UK

United Kingdom · Finance · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Advanced Planning

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toChief Wealth Strategist or Chief Financial Officer
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP, Wealth Strategy · Head of Estate Solutions · Director, Fiduciary Services

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

No confident skill match yet for Director of Advanced Planning. The closest we hold is below.

iCQ Level 3 Certificate in Providing Financial Services iCan Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 1 standard

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Facilitating an administrative service for mortgage and/or financial planning clients iCQ Level 3 Certificate in Providing Financial Services

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Change Fluency taking people through change
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2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Advanced Planning?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Driven Strategic Decision Making
  • Digital Transformation Leadership
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Advanced Planning plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This job shapes the advanced planning function for a business unit, setting the strategy for how clients' legacies are protected and grown. It means translating legal and tax changes into strategies advisors can use with high-net-worth clients.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

eMoney Advisor / NaviPlan (Strategic Oversight) Strategic/Architect

Evaluating and selecting the firm's primary planning platform, leading integration with CRM and trust accounting systems, and using outputs for firm-wide strategic client segmentation and service model design. You'll oversee how your teams use these tools, not just use them yourself.

CCH ProSystem fx Tax / Lacerte Tax (Policy & Review) Strategic/Architect

Strategic oversight of tax processes, advising on the tax implications of new legislation, and signing off on the firm's most complex HNW filings. You'll ensure your team's tax preparation is compliant and efficient, and you'll be the ultimate authority on complex tax positions.

Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE Trust & Estate Administration (Workflow Design) Strategic/Architect

Architecting the firm's fiduciary accounting workflow, ensuring compliance with UPIA standards across the platform, and using system data for regulatory reporting and internal audits. You'll make sure the system supports our operational goals.

Salesforce Financial Services Cloud / Redtail Technology (CRM Strategy) Strategic/Architect

Leading the customisation and strategic deployment of the CRM to support the entire estate planning lifecycle, designing executive dashboards for oversight, and ensuring data integrity for business intelligence and client relationship management at a firm-wide level.

Checkpoint / LexisNexis (Legislative Monitoring) Strategic/Architect

Monitoring legislative and case law trends, authoring firm-wide guidance on new planning techniques, and using research to defend planning strategies under audit or to inform strategic decisions. You're not just researching; you're shaping our legal and tax posture.

NetDocuments / SharePoint (Information Governance) Strategic/Architect

Setting firm-wide policy for document security, retention, and access controls, ensuring compliance with SEC and FINRA regulations. You're the one making sure our information is secure, accessible, and compliant across the business unit.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Direction of Planning Services N/A (Escalate all strategic input) N/A (Contribute ideas, but don't decide) Recommend strategic shifts to Director
Business Unit P&L & Budget Allocation N/A N/A Provide input on resource needs for workstreams
Organisational Design & Key Hires N/A N/A Provide feedback on team structure
Major Technology & Vendor Selection N/A N/A Recommend tools for specific tasks

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Business Unit P&L Performance
Revenue generated by advanced planning services versus operational costs.
Target · Achieve a 10-15% year-on-year growth in planning service revenue and maintain a 30%+ profit margin.

In Q3, advanced planning revenue hit £3.5M against a target of £3.2M, with costs at £2M, resulting in a 42.8% margin. This shows strong strategic oversight.

Client AUM Retention/Acquisition Influence
The value of client assets under management (AUM) directly retained or attracted due to advanced planning strategies.
Target · Influence the retention or acquisition of over £100M in client AUM annually.

Through new trust structures and succession plans, your team helped secure £120M in AUM that might otherwise have left the firm, exceeding the £100M target.

Process Efficiency & Automation
Reduction in average time or cost for key planning processes (e.g., plan creation, trust funding, tax filing).
Target · Reduce average plan revision cycle time by 25% across the business unit within 18 months.

By implementing new AI-driven document analysis tools, the average time from initial client meeting to final plan presentation dropped from 8 weeks to 6 weeks, a 25% improvement.

Thought Leadership & Brand Enhancement
Number of published articles, speaking engagements, or media mentions that elevate the firm's reputation in advanced planning.
Target · Publish 2-3 thought leadership pieces per year and secure 1-2 major speaking engagements.

Your article on 'The Future of Digital Inheritance' in Wealth Manager magazine, coupled with your keynote at the STEP UK conference, significantly boosted our brand visibility.

