Managing director, head of portfolio implementation

EP Wealth Advisors (EPWA) is a wealth management advisory firm with over $49.1 billion as of June 30, 2026, serving predominately high net worth individuals. EPWA fosters an inclusive environment that offers opportunities for our associates to learn, grow and enhance their skills to take on new challenges to progress in their professional careers.

Job Summary:

The Managing Director, Portfolio Implementation leads a team of approximately 25 professionals and is responsible for the firm's portfolio implementation operating model: the people, processes, technology, and controls that translate investment strategy into consistent, scalable, and tax-aware client portfolios. This role owns the design and governance of the end-to-end portfolio implementation framework, including account implementation, rebalancing, trading workflows, cash management, tax-aware transitions, implementation standards, and exception management across client accounts and investment strategies. The role is accountable for implementation quality, operational efficiency, risk management, and the continued evolution of the firm's implementation capabilities as EP Wealth grows. The role works closely with the Head of Investments and senior leaders across functions to ensure investment strategies are implemented accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with firm policies and client guidelines, and is responsible for the organizational structure, technology capabilities, controls, and performance management framework required to deliver portfolio implementation at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Implementation framework & execution: Own the firm's end-to-end portfolio implementation framework, translating investment strategies, models, and allocations into scalable, tax-aware, repeatable portfolio structures. Oversee initial account implementation, ongoing rebalancing, cash management, model changes, strategy migrations, client transitions, and exception management.
• Standards & methodology: Establish and govern implementation methodologies and standards, including drift management, cash flows, restrictions, householding, asset location, tax-aware implementation, and customization.
• Trading oversight: Provide senior oversight of centralized trading and rebalancing activities, ensuring alignment with approved models, client constraints, implementation standards, and best execution principles, including trade review and exception management.
• Risk & controls: Design and maintain a comprehensive implementation risk and control framework, including pre- and post-trade controls to monitor drift, concentration, liquidity, restrictions, and trading activity, with appropriate escalation and remediation of material deviations.
• Performance management: Establish an implementation performance management framework, including KPIs and reporting to measure portfolio drift, implementation timeliness and accuracy, exceptions, tax outcomes, automation, operational capacity, service levels, and overall quality and efficiency.
• Technology & automation: Own the business strategy, requirements, and roadmap for portfolio implementation technology and workflows, partnering with Technology and Operations to increase automation and straight-through processing, strengthen controls, and improve scalability.
• Operating leverage & continuous improvement: Identify opportunities to standardize, simplify, automate, and redesign processes so implementation capabilities scale efficiently with growth in clients, accounts, strategies, and AUM.
• Partnership on new capabilities: Partner with Research and Portfolio Strategy on new investment capabilities and portfolio changes, evaluating implementation implications and establishing the operational standards, workflows, controls, and technology required to deploy strategies consistently at scale.
• Cross-functional governance: Partner with Compliance and Operations on trading and implementation governance, including policies and procedures, best execution oversight, audits, and regulatory inquiries.
• Organization & talent: Design and evolve the Portfolio Implementation organization, including structure, roles, capacity planning, performance standards, career paths, and succession planning, and lead, mentor, and develop the team, building a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and thoughtful risk management.
• Investment leadership: Serve as a member of the Investment Committee and key partner to the Head of Investments, contributing to investment platform strategy, resource allocation, technology priorities, and organizational design.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
• CFA designation strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in portfolio implementation, portfolio management, trading, investment operations, or related roles within an RIA, asset manager, or institutional investment platform.
• Deep understanding of portfolio implementation, rebalancing methodologies, tax-aware trading, asset location, household-level portfolio management, and complex client transitions.
• Experience overseeing centralized trading, rebalancing, or portfolio implementation teams supporting complex, multi-strategy portfolios.
• Strong familiarity with custodial platforms, order management systems, and rebalancing/portfolio accounting technology.
• Demonstrated ability to use technology, data, automation, and process redesign to improve implementation quality, efficiency, controls, and scalability.
• Demonstrated experience building or transforming investment implementation processes, organizations, and technology within a growing or scaled wealth management environment.
• Proven experience leading senior professionals and building high-performing teams in a complex, cross-functional organization.
• Strong judgment and ability to balance investment objectives, client needs, tax considerations, operational complexity, risk, and scalability.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively with investment professionals, advisors, Operations, Compliance, Technology, and executive leadership.

What We Offer

We offer a highly competitive suite of holistic benefits designed to help our team members balance their personal and professional life commitments. These include options designed to encourage employee's health, happiness, and financial well-being.

• 11 Paid Holidays + 2 Floating Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Volunteer Time
• Flexible Work Schedule
• Highly subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision Plans
• 401k Retirement Account with company match contributions
• Free Mental Health services, Life Insurance, Long & Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts
• Employee Financial Education
• Employee Educational Expense Reimbursement
• Employee Charitable Donations
• Employee Referral Incentives
• Employee Team Building Activities
• Employee Assistance Program

EPWA is an equal opportunity employer. Prospective employees will receive consideration without discrimination because of race, creed, color, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.