The Company:

Merit is a fast-growing, pioneering financial services firm that invests heavily in the growth and development of team members. Merit seeks to establish, educate, and help individuals reach their financial goals as they transition into and experience retirement. With an unswerving commitment to excellence and reliability, Merit provides objective financial advice and believes in establishing long-lasting relationships. By offering an array of services, clients can receive tailored solutions that promote growth and help them achieve financial goals. Merit believes in addressing the retirement challenges in America by helping clients reach financial freedom and bringing confidence to the working population and retirees alike. This focus on comprehensive financial wellness enables us to deliver the ultimate client experience. Headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, with 48 locations across the country, Merit balances tactical advice with innovative strategy. Our 235 hardworking employees are leaders rooted in humility and we are poised to grow. Merit is a multi-generational firm with a foundation built around servant leadership and total team leadership. We have been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” by InvestmentNews and have made the fastest-growing companies list in both INC 5000 and Georgia’s Fastest 40. As we expand and work to bring our relationship-driven approach to the financial industry, we are looking for the right individuals to join our team.

The Position:

The Client Development Manager (CDM) is one of the driving forces behind marketing Merit Financial Advisors to the public. CDMs are often a prospective client's first point of contact at Merit and they play a crucial role in establishing the rapport which lends itself to long-term relationships. CDMs work closely with financial advisors to build a revenue pipeline through various marketing initiatives and events. They plan and execute marketing events such as educational seminars, virtual events, promotional events, client appreciation events, and corporate charity events. CDMs identify qualified leads and introduce them to advisors to build long‐term relationships and the company's pipeline from various marketing initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Work consistently to promote Merit Financial Advisors to the public
• Collaborate with advisors to design effective marketing and business development strategies that can help grow the region's pipeline
• Maintain wise and effective spending practices within the marketing budget
• Work with advisors to collectively schedule and execute an established number of marketing events per year
• Schedule appointments on behalf of the advisors with new client prospects, as well as existing clients
• Work with advisors to facilitate the creation of new seminars, workshops, and webinars as appropriate; seminar presentations and materials must be reviewed and approved by Compliance in advance of the event
• Prepare marketing flyers and email campaigns that outline the key points of scheduled workshops, webinars, and other events; flyers and email campaigns must be approved by the advisors and Compliance
• Submit and assist new team members with email signatures and social media handles by submitting them to Compliance for approval
• Organize and schedule workshops, including evaluating and selecting the venues, food and beverages, and coordinate with vendors, who may help fund the costs associated with the event and/or provide promotional items for attendees
• Promote events via email and in person
• After workshops are held, schedule individual meetings with attendees who show interest in meeting with one of the financial advisors; this is the primary activity that drives the company revenue goals
• Track results from marketing events and results from qualified lead meetings
• Maintain client appointments and update advisor calendars using Salesforce and Outlook software
• Plan and execute client appreciation/social events annually
• Order all marketing supplies and promotional items for each branch
• Manage compliance approval process through LPL Advertising Review Tool (ART) and Red Oak Compliance

*Please note the role will vary, grow and change and is not limited to the items above.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in event marketing and sales
• Demonstrated success in executing events and building a revenue pipeline
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Marketing or Communication 
• Excellent teamwork, time management, and project management skills
• Must provide specific examples and at least one sample of an event invitation or presentation created in a past position
• Must be able to travel around the metro area near the hub office (approximately 40% of scheduled work time)
• Required: excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office, SalesForce, Account Engagement, Canva Pro
• Video editing capabilities are a plus, especially with Adobe Creative Suite

Salary + Benefits:

• $80,000+ BOE
• Medical Insurance
• Dental/Vision Insurance
• Life & Personal Accident Insurance
• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA) or Dependent Care FSA
• 401(k) Plan with company matching
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays

Best Places To Work for Financial Advisors 2018-2024: Best Places to Work for Financial

Advisors 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 – Recognized firms were required to be a registered investment advisor (RIA) that has been in business at least one year and having a minimum of 15 full-time/part-time employees. The assessment consisted of a questionnaire on benefits and policies completed by human resources staff along with an engagement & satisfaction survey completed by a minimum of 40% of staff. 50 firms were selected for this award from an undisclosed list of submissions. There was no charge to be included in this award listing.

Georgia Fast 40 2019 and 2022: The Georgia Fast 40 for 2019 and 2022 was awarded by the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. To be eligible companies must be for profit and headquartered in Georgia and the most recent year-end revenues ranging from $15 million to $500 million and have three years of verifiable revenue and employment growth.

Inc 5000 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2022: The Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, which consists of more than 5000 companies, represents virtually all of the capitalization of the entire U.S. stock market.