Strategic Vision & Execution
How effectively you define and execute the strategic direction for advanced planning, ensuring alignment with overall firm goals.
  • Regular positive feedback from the C-Suite on strategic proposals
  • successful integration of new planning offerings
  • clear, measurable progress on multi-year initiatives
  • high adoption rates of new policies by advisors.
Talent Development & Team Leadership
Your ability to build, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of advanced planning professionals.
  • High employee engagement scores within your team
  • successful internal promotions
  • positive feedback from direct reports and mentees
  • clear succession plans in place for key roles
  • reduction in regrettable attrition.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
Ensuring all advanced planning activities adhere to complex regulatory requirements and effectively mitigate legal and financial risks.
  • Zero compliance breaches or significant audit findings related to advanced planning
  • proactive identification and mitigation of emerging regulatory risks
  • positive feedback from Legal & Compliance teams on your proactive approach.
Cross-Functional Integration & Influence
Your effectiveness in collaborating with other departments (e.g., Investment, Tax, Legal) to create seamless client solutions and influence firm-wide strategy.
  • Successful launch of integrated client offerings (e.g., wealth transfer + investment solutions)
  • positive feedback from peer directors on collaboration
  • your input being actively sought on firm-wide strategic initiatives.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Strategic Impact & Legacy

You'll spend your days thinking about how to position our firm for the next 5-10 years, not just the next quarter. This involves developing new service offerings, influencing regulatory discussions, and making decisions that will shape the financial futures of countless families. You're driven by the idea of building something lasting.

Leading the initiative to develop a new digital inheritance platform, knowing it will transform how our clients manage their legacies for decades to come.

Problem Solving at Scale

You thrive on tackling the biggest, most complex challenges facing our clients and our business unit. This isn't about individual client cases anymore; it's about finding systemic solutions to common problems, designing frameworks that empower your entire team, and navigating multi-million-pound decisions that have far-reaching implications.

Architecting a firm-wide policy to address the complexities of crypto asset inheritance, ensuring both compliance and client satisfaction.

Building & Empowering Teams

A significant part of your role is about developing the next generation of leaders and specialists. You get a real buzz from seeing your team members grow, take on more responsibility, and achieve things they didn't think possible. You'll invest heavily in their training, mentorship, and career progression.

Mentoring a Senior Specialist who then successfully leads a major new client initiative, demonstrating the impact of your leadership.

What frustrates people
  • Dealing with bureaucratic hurdles that slow down strategic initiatives.
  • The constant pressure of regulatory changes requiring rapid adaptation of firm policy.
  • Managing the expectations of multiple C-suite stakeholders with competing priorities.
  • The challenge of embedding new technologies and processes across a large, established team.
  • The emotional weight of making high-stakes decisions that impact both the firm's P&L and clients' legacies.
What this role does not give you
  • Daily, hands-on client interaction in a direct advisory capacity.
  • A static, unchanging regulatory or market landscape.
  • Complete autonomy without the need for consensus building across senior leadership.
  • A role where you're solely responsible for individual output rather than the performance of an entire business unit.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the business unit's strategy and market position within advanced planning. You'll be accountable for the P&L of the planning function, driving revenue growth, optimising costs, and ensuring our planning offerings are competitive and compliant. Your decisions will influence client acquisition, retention, and the overall financial health of the firm.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, COO)
  • Heads of Wealth Management
  • Legal & Compliance
  • Investment Management Team
  • Product Development
Outside the business
  • Board of Directors
  • External Legal Counsel
  • Regulatory Bodies (e.g., FCA, HMRC)
  • Key Industry Partners
  • High-Net-Worth Clients and their external advisors

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A minimum of 16 years of progressive experience in advanced estate planning, wealth management, or a related financial advisory field, with at least 5-7 years in a senior leadership or management role.
  • Demonstrable experience managing a significant P&L (ideally £2M+) and driving strategic initiatives within a financial services organisation.
  • A proven track record of building, leading, and developing large, high-performing teams, including managers.
  • Extensive experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives, board members, and external stakeholders.
  • Deep expertise in complex wealth transfer strategies, including irrevocable trusts, business succession, and charitable planning, with a strong understanding of their tax and legal implications.
  • A comprehensive understanding of the regulatory landscape governing financial services and estate planning in the UK.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Analytics & Business Intelligence

As data volumes grow, the ability to extract strategic insights from complex datasets becomes paramount. You'll need to understand how to leverage advanced analytics to identify client trends, measure the effectiveness of planning strategies, and inform business development efforts.

Data Visualisation for Executive Reporting · Client Segmentation & Predictive Modelling · Performance Attribution for Planning Strategies

  • This quarter: Work closely with our Data Analytics team to understand their capabilities and how they can support your strategic objectives.
  • Next 6 months: Commission a specific data analysis project that addresses a key strategic question for your business unit (e.g., 'What are the most profitable planning strategies for clients aged 60-75?').
  • Next 12 months: Develop a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for your business unit that are driven by robust data analytics, and ensure regular reporting to the C-suite.
  • Ongoing: Read industry reports and attend webinars on advanced analytics in financial services to stay abreast of new techniques and tools.

