Financial Planning Team Lead

The Planning Team Leader for Guardian Wealth Partners (GWP) is a strategic leadership role responsible for building, leading, and scaling a high-performing advisor team within Guardian’s fee-based Registered Investment Advisor platform. In addition to overseeing the GWP Planning team and client delivery, this leader will play a critical role in developing and executing the client acquisition go-to-market strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners, including target client segments, referral pathways, distribution partnerships, and scalable engagement models.

This individual will own the end-to-end acquisition, growth and retention strategy for prospects and clients originating from other Guardian business lines, with accountability for converting qualified opportunities into long-term advisory relationships, delivering differentiated client experience, and building servicing models that support retention, and deeper engagement. The role will partner closely with Group Distribution and other enterprise stakeholders to build the Guardian Wealth Partners practice, strengthen connectivity across business lines, and ensure the offering is positioned as a compelling wealth management solution for clients across different targeted segmentations ranging from mass affluent to high net worth through a combination of fully digital and hybrid engagement models.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Growth Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of (centralized/in-house) advisors responsible for converting inbound leads into long‑term advisory relationships.

• Define and execute the client acquisition go-to-market strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners, including client segmentation, channel prioritization, referral source development, advisor coverage models, and conversion strategies.

• Develop segmented servicing models that align client needs, complexity, and relationship value with the appropriate combination of digital, hybrid, and advisor-led engagement.

• Drive growth across subscription‑based planning, fee‑based financial planning, and fee‑based investment management offerings.

• Build the operating rhythm, metrics, and feedback loops needed to evaluate go-to-market effectiveness, including lead quality, conversion rates, advisor productivity, client acquisition cost, revenue growth, and client outcomes.

• Serve as a strategic partner to senior leaders across Distribution, Wealth Management, Product, Marketing, Operations, and Compliance to support the continued growth and maturation of the Guardian Wealth Partners practice.

Client Journey & Experience

• Design and oversee the servicing and retention strategy for Guardian Wealth Partners clients, ensuring clients receive consistent, high-quality experience from initial engagement through onboarding, planning, implementation, and ongoing relationship management.

• Ensure a consistent experience across digital planning tools, fully digital workflows, and hybrid advisor‑led engagements.

• Champion a client‑centric, education‑driven approach that builds trust, clarity, and long‑term partnerships with clients.

• Ensure advice delivery is aligned with fiduciary standards and the firm’s holistic planning philosophy.

• Establish proactive client engagement standards, including ongoing planning reviews, education touchpoints, relationship deepening opportunities, and service escalation protocols.

• Monitor client experience, retention indicators, and service quality to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and ensure the practice delivers on its client promise.

• Collaborate with Group Distribution leaders and Field Leaders to identify market opportunities, clarify referral expectations, improve handoff processes, and create consistent field engagement strategies.

• Create mechanisms for ongoing feedback between Guardian Wealth Partners advisors, Group Distribution and Field partners to improve lead quality, client readiness, and conversion outcomes.

Advisor Management & Development

• Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of advisors.

• Set clear performance expectations, sales goals, and activity metrics aligned with firm objectives.

• Develop a way to track performance/activity metrics and goals to utilize as coaching and share with senior leadership.

• Foster a strong sales and advice culture focused on collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

• Support advisors through training and coaching in building consultative skills across planning, education, and investment implementation.

Required Licenses/Education

• Series 65/66

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Licenses/Education

• Advanced degree and/or CFP®, CFA®, or similar credentials preferred

Required Experience

• 10+ years of experience in wealth management, advisory sales, or financial planning, with at least 5 years in a leadership role

• Deep understanding of fee‑based advisory models, holistic financial planning, and investment management

• Experience leading advisor teams across multiple client segments, including affluent and HNW

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing client acquisition, go-to-market, or distribution partnership strategies within wealth management, financial planning, advisory sales, or a related financial services environment.

• Proven ability to scale sales organizations using digital and hybrid engagement models

• Strong working knowledge of RIA regulatory and fiduciary standards

• Proven ability to build and scale servicing and retention models that improve client engagement, deepen relationships, and support long-term business growth.

• Experience partnering with field distribution, sales leadership, or enterprise channels to build referral strategies, improve lead conversion, and drive practice growth.

• Strong strategic orientation with the ability to translate business objectives into clear operating plans, performance metrics, advisor routines, and client experience improvements.

Salary Range:

$132,420.00 - $217,545.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MyHR@glic.com. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to MyHR@glic.com, making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via MyHR@glic.com.

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here. 

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.