Director of Trading & Portfolio Execution

Overview

A growing wealth management firm is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Trading & Portfolio Execution to lead and evolve our trading function across fixed income, direct indexing, and centrally managed models. This role is responsible for overseeing trading operations, managing the trade desk team, and driving continuous improvement in processes, systems, and advisor experience. The ideal candidate is both a hands-on operator and a leader, capable of ensuring high-quality execution while also enhancing scalability, strengthening controls, and building trust with Advisors through clear communication and platform expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the day-to-day leader of the trading team, fostering a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement
• Manage, coach, and develop team members, including performance management, hiring, and role clarity
• Establish and enforce operating standards to ensure consistency and quality across all trading activities
• Oversee all trading activity, including centrally managed models, advisor-directed trading, and direct indexing strategies
• Manage daily trade workflows, ensuring timely, accurate execution and adherence to firm standards
• Oversee trade allocation and settlement processes across multiple custodians
• Monitor and manage the trade lifecycle, including trade submissions, reconciliation, and issue resolution
• Facilitate model updates, ensuring alignment with firm strategy and client portfolios

· Oversee the firm’s fixed income trading processes, including coordination with third-party dealers

• Manage internal allocation workflows for fixed income strategies across client accounts
• Ensure seamless execution and settlement across custodians, maintaining accuracy and efficiency
• Continuously evaluate and enhance trading workflows, bringing industry best practices to improve scalability, accuracy, and efficiency
• Identify gaps in current processes and implement solutions across trading, allocation, and settlement
• Partner with Technology and Operations leadership to improve system integrations, automation, and data flows
• Maintain and enhance trading-related systems, including Orion, Eclipse, and Practifi, ensuring optimal configuration and usage
• Enhance support and adoption of current or future third party TAMP providers.
• Own trade desk issue resolution end-to-end, including escalation management, root cause analysis, and long-term fixes
• Lead resolution of trade breaks, allocation discrepancies, and custodian-related issues
• Serve as the primary decision-maker for complex trading and operational scenarios
• Serve as the primary liaison between the trading team and Advisors
• Clearly communicate how trading processes, safeguards, and platform capability’s function
• Proactively educate Advisors on platform enhancements, changes, and best practices
• Gather Advisor feedback and translate insights into actionable improvements to the trading platform
• Oversee account setup and maintenance across trading systems, ensuring proper configuration and integration
• Maintain the products and pricing database, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Manage system access, user roles, and onboarding for Advisors and Client Service Associates
• Support onboarding processes and ensure a seamless transition for new accounts and advisors

Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree or relevant certification preferred
• 7+ years of experience in trading operations, portfolio execution, or related field
• Proven leadership experience managing trading or operations teams
• Deep understanding of trading systems, trade lifecycle management, and multi-custodian environments
• Experience with model management, direct indexing, and fixed income strategies preferred
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead through complex operational challenges
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex processes into clear, advisor-friendly messaging
• Demonstrated ability to improve processes, implement best practices, and scale operations in a growing organization
• A high-performing, accountable trading team operating with consistency and clarity
• Scalable, efficient trading processes that reduce risk and improve execution quality
• Strong advisor confidence in the trading platform and its safeguards
• Continuous improvement in systems, workflows, and overall platform capabilities

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