Quick win: Ask your team to present their regular performance metrics using more sophisticated data visualisations. Challenge them to explain the 'story' behind the numbers, not just the numbers themselves.

Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Governance

With the increasing digitisation of client data and the growing threat of cyber-attacks, robust cybersecurity and data privacy governance are no longer just IT's responsibility. As Director, you're accountable for safeguarding highly sensitive client information within your business unit.

Threat Landscape Awareness · Data Encryption & Access Controls · Incident Response Planning · Third-Party Vendor Risk Management

  • This quarter: Complete all mandatory firm-wide cybersecurity training and engage directly with our CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) to understand specific risks to advanced planning.
  • Next 6 months: Review and update your business unit's data handling policies to ensure they meet the latest cybersecurity and privacy standards.
  • Next 12 months: Conduct a tabletop exercise with your leadership team to simulate a data breach scenario and test your incident response plan.
  • Ongoing: Stay informed about new data privacy regulations (e.g., updates to GDPR) and cybersecurity best practices through industry publications and professional networks.

Quick win: Ensure all your team's devices use multi-factor authentication and strong, unique passwords. It's a basic step, but often overlooked.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Active participation and leadership roles in industry bodies such as STEP, CISI, or the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT).
  • Regular attendance at executive-level conferences and seminars focused on wealth management innovation, regulatory changes, and economic outlooks.
  • Contributing to thought leadership through publishing articles, speaking engagements, or participating in industry panels.
  • Engaging in executive coaching or leadership development programmes to refine strategic thinking and organisational influence skills.
  • Mentoring rising talent within the firm, sharing your expertise and shaping the next generation of leaders.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Driven Strategic Decision Making

AI is moving beyond automation; it's now providing predictive analytics and scenario planning capabilities that can inform high-level strategic decisions. Directors who can harness this will gain a significant competitive advantage in anticipating market shifts and client needs.

  • Predictive Modelling for Wealth Trends
  • Generative AI for Policy & Strategy Development
  • Ethical AI Governance
  • AI for Regulatory Foresight

Digital Transformation Leadership

The financial services industry is undergoing rapid digital transformation. As Director, you'll need to lead the charge in integrating new digital tools, platforms, and client engagement models across your business unit, moving beyond traditional methods to create seamless, tech-enabled client experiences.

  • Platform Integration Strategy
  • Client Digital Experience Design
  • Data Governance & Analytics for Digital Assets
  • Agile Methodologies for Digital Projects

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Advanced Transfer Tax Planning (Strategic)
  • Irrevocable Trust Design & Mechanics (Architectural)
  • Fiduciary Principles & Accounting (Oversight)
  • Business Succession Planning (Strategic)
  • Charitable Planning Vehicles (Innovation)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    From Principal Wealth Strategist (Internal Promotion)

    3-5 years as a Principal

    Skills to master

    • Demonstrating the ability to manage multiple teams (not just individual contributors), owning a significant P&L, developing and launching new firm-wide planning strategies, and consistently influencing senior leadership decisions. You'd need to show you can operate at a strategic, rather than purely functional, level.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a major firm-wide initiative with measurable business impact.
    • Consistently exceeded P&L targets for your functional area.
    • Developed and mentored multiple high-potential individuals into leadership roles.
    • Regularly sought out by C-suite for strategic input beyond your immediate remit.
  2. 2

    From Head of Fiduciary Services (External Hire)

    15-20 years total experience, with 5+ years in a similar leadership role

    Skills to master

    • Bringing a track record of managing large trust or estate administration operations, a deep understanding of fiduciary law and compliance, and proven experience in driving business growth and operational efficiency in a complex regulatory environment. You'd need to quickly integrate into our firm's culture and strategic objectives.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Managed a multi-million-pound P&L in a previous role.
    • Successfully navigated complex regulatory audits or changes.
    • Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a large, diverse team.
    • Can articulate a clear vision for the future of advanced planning and how it aligns with our firm.
  3. 3

    From Partner in a Law Firm (Specialising in Private Client/Tax)

    15-20 years total experience, with 5+ years as a Partner

    Skills to master

    • Translating deep legal and tax expertise into scalable business strategies. This means moving from advising individual clients to setting firm-wide policy, managing a large P&L, and leading a diverse team of financial professionals (not just lawyers). You'd need to adapt to a more commercially driven environment.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Built and managed a significant book of business (client portfolio).
    • Demonstrated strong leadership and business development skills.
    • Experience with strategic planning for the law firm or your practice area.
    • A clear desire to transition from legal practice to a broader financial services leadership role.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to roles such as Chief Wealth Strategist or Chief Operating Officer, or a place on a board as a non-executive director.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Advanced Planning is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Facilitating an administrative service for mortgage and/or financial planning clients, worked against Director of Advanced Planning.

