Client Service & Planning Operations Associate

Part-Time with Potential to Grow into Full-Time

Position Overview

Hawthorne Capital Wealth Advisors is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and client-focused Client Service & Planning Operations Associate to support the firm’s ongoing client service process and annual planning calendar.

This is a part-time position to start, with the opportunity to grow into a full-time role as responsibilities expand. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working directly with clients, managing follow-up items, coordinating service workflows, and helping ensure that clients receive a proactive, organized, and high-quality planning experience throughout the year.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys helping people, pays close attention to details, communicates clearly, and wants to grow within a professional financial planning practice.

Key Responsibilities

Client Service & Communication

Serve as a friendly, professional point of contact for clients.

Responsibilities may include:

• Scheduling and preparing for client meetings
• Following up with clients on outstanding documents, forms, and action items
• Helping clients navigate basic service requests
• Coordinating paperwork and account-related follow-up
• Preparing client service notes and task lists
• Tracking recurring client planning items throughout the year
• Providing excellent written and verbal communication

This person should be comfortable interacting with clients in a professional, warm, and responsive manner.

Client Service Calendar Support

Assist the advisor in executing the firm’s annual client service calendar, including seasonal planning campaigns such as:

• Tax document collection and coordination
• IRA, Roth IRA, and retirement plan contribution tracking
• RMD tracking and follow-up
• QCD and charitable giving coordination
• Roth conversion and tax planning follow-up
• Beneficiary review campaigns
• Estate and insurance review tracking
• Open enrollment and employee benefit reminders
• Year-end tax planning, gifting, and distribution follow-up

The right person will help turn the client service calendar from “good ideas” into “actually gets done.” No small feat. The calendar has a lot of moving pieces.

Operations & Custodial Support

Assist with day-to-day operational workflows, including:

• Opening new accounts
• Preparing and processing transfer paperwork
• Following up on ACATs, rollovers, and account funding
• Tracking service requests through completion
• Updating client records
• Coordinating with custodians and platform support teams
• Maintaining accurate notes and task status in CRM systems

Experience with Fidelity Wealthscape is strongly preferred.

Planning & Technology Support

The ideal candidate will be proficient in Microsoft Office and willing to learn or already familiar with financial planning and advisory technology.

Required:

• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Teams or similar collaboration tools

Preferred experience:

• Fidelity Wealthscape
• RightCapital
• Wealthbox
• Redtail
• Orion
• Schwab Advisor Center
• Asset-Map
• DocuSign or e-signature tools

The candidate does not need to be an expert in every system on day one, but they should be comfortable learning new technology and following defined workflows.

Marketing, AI & Practice Growth Support

As the role grows, this person may also assist with marketing and practice development initiatives, including:

• Helping organize client communication campaigns
• Assisting with newsletters, blog posts, or client education materials
• Updating contact lists and client segments
• Supporting LinkedIn or website-related projects
• Helping repurpose advisor-created content
• Learning how to use AI tools responsibly to improve efficiency, communication, and organization

No marketing degree required. Curiosity, good judgment, and willingness to learn are more important.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is someone who is:

• Extremely detail-oriented
• Client-service minded
• Professional and friendly
• A clear communicator
• Organized and proactive
• Comfortable managing deadlines
• Able to follow processes consistently
• Willing to ask questions when something is unclear
• Comfortable with technology
• Open to learning about financial planning, investments, AI, and marketing
• Able to handle confidential client information with discretion

This role requires someone who understands that in financial planning, small details matter. A missed beneficiary form, wrong account number, incomplete transfer, or forgotten RMD follow-up can create real problems. We need someone who treats details like they matter—because they do.

Preferred Background

Helpful experience may include:

• Financial advisory firm experience
• RIA, broker-dealer, custodian, or insurance office experience
• Client service associate experience
• Banking, accounting, legal, or professional services experience
• Administrative support in a detail-heavy environment
• Experience working with high-net-worth clients or executives

Licenses are not required, but future interest in the financial planning profession is welcome.

Possible Future Growth Path

This position may grow into a full-time role with expanded responsibilities such as:

• Senior Client Service Associate
• Planning Operations Manager
• Financial Planning Associate
• Marketing & Client Experience Coordinator
• Operations Manager

For the right person, this could become a key long-term role in a fast growing advisory practice.

Compensation & Schedule

• Part-time to start, minimum of 20 hours per week
• Flexible schedule may be available
• Opportunity to grow into full-time
• Compensation minimum $30/hour with opportunity to increase based on experience and skill set