Client Associate Advisor Development (Traverse City)

Role Overview

The Wealth Management Client Associate, Advisor Development Program (WMCA - ADP) is an entry role into the Advisor Development Program, with the destination role being a full-scale Financial Advisor at Merrill. This progression role provides client service support to Financial Advisors (FAs).

Your journey starts by obtaining Securities Industry licenses, with dedicated study time for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), Series 7, and Series 66 exams. The SIE, Series 7 and 66 must be obtained within 120 days (63 and 65 are accepted in lieu of 66 if previously held). Once licensed, you will be taught the foundational skills needed to be a WMCA - ADP.

This role supports multiple FAs by addressing enterprise strategic objectives, operational excellence goals, and client advocacy, while tailoring solutions to each FA's needs. You will be the most frequent point of contact within Merrill for clients' service needs and act as a resource for the FAs on the team.

After reaching key milestones, including proficiency in your current role and completing experiential activities that show your ability to become an advisor, you will progress to the next stage of the program and begin building a book of business as a Financial Advisor trainee. You will complete dedicated training and then work in a Merrill office, acquiring, building and managing client relationships and guiding clients with advice and solutions. Once you meet your performance requirements as a trainee, you will become a Merrill Financial Advisor, supported by dedicated programs, tools and resources.

Program Progression Responsibilities

• Developing a book of business to meet and exceed performance hurdles
• Prioritizing and sourcing prospective clients, using referrals, assessing needs, referring customers to internal specialists, and delivering customized solutions
• Recommending investment products and services suited to prospects' objectives, resources, time horizon, risk profile and preferences
• Balancing investment growth, referrals, client follow-up, prospecting, administrative compliance and personal development on daily and long-term plans
• Organizing and managing time, people and budget to run a productive practice
• Seeking specialists' expertise where appropriate to identify planning and investment strategies
• Completing mandated training, assessments, performance goals and continuing education

What We Offer

• Career building through world-class training and onboarding programs
• Training and one-on-one coaching from the award-winning Academy at Bank of America and local leadership
• Business knowledge growth through a defined consultative approach to identifying client needs
• End-to-end comprehensive advice, confident client reviews and presentations, and strategies for financial goals
• Collaboration with core banking and investment partners to connect clients to the solutions offered by Bank of America and Merrill

Required Qualifications

• Confidence as a self-starter in a sales role
• Strong client relationships built through communication and collaboration
• Proactive mindset and effective time management
• Results-driven growth mindset that prioritizes client interests
• Identifies appropriate client solutions by applying learnings and new information
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Effective written and verbal communication
• Proven ability to build trust and credibility quickly
• Proven ability to assess needs and recommend solutions
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with partners and independently
• Proven ability to listen and probe for clarity
• Entrepreneurial mindset with proven ability to source clients through prospecting and networking
• Strong follow-through
• Computer and technical literacy, including Microsoft Suite

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or a minimum of one year of work experience
• Learns and adapts to new technology or applications
• Executes multiple tasks simultaneously

Job Responsibilities

• Partners with Financial Advisors, Client Relationship Managers and Market Supervision Managers on client servicing, risk, investments and banking products, escalating issues as needed
• Provides excellent client service by educating clients on the bank's service and banking offerings
• Ensures timeliness, accuracy and completeness in client materials and follows up on client and FA requests
• Assists with keeping practices aligned with bank policies and procedures to support operational excellence and manage risk
• Identifies, deepens and maintains client relationships by promoting banking offerings and communicating outputs to the FA
• Performs business growth support aligned to the Client Associate role, including business development, investment solutions and business management support to multiple FAs

This position is subject to SAFE Act registration requirements. All employees engaged in residential loan mortgage originations must register with the federal registry system and remain in good standing. Required registration includes a SAFE Act background check and registration process. Failure to obtain or maintain SAFE Act registration may result in immediate termination.