Facilitating an administrative service for mortgage and/or financial planning clients Level 3

Applied to your work in Director of Advanced Planning

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to facilitate an administrative service for mortgage and/or financial planning clients. Learners will be able to deal with complex requests for information, collate information for quotations and illustrations, and assist advisers in preparing for client meetings, ensuring the smooth flow of business.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Director of Advanced Planning plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Advanced Planning
  • Advanced Transfer Tax Planning (Strategic)
  • Irrevocable Trust Design & Mechanics (Architectural)
  • Fiduciary Principles & Accounting (Oversight)
  • Business Succession Planning (Strategic)
  • Charitable Planning Vehicles (Innovation)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Advanced Planning is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Wealth Strategist

    3-5 years as Director of Advanced Planning

    From business unit leadership to enterprise-wide strategic leadership and board governance.

    • Global regulatory compliance and risk management across all jurisdictions.
    • Advanced capital allocation and corporate finance for firm growth.
    • Developing and launching new business lines or market segments.
    • Leading large-scale organisational transformation initiatives.

  2. Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

    5-7 years as Director of Advanced Planning

    From a specialised functional leadership role to broader operational or financial oversight of the entire firm.

    • Supply chain management (if applicable to broader firm operations).
    • Large-scale project and programme management for enterprise initiatives.
    • Investor relations and financial reporting to the Board and external stakeholders.
    • Risk management across all operational and financial domains.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As the Director of Advanced Planning, your time is incredibly valuable. You're not just managing tasks; you're setting strategy, leading a large team, and navigating complex market dynamics. Imagine if you could reclaim significant chunks of your week, not just for yourself, but for your entire business unit, by intelligently using AI. We're not talking about replacing people; we're talking about supercharging productivity and freeing up your team to focus on high-value, client-centric work.

AI isn't some far-off concept here; it's a practical tool that, when implemented strategically, can transform how your advanced planning business unit operates. From automating the grunt work of document review to providing deeper insights for strategic decision-making, AI can amplify your team's capabilities and give us a real competitive edge. Your role will involve overseeing the adoption and strategic deployment of these tools, ensuring they deliver tangible benefits across the board.

Document Digitisation & Analysis Oversight

Oversee the strategic implementation of AI with OCR to scan, summarise, and analyse decades of client wills, trusts, and deeds. This isn't just about saving time; it's about ensuring compliance, identifying historical risks, and creating a unified digital archive that empowers your entire team to work more efficiently. You'll set the standards for how these tools are used to extract key terms, dates, trustees, and beneficiaries, flagging potential conflicts or outdated provisions at scale.

Strategic Scenario Modeling & Validation

Direct the use of AI-powered tools that run thousands of Monte Carlo simulations on complex multi-generational plans. This allows your team to stress-test strategies against variable tax laws, market returns, and life expectancies with unprecedented speed. Your role involves validating these outputs, interpreting the strategic implications, and using these insights to inform firm-wide planning policies and client recommendations, ensuring we're always offering the statistically optimal strategy for wealth transfer.

AI-Powered Regulatory & Legal Foresight

Leverage AI to monitor, analyse, and predict shifts in the regulatory and legal landscape. This means using AI to instantly search through IRS private letter rulings, tax court cases, and state statutes, not just for individual client issues, but to identify trends that will impact our entire client base. You'll use these insights to proactively adapt firm policy, develop new planning strategies, and brief the C-suite on emerging risks and opportunities.

Client Communication Standardisation & Scale

Implement AI tools that draft initial client-facing emails, summaries, and educational materials, explaining complex concepts like GRATs or Dynasty Trusts in simple, easy-to-understand language. This ensures consistency in our client communications, frees up your team's time for personalised advice, and allows for rapid, scalable outreach. Your role ensures these AI-generated communications meet our brand standards and regulatory requirements before they reach clients.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Advanced Planning?

Common routes in include From Principal Wealth Strategist (Internal Promotion) (3-5 years as a Principal), From Head of Fiduciary Services (External Hire) (15-20 years total experience, with 5+ years in a similar leadership role) and From Partner in a Law Firm (Specialising in Private Client/Tax) (15-20 years total experience, with 5+ years as a Partner). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Advanced Planning progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Wealth Strategist (3-5 years as Director of Advanced Planning) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO) (5-7 years as Director of Advanced Planning), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Advanced Planning?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Strategic Decision Making and Digital Transformation Leadership. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in finance

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Skills in advanced planning, strategic leadership and P&L management transfer to other wealth management firms, private banks, family offices and specialist legal or tax advisory firms. They also open doors to consultancy work or non-executive director roles across financial services.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Director of Advanced Planning plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.