Financial Planning Consultant

Role Overview

• Drive the achievement of KPIs for the Financial Planning Consulting team with your assigned target audience
• Partner with Region leads and Assistant Director of Financial Planning and Consulting to ensure alignment of objectives and establish expectations for assigned offices and advisors
• Engage with advisors and staff through an inbound phone queue, virtually and in person to provide personalized coaching to master the software and the related processes (fact finding, plan build, plan presentation)
• Offer plan presentation simulations and work with advisors to increase their confidence around the plan presentation prior to meeting with clients
• Educate and collaborate with field leaders to promote NM's planning philosophy, increase planning adoption and help influence risk and investment product sales
• Innovate to help develop better effectiveness in training/supporting our field on best practices for planning throughout the sales cycle
• Provide quality planning consultations and presentations to the field on the integration of financial products to create solutions for clients primarily via inbound calls, long-distance training methods, schools and potential visits to network offices
• Offer just-in-time solutioning for case design and plan design needs
• Maintain an extensive in-person presence with your assigned target audience to build relationships and promote local culture around digital tools and financial planning
• Partner with the Technology Solutions & Support Consultant (TSC) (where available) to ensure local adoption of related planning tools including CRM, client website, client account aggregation, prospect invite, Digital FactFinder, etc.
• Be available to build financial plans for the advisor on an as-needed basis
• Escalate feedback to leadership and/or appropriate partner to follow through on needs/gaps of advisors and/or network office around sales skills, leadership alignment, etc.

Requirements

• Series 7 required or obtained within 6 months
• Minimum of 5+ years professional work experience
• In-depth understanding of financial services products and financial planning
• Excellent knowledge and application of consulting skills
• Robust mastery of Northwestern mutual planning software; confident ability to consult on complex topics, scenarios and propose effective, needs-based solutions
• Ability to identify and address problems, opportunities, wants and needs of the field and their clients in a suitable manner
• Exceptional problem-solving capabilities
• Deeply patient, willing to teach and work through the adoption and implementation of financial planning
• Focused on outcomes v. process (delivers on what matters most)
• Empathetic
• can put yourself in the shoes of our field roles (Staff, Advisor, MD, MPs, etc.) and see their perspective
• Willing to develop a deep subject matter expertise in the digital product portfolio

Benefits

• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development opportunities