Family Office Director

Job Description: Family Office Director

The Family Office Director is responsible for guiding and overseeing the financial and strategic planning for multiple first-generation entrepreneur families. The candidate will provide expertise to families who have yet to experience wealth transition and are still actively involved in their primary businesses. This pivotal role requires an adept understanding of wealth management, business operations, and the unique challenges facing first-generation wealth holders.

Ark Financial

The Ark Financial Mission is to Glorify God and transform the financial industry by serving clients better. While most financial service firms provide monolithic financial solutions based on their in-house products, heritage models, and shrouded information, Ark was formed with transparency, advocacy, and innovation at the core. We believe every family lives more abundantly with a Family Office, and so we have set out to bring the Family Office to every family in the world. A Family Office is more successful at driving towards a family’s goals and objectives because it can successfully coordinate across multiple disciplines, including finance, tax, legal, insurance, and good old-fashioned organization.

Ark Financial Vision

Our vision is that one day everyone will have a family office.

Ark Family Office Director

The Ark Family Office Operating System is implemented by the Family Office Director, an individual responsible for leading and guiding the family and all supporting advisors to achieve the family’s goals and objectives. The Family Office Director serves best by managing, driving, and prioritizing the advisors and resources supporting and interacting with the family. Trust and relationships are at the core of this role. A Family Office Director must build trust with the client’s family through sound decision-making and advice and then nurture that relationship to ensure retention.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Planning & Governance:
   • Develop tailored strategies for wealth preservation and growth, respecting each family's unique dynamics and entrepreneurial background.
   • Establish governance frameworks to guide family members in wealth and business-related decisions.
2. Investment & Asset Management:
   • Oversee the portfolios of multiple families, ensuring diversification and alignment with individual financial and business goals.
   • Provide insights into asset allocation, given the active involvement of entrepreneurs in their businesses.
3. Risk, Tax, & Estate Planning:
   • Implement strategies for financial risk mitigation, especially considering the business exposures of each family.
   • Advise on tax-efficient strategies that account for both personal and business incomes.
   • Develop estate planning approaches tailored to first-generation wealth scenarios.
4. Operational Efficiency & Technology Integration:
   • Implement operational standards across different family offices for consistent reporting and security.
   • Promote technology solutions that accommodate the diverse needs of multiple families.
5. Financial Education & Succession Planning:
   • Facilitate educational programs tailored to first-generation wealth holders.
   • Drive succession planning, considering the active business engagements of the entrepreneurs.
6. Relationship & Stakeholder Management:
   • Cultivate relationships with each family, understanding their unique needs and business engagements.
   • Facilitate transparent communication between the family office and individual family stakeholders.
7. Philanthropy & Impact Investing:
   • Guide families in their philanthropic endeavors, recognizing the values of first-generation wealth holders.
   • Propose impact investment opportunities that resonate with each family's ethos.
8. Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Relationships:
   • Ensure compliance across different family financial activities, considering the business engagements of the entrepreneurs.
   • Foster positive relationships with financial regulators, ensuring the interests of each family are represented.
9. Crisis Management & Contingency Planning:
   • Prepare for unforeseen financial or business crises, tailored to the complexities of active businesses.
   • Develop contingency plans that safeguard both personal wealth and business interests.
10. Personnel Management & Team Leadership:

• Oversee the hiring and training of staff across different family offices.
• Promote a culture of respect, understanding the nuances of working with first-generation wealth holders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or similar advanced degree preferred.
• Proven experience in wealth management, preferably with first-generation entrepreneurs or high-net-worth individuals.
• Profound understanding of business operations and the challenges facing first-generation wealth holders.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to navigate complex family and business dynamics.
• Robust analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Compensation

Base compensation for this role is $150,000 with opportunities to expand beyond that as the client load you are serving exceeds the firm’s profitability model. We expect you to reach that crossover point in the 18-24 month window. Once you have hit the crossover point, your compensation will transition from base to a percentage of your client billings. Operating with a full client load, we project an annual income in the range of $250,000-300,000.