay;
• Establishing the Bernstein brand in the high net worth channel by engendering trust and confidence among prospective and existing clients and their professional intermediaries;
• Helping to win business in competitive situations;
• Working closely with the team of Financial Advisors as a strategic partner;
• Training and educating the Financial Advisors and other members of Wealth Strategies on how to understand and apply Bernstein’s investment process to the trust and estate and tax planning vehicles used by high net worth clients;
• Assisting in the identification and research of current issues regarding asset allocation, tax management, investment planning, and other critical private client topics;
• Conducting original research and publishing articles, marketing materials and a variety of client‑servicing presentations summarizing our research insights.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong analytical skills, thought leadership, an effective interpersonal style, excellent public‑speaking skills, a strong academic record and a history of professional success are also required.
• Strong mathematical skills, including familiarity with basic estate planning analytical software (e.g., NumberCruncher) and Excel, are preferred.
• Having the highest level of personal and professional integrity is essential.
• To succeed at the firm, the individual must be quantitative, intellectually curious, client‑service oriented, and able to work in a team‑based culture; building strong relationships both inside and outside the firm will be essential.

We invest in our people and in the communities in which we operate, and we celebrate our diversity to showcase what makes us unique. We offer our talent the opportunity to grow professionally while working on cutting‑edge ideas and outcomes in a global culture that operates as a tight‑knit community. If you’re ready to innovate and grow your career, join us.

Who We Are

Bernstein Private Wealth Management advises high‑net‑worth clients on planning for—and living with—the complexities that come with wealth. We specialize in addressing challenges that extend beyond wealth management by offering a vast network of resources customized to clients’ values and needs. Bernstein is distinguished among major wealth managers by its holistic approach, flexible process, innovative research, sophisticated modeling, and cutting‑edge investment solutions. Our people are our advantage. Our collaborative culture means each client is supported by a team of specialists aligned with a shared sense of purpose. Bernstein is a business unit of AllianceBernstein, which ranks among the largest investment managers in the world, with over 4,000 employees across 57 locations in 26 countries and jurisdictions. Our ambition is simple: to be the most trusted investment firm in the world. We realize that it’s our people who give us a competitive advantage and drive success in the market, and our goal is to create an inclusive culture that rewards hard work. Join us in pursuing insights that unlock opportunities. Learn more at www.Bernstein.com.

Salary and Compensation

In accordance with applicable law, the minimum and maximum base annual salary for this role is $250,000 to $300,000 annually. Actual base salaries may vary based on factors including but not limited to education, training, experience, past performance, and other job‑related factors. Base salary is just one component of total compensation at AB, which may include, depending on eligibility, commissions, year‑end incentive compensation, short‑and long‑term incentives and Department‑specific awards.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• An employee wellness program
• Life and disability insurance
• A retirement savings plan
• Paid holidays
• Sick and vacation time off

Equality and Diversity

People of color, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ people are encouraged to apply.

AB does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status or any other basis that is prohibited by applicable law. AB’s policies, as well as practices, seek to ensure that employment opportunities are available to all employees and applicants, based solely on job‑related criteria.

Location

New York, New York

Travel

The position will require some travel.

Confidential Information

Please be advised that AB does not solicit confidential information from job applicants during the screening process, nor extend job offers without the candidate participating in a series of interviews to be properly considered for an open role. If you receive requests for confidential information, outside of the formal interviewing process even if the person asserts that they represent AB, we encourage you not to reply.