Associate Financial Planner

You Know Financial Planning. Now You’re Ready to Grow Your Role.

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You’ve built financial plans. You’ve participated in client meetings. You understand investments, retirement planning, cash flow, and the many moving pieces of a client’s financial life.

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Now you’re looking for an opportunity to deepen that experience while working closely with experienced advisors, contributing to planning strategy, gaining more direct client exposure, and continuing to grow professionally.

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Financial Architects is looking for an experienced Associate Financial Planner to join our Financial Designer career track. You’ll work alongside Lead Advisors as part of an ensemble wealth management team, providing high-level planning support while gradually taking on greater planning and client-facing responsibility as your experience and confidence grow.

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You’ll also have an opportunity to help shape how we work—contributing ideas as we continue building our ensemble processes, planning workflows, technology, and firmwide planning standards.

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We are specifically looking for someone with hands-on personal financial planning experience in a RIA, wealth management firm, or similar advisory environment.

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What You’ll Do

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• Prepare, analyze, and refine comprehensive financial plans in collaboration with Lead Advisors across retirement, cash flow, investments, taxes, insurance/protection, and estate planning.
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• Identify planning opportunities, evaluate scenarios and trade-offs, and help translate analysis into clear, client-ready recommendations.
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• Review client investment accounts and support portfolio analysis, allocation reviews, rebalancing, distributions, and cash-flow needs.
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• Prepare for and participate in client meetings, with opportunities to present portions of financial plans, investment reviews, and recommendations as your role develops.
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• Work closely with Lead Advisors and Client Relationship Coordinators to support implementation and follow-through.
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What We’re Looking For

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• 3–5 years of hands-on personal financial planning or wealth management experience, preferably within an RIA or fiduciary advisory environment.
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• Experience personally preparing and refining comprehensive financial plans for individuals and families.
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• Meaningful participation in client financial planning meetings; presentation experience is strongly preferred.
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• Working investment knowledge, including portfolio allocation, account reviews, rebalancing, distributions, and retirement-income needs.
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• Knowledge across retirement, cash flow, investments, tax considerations, insurance/protection, and estate planning.
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• Experience with financial planning technology. RightCapital, Holistiplan, or Nitrogen experience is especially valuable; eMoney, MoneyGuidePro, and similar platforms are also relevant.
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• Confidence learning and using new technology.
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• Series 65 registration preferred.
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• CFP® certification is ideal; candidates actively pursuing CFP® certification are also encouraged to apply.
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A finance-related degree is helpful, but it does not replace relevant hands-on planning experience.

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A Career Path That Can Grow With You

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At Financial Architects, we call this role a Financial Designer because the work goes beyond preparing a financial plan.

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As you develop, opportunities can include more complex planning, investment analysis, client presentations, technical leadership, and mentoring.

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Some Financial Designers may ultimately pursue a Lead Advisor path. Others may choose to continue developing as highly skilled planning professionals.

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There is more than one way to build a meaningful career here.

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Why Financial Architects?

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Financial Architects has been helping individuals and families make better financial decisions for more than 40 years.

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We’re a growing, independent wealth management firm where employees aren't just a number. You’ll work directly with experienced advisors, have opportunities to contribute ideas, and be part of a team that values individual development alongside firm growth.

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Our ensemble approach means you won't be expected to carry the client relationship alone. Advisors, Financial Designers, and Client Relationship Coordinators work together to provide a coordinated client experience.

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Our core values guide how we work:

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• Strive for Improvement Every Day
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• Think Beyond Limits
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• Serve Others First
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Compensation & Benefits

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Base salary: $80,000–$100,000, based on relevant experience, credentials, and demonstrated planning competency.

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• Quarterly performance bonus opportunity and annual profit-sharing bonus opportunity
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• 100% employer-paid medical insurance premium for participating full-time employees
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• Voluntary dental and vision coverage
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• Employer-provided short- and long-term disability and group life insurance
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• 401(k) with employer matching contribution
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• Paid vacation, personal time, and holidays
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• Support for approved CFP®, Series 65, continuing education, and professional development
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• Defined Financial Designer career progression with increasing responsibility and compensation
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Work Environment

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This is primarily an in-person position in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

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We value collaboration and learning while also believing in a healthy, sustainable work-life balance. We work with employees to establish schedules that support both individual and business needs. Once fully established, remote-work flexibility may be considered based on individual and business circumstances.

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Ready for Your Next Step?

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If you already have a strong foundation in personal financial planning and want to deepen your technical skills, increase your client exposure, work closely with experienced advisors, and help build how a growing RIA delivers great financial planning, we’d like to meet you.