Outside Recruiting Firm Partner Program Leader

Where Ambition Meets Innovation

Build a career that matches all your initiative with an impressive dose of innovation. From cutting-edge resources and a collaborative environment to the freedom to make an impact and more, you’ll find the ingredients you need at LPL Financial to shape your success while helping clients pursue their financial goals.

Job Overview:

The VP, Outside Recruiting Firm Partner Program Leader will lead LPL’s strategy and execution for partnerships with third-party advisor recruiting firms. This leader will build a program that solidifies LPL as a preferred partner for consultative recruiting firms and helps connect prospective advisors with the affiliation model best aligned to their goals.

As a player-coach, the Partner Program Leader will lead the partner management team and will be accountable for all relationships.  They will directly managing approximately five strategic partner relationships. The role combines demonstrated sales and advisor recruiting experience with strong people leadership and disciplined program management.

The Partner Program Leader will move the program toward proactive, accountable partner management, with particular emphasis on expanding W-2 and wirehouse opportunities while continuing to grow the 1099 channel. Success requires executive presence, and the ability to build trust while addressing challenges and business issues directly.

Responsibilities

Sales and recruiting

• Personally manage approximately five strategic partners, building relationships with owners, decision-makers, and influential recruiters.
• Establish joint business plans that identify target advisor segments, qualified pipeline opportunities, and measurable commitments from both LPL and each partner firm.
• Apply advisor recruiting experience to help partners understand advisor motivations, position LPL’s affiliation options, and improve the quality and conversion of referrals.
• Coordinate with the recruiting team to advance opportunities, clarify ownership, and resolve barriers throughout the recruiting process.
• Use pipeline data, partner feedback, and competitive intelligence to identify growth opportunities and recommend changes to coverage or investment.
• Hold the program accountable for agreed recruiting outcomes, including pipeline AUM, advisor meetings, joins, and conversion.

Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Partner Account Managers and the Partner Analyst, setting clear expectations for performance, professional growth, and partner experience.
• Model consultative relationship management through direct partner coverage and hands-on coaching.
• Build a team culture that values preparation, candid feedback, follow-through, and continuous improvement.
• Influence stakeholders across Sales, Business Line Strategy, Sales Enablement and Operations, Marketing, and other functions to secure support and deliver shared priorities.
• Engage executive sponsors in strategic relationships and ensure their involvement supports specific partner objectives.
• Address underperformance and difficult partner conversations with clarity, sound judgment, and respect.
• Lead the team through organizational and program changes while maintaining partner confidence.

Program management

• Develop and execute the partner program growth strategy in close partnership with LPL Recruiting leadership and other business partners.
• Own the annual program plan, translating strategy into defined initiatives, accountable owners, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
• Establish and maintain partner segmentation, coverage standards, and earned benefits based on performance and strategic contribution.
• Own business governance for partner pricing, payout administration, contracts, and the annual addendum process, working through appropriate Legal, Procurement, Finance, and Compliance approvals.
• Establish clear decision rights and documented exception procedures so partners and internal teams receive consistent answers.
• Oversee account planning, business reviews, sales reporting, monthly forecasting, and pipeline management.
• Lead business adoption of the partner technology portal and partner with supporting teams to improve system intake, reporting, and data quality.
• Define service expectations and escalation paths, preserving Account Manager capacity for relationship development while the Analyst supports routine processing.
• Implement partner scorecards and feedback mechanisms, using findings to improve both recruiting outcomes and the ease of doing business with LPL.
• Communicate program results, risks, and resource needs to senior leadership.

What Are We Looking For?

We are looking for an experienced sales leader to develop and grow a strong team, and execute a well-run program. The ideal candidate is comfortable setting strategy and staying close to execution. They combine a growth mindset with operational discipline and can balance partner advocacy with LPL’s business priorities and governance requirements.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of relevant wealth management experience spanning sales, business development, advisor recruiting, or strategic relationship management
• Sales and advisor recruiting experience, with a record of generating qualified opportunities and improving conversion
• Experience leading and developing a team, including coaching, goal setting, and performance management
• Ability to travel up to 30% for partner meetings, home office visits, and industry events

Core Competencies:

• Sales and recruiting judgment: Understands advisor motivations and partner business models. Distinguishes referral volume from qualified opportunity and sustainable growth.
• People leadership: Sets a clear direction, coaches specific behaviors, and holds the team accountable while supporting development.
• Influence and executive presence: Builds credibility with senior stakeholders, gains commitment across functions, and handles challenging conversations constructively.
• Program discipline: Establishes clear ownership and repeatable processes. Anticipates dependencies and manages delivery against commitments.
• Commercial and analytical judgment: Balances growth, partner economics, risk, and long-term relationship value.
• Communication and emotional intelligence: Listens carefully, adapts to different audiences, and explains decisions with clarity and empathy.
• Accountability and improvement: Takes ownership of results, acts with urgency, and changes course when evidence shows a better approach.
• Experience owning a program or leading complex initiatives across multiple functions
• Understanding of employee and independent advisor business models, advisor transition considerations, and the third-party recruiting landscape
• Ability to interpret pipeline and performance data, develop forecasts, and translate findings into action
• Strong executive communication, presentation, and conflict-resolution skills

Preferences:

• Experience with commercial negotiations, partner economics, or contract governance

Pay Range:

$136,990.00 - $228,248.00Actual base salary varies based on factors, including but not limited to, relevant skill, prior experience, education, base salary of internal peers, demonstrated performance, and geographic location. Additionally, LPL Total Rewards package is highly competitive, designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play – such as 401K matching, health benefits, employee stock options, paid time off, volunteer time off, and more. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that LPL has to offer!

Company Overview:

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace(6) , LPL supports over 32,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,100 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 8 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

At LPL, independence means that advisors and institution leaders have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services, and technology resources that allow them to run a thriving business. They have the flexibility to do business their way. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors and institutions, so they can take care of their clients.

For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

Join the LPL team and help us make a difference by turning life’s aspirations into financial realities. Please log in or create an account to apply to this position. Principals only. EOE.

Information on Interviews:

LPL will only communicate with a job applicant directly from an @lplfinancial.com email address and will never conduct an interview online or in a chatroom forum.  During an interview, LPL will not request any form of payment from the applicant, or information regarding an applicant’s bank or credit card.  Should you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact LPL’s Human Resources Solutions Center at (855) 575-6947.

EAC 5.19.26