JOB SUMMARY
Columbia Trust Company is building a dedicated Multi-Family Office (MFO) practice to serve ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients and families, leveraging Columbia's trust charter and expanded fiduciary and custodial capabilities. The Director of Family Wealth is a senior executive responsible for leading the organization's comprehensive wealth planning and family office strategy — spanning financial planning, estate and trust planning, tax-aware wealth strategies, business-owner advisory, family governance, philanthropy, risk management, and multigenerational wealth transfer. This role establishes the vision, capabilities, and service model necessary to deliver a differentiated, integrated family wealth experience, leading a team of specialized wealth professionals while client facing and partnering closely with relationship managers, private bankers, investment professionals, trust and fiduciary advisors, and other internal and external specialists.
About the Role:
Family Wealth Strategy & Family Office Leadership
- Develop and execute the strategic vision for the MFO's Family Wealth and Family Office capabilities, establishing a consistent, scalable service model for UHNW families.
- Build a comprehensive family office offering — consolidated wealth strategies and reporting, coordination of investment, trust, banking, and lending relationships, family governance, next-generation education, and philanthropic strategy.
- Define service tiers and engagement models based on client complexity, assets, revenue potential, and family needs.
- Serve as senior subject-matter expert and thought leader on complex family wealth matters, identifying emerging trends and evolving the platform's advisory capabilities accordingly.
Wealth & Estate Planning
- Provide leadership and oversight for the organization's wealth and estate planning professionals, establishing standards for comprehensive, practical, and actionable planning.
- Develop advanced planning capabilities for business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and families experiencing significant liquidity or wealth-transfer events.
- Partner with fiduciary and trust professionals on sophisticated trust, estate, and wealth-transfer opportunities, ensuring planning drives relationship development and retention.
Business Development & Revenue Growth
- Partner with market leaders, relationship managers, private bankers, investment advisors, and trust professionals to identify and develop high-value opportunities.
- Participate directly in significant prospective and existing client engagements where advanced planning or family office expertise can differentiate the platform.
- Drive growth in AUM, fiduciary and trust appointments, lending relationships, planning penetration, share of wallet, and multigenerational client retention.
- Build relationships with attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, private equity professionals, and other centers of influence serving wealthy families.
Business Owner & Liquidity Event Strategy
- Develop specialized capabilities for entrepreneurs and closely held business owners across the business lifecycle, including succession, pre-transaction planning, and liquidity events.
- Partner with commercial, investment banking, and private banking teams to identify business owners well before a potential transaction, positioning the team as central advisor before, during, and after the event.
Family Governance & Next-Generation Strategy
- Develop programs that help families transition wealth, values, knowledge, and decision-making responsibilities across generations, including governance structures, family meetings, and education.
- Create next-generation programs that build financial knowledge, strengthen relationships with heirs, and reduce generational asset attrition.
Team Leadership & Enterprise Partnership
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of family office professionals and subject-matter experts, with clear performance expectations tied to engagement, planning activity, and revenue contribution.
- Partner across Private Banking, Investment Management, Trust and Fiduciary Services, Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Legal, Risk, and Compliance to create a seamless, coordinated client experience.
- Ensure Family Wealth and Family Office activities operate within applicable legal, regulatory, fiduciary, and compliance frameworks.
Other Duties
- Demonstrates compliance with all bank regulations for assigned job function and applies to designated job responsibilities – knowledge may be gained through coursework and on-the-job training. Keeps up to date on regulation changes.
- Follows all Bank policies and procedures, compliance regulations, and completes all required annual or job-specific training.
- Maintain a working knowledge of Bank's written policies and procedures regarding Bank Secrecy Act, Regulation CC, Regulation E, Bank Security and other regulations as applicable to this job description.
- May be asked to coach, mentor, or train others and teach coursework as subject matter expert.
- Actively learns, demonstrates, and fosters the Columbia corporate culture in all actions and words.
- Takes personal initiative and is a positive example for others to emulate.
- Embraces our vision to become “Business Bank of Choice”
- May perform other duties as assigned.
About You:
Education/ Licenses/ Certifications
- B.A. Required
- JD, LLM, CPA Pref
- CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, CEPA®, CTFA, or other advanced trust/estate planning designation preferred.
Experience
- 15+ Years experience in private wealth management, financial planning, estate planning, trust and fiduciary services, family office, private banking, or a related discipline. Required
Skills
- Significant experience advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, executives, and business owners.
- Demonstrated ability to lead sophisticated wealth planning and family office engagements involving multiple professional disciplines.
- Strong understanding of estate planning, trusts, taxation, investment management, business succession, philanthropy, and multigenerational wealth planning.
- Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing professional teams.
- Strong business-development orientation with the ability to translate advisory expertise into measurable client and organizational growth.
- Exceptional executive communication and presentation skills; ability to work effectively with senior executives, business owners, wealthy families, attorneys, CPAs, and other sophisticated advisors.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
The base pay range for this role is $155,000.00 to $245,000.00.
The pay rate for the selected candidate is dependent upon a variety of non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, education, and geographic location. The role may be eligible for performance-based incentive compensation, and those details will be provided during the recruitment process.
Primary Location: Ability to work fully onsite at posted location(s).
2155 W Pinnacle Peak Rd Phoenix AZ 85027
Our Benefits:
We are proud to offer a competitive total rewards package including base wages and comprehensive benefits.
We offer eligible associates comprehensive healthcare coverage (medical, dental, and vision plans), a 401(k)-retirement savings plan with employer match for qualifying associate contributions, an employee assistance program, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition assistance, mental health resources, identity theft protection, legal support, auto and home insurance, pet insurance, access to an online discount marketplace, and paid vacation, sick days, volunteer days, and holidays. Benefit eligibility begins the first day of the month following the date of hire for associates who are regularly scheduled to work at least thirty hours weekly.
Our Commitment to Diversity:
Columbia Bank is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to employing, engaging, and developing a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other applicable protected status or characteristics. If you require an accommodation to complete the application or interview(s), please let us know by email: careers@columbiabank.com.
To Staffing and Recruiting Agencies:
Our posted job opportunities are only intended for individuals seeking employment at Columbia Bank. Columbia Bank does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies and Columbia Bank will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resume submissions. Staffing and recruiting agencies are not authorized to submit profiles, applications, or resumes to this site or to any Columbia Bank employee and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited unless requested directly by a member of the Talent Acquisition team.
