Strategic Referral Management Executive

Job Description:

Merrill Wealth Management is a leading provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment products and services for individuals, companies, and institutions. Merrill Wealth Management is one of the largest businesses of its kind in the world specializing in goals-based wealth management, including planning for retirement, education, legacy, and other life goals through investment advice and guidance.

Merrill’s Financial Advisors and Wealth Management Client Associates help clients pursue the life they envision through a personal relationship with their advisory team committed to their needs. We believe trust comes from transparency. Our trusted advisory teams are equipped with access to the investment insights of Merrill coupled with the banking convenience of Bank of America.

Merrill is committed to an in-office culture with specific requirements for office-based attendance and which allows for an appropriate level of flexibility for our teammates and businesses based on role-specific considerations.

At Merrill, we empower you to bring your whole self to work. We value diversity in our thoughts, business, and within our employees and clients. Our Wealth Management team represents an array of different backgrounds and bring their unique perspectives, ideas and experiences, helping to create a work community that is culture driven, resilient, results focused and effective.

Job Description:
This job is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic initiatives and/or processes aligned to the bank's priorities within a functional area and/or business. Key responsibilities include defining, developing, executing, monitoring, and/or refining strategic initiatives and/or processes including management of strategic reviews by senior leadership in close collaboration with key stakeholders and internal partners.

The Strategic Referral Management Executive is responsible for designing, executing, and managing Merrill’s referral and lead generation strategy, leveraging the enterprise’s broad client reach. This senior executive will maximize our enterprise-wide referral flows, deepen collaboration with partners across the bank, and ensure sustainable client growth in alignment with the bank’s strategic objectives.

The executive will manage referral programs ensuring appropriate incentives, develop key performance metrics, envision and implement an operating model to maximize referral wins to/from Merrill.

The role requires a proven leader in business development within financial services, with experience leveraging large-scale networks, strategic partnerships, and cross-business synergies to deliver measurable increases in net new households and new money (NNM).

Responsibilities:

• Oversees the process for building and/or executing business initiatives and/or processes, while partnering with stakeholders and partners
• Solves complex problems and delivers on business initiatives and processes by applying subject matter expertise and technical knowledge of the business
• Engages with key stakeholders, partners, and business leadership to deliver on business objectives, while providing updates on strategic business initiatives
• Approves and oversees the development of strategic and tactical plans to drive progress towards business goals and objectives

Strategic Leadership & Growth

• Develop and oversee the referral and lead generation strategy in alignment with Merrill wealth management and Bank of America’s priorities.
• Strengthen partnership with groups across the bank including Consumer, Workplace Benefits, Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Global Markets and the Corporate and Investment Bank, to identify and convert cross-business client opportunities.
• Serve as executive sponsor for key acquisition initiatives, ensuring strong governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
• Manage and oversee referral programs meant to drive responsible growth and capitalize on the bank’s wide ranging client relationships.

Referral Network Development

• Lead enterprise referral programs that connect wealth management with internal business units.
• Create structured programs to reward and recognize internal teams for successful referral activity.

Business Impact & Revenue Generation

• Drive consistent growth in qualified leads, pipeline conversion, and AUM inflows.
• Partner with regional market leaders and wealth advisors to ensure seamless onboarding of referred clients.
• Monitor and report on referral KPIs, including referral volumes, conversion rates, and NNM impact at executiv