Job Description

Summary

Thrivent Advisor Network (TAN) is a wholly owned RIA of Thrivent Financial. The Head of TAN Operations is responsible for overall back-office operations, transitions, onboarding, training, and front-line support for 28 RIA teams. This position plays a critical role in providing strategic direction and will be a key member of the TAN Leadership team and work in close collaboration with Thrivent Distribution (Commercial) leaders. As a leader of a growing operations team, this role is responsible for new strategies, programs and initiatives that impact affiliated teams. This role must collaborate well across Thrivent leadership to support and drive Thrivents overall goals. This role is responsible for operations, transitions, onboarding, operational training, and select communication strategies.
The Head of Operations will model Thrivents leadership competencies courage, collaboration and commitment. This leader is accountable to recruit, develop, and sustain a high-performing leadership team while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization. They will establish and foster an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. They will forge and reinforce a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivents trust and reputation remain strong with its clients and across Christian communities.

We are open to a remote worker for this position.

Job Description

Job Duties and Responsibilities

* Oversee the TAN Operations team (including Transitions and Onboarding) and build a culture of high performance and quality service.
* Ensure development of key staff and stakeholders through communication, coaching and culture focused exercises.
* Oversee day-to-day TAN Operations in support of a growing community of independent advisors and ensure advisor satisfaction through continuous improvements and consistent communication.
* Manage a portfolio of financial tools and vendor relationships that are configured to meet the needs of independent advisors within a Shared ADV platform. Ensure contracts honor processes and desired outcomes for the platform.
* Work in partnership with Thrivent Financial to assess future technology capabilities that impact Operations and drive scale for the organization.
* Lead a growing transitions department and structure to deliver a world-class advisor and client experience. Requires development and measurement of key KPIs (e.g., Advisor NPS scores, cycle times, quality metrics, etc.) and reporting to senior leadership.
* Lead a maturing onboarding team with a focus on customized and personalized assistance around training, technology consultations, and relationship management.
* Serve as Operations Champion during business development home office visits and SEC exams.
* Oversee data and billing processes for a Shared ADV platform.
* Collaborate with TANs Head of Finance with respect to financial reporting and provide support for regulatory financial filings.
* Support the TAN Growth Division through Relationship Management activity and build best-in-class feedback loops to deliver extraordinaire client service.
* Oversee staffing model and budget for Operations. This includes management and accountability for external consultants that support current Operations team.
* Work with key colleagues within Thrivent Financial to understand and build shared service offerings that drive scale and efficiency for the organization.
* Collaborate with senior leadership in Legal, Supervision and Compliance to ensure adherence to regulatory considerations and processes.

Core Strengths

* RIA experience and a deep understanding of industry trends, platform differences, and independent advisor mindsets.
* Experience with effectively leading through change; extensive record of success in growing operations and influencing independent advisors.
* Strong operations background with proven ability to lead and mature a team of dedicated professionals.
* Talent magnet. Able to size opportunity and draw or re-direct talent to where it is needed most.
* Track record in RIA client account support, management and problem resolution, platform data analytics, advisor appointment management, and any other operational needs.
* Experience negotiating with vendors, developing partnership models and driving execution of set goals on a given timeline.
* Effective communication skills with a willingness to use them extensively to drive results.
* Ability to manage multiple projects and oversee cross-channel work. Strong analytical skills: the ability to link strategies and objectives to develop a plan, ability to understand, interpret and communicate complex data.
* Oversee the management, coaching, and development of a team of Operations and Service Specialists.
* Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.

Required Job Qualifications

* Bachelors Degree in business or related field, advanced degree and/or professional designations/licenses preferred.
* 10+ years of leadership experience working in an operations role and five years experience in management or leadership capacity, preferably with a Registered Investment Advisor.
* Proven success in building, leading and developing a skilled, diverse and highly motivated team.
* Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to give presentations; demonstrated ability to build trusted, productive relationships in distributed field force and internal corporate organizations.
* Appropriate FINRA and insurance licensing (Series 7, 24 and 65/66).
* Experience working with core RIA trading platforms and familiarity with billing processes, systems, and platforms.
* History in the RIA space.
* Ability to travel as needed.

Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.

Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please let us know by sending an email to human.resources@thrivent.com or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.