Head of Trading
Focus Financial Partners · Portsmouth, New Hampshire
About this role
Position Summary
SCS Financial is seeking a seasoned Head of Trading to lead and elevate our trading function at an exciting moment of firm-wide growth and investment. The ideal candidate will bring both the technical depth of a skilled trading operator and the strategic vision to build a best-in-class trading infrastructure that scales with the firm's continued expansion.
Reporting to the Managing Director of Operations, this leader will own the full trade lifecycle across a sophisticated, multi-team RIA environment — from execution and allocation through reconciliation and risk oversight — while developing a talented team and driving the process and technology enhancements that will define SCS's trading capabilities for years to come.
This role is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Primary Responsibilities
Lead the Trading Function
- Establish clear role ownership, accountability structures, and roadmap for trading capacity, technology, and process maturity
- Build and maintain a high-performance team culture rooted in precision, cross-training, collaboration, and shared ownership
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of four trading professionals
- Define KPI’s, use data to improve execution and strategy
- Represent the Trading team in cross-functional leadership engagements, present initiatives at department or firm-wide meetings, and drive change management
- Manage relationships with Brokers, Liquidity Providers, Exchanges/venues. Evaluate execution quality and negotiate terms
Drive Execution Excellence
- Oversee all daily trade execution across mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, and SMAs through the RedBlack order management platform
- Manage aggregated trading demand, order sets, allocation workflows, and daily reconciliation across numerous custodians
- Lead firmwide model implementation and rebalancing, translating investment model changes into scalable, tax-aware execution across all client portfolios
- Enforce trade submission deadlines, best-execution standards, and error prevention controls across all asset classes
Modernize and Scale the Operating Model
- Identify and resolve inefficient manual workflows, particularly across multi-platform coordination (RedBlack, Addepar, custodian systems)
- Drive the strategic vision for the Trading function, including automation and AI opportunities, system enhancements, and integration opportunities
- Establish standardized intake-and-execution processes, repeatable SOPs, and certification frameworks for the trading team
Risk Management & Compliance
- Develop and enforce trading risk policies including drift tolerances, position limits, and IPS compliance monitoring
- Conduct regular advisor drift reviews and serve as the escalation point for complex trading situations (concentrated stock, derivatives, tax-sensitive transitions)
- Maintain compliance with SEC best-execution requirements and all applicable RIA regulatory standards
Qualifications
- 10+ years of trading operations experience within an RIA, multi-family office, wealth management firm, or broker-dealer
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing a trading team at the VP or Director level
- Preferred CFA designation
- Deep proficiency in an order management system; RedBlack strongly preferred
- Extensive knowledge of execution strategies (FWAP, TWAP, market orders, etc.)
- Experience with Salesforce preferred
- Familiarity with portfolio accounting systems (Addepar or equivalent) and custodian platforms (Schwab, Fidelity)
- Execution experience across mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, and SMAs
- Knowledge of SEC best-execution requirements and the RIA regulatory framework
- Track record designing and enforcing trading risk controls and IPS compliance
- Exceptional cross-functional communication and presentation skills
- Highly organized and able to manage high-volume trading demand from multiple advisor teams
This position is an exempt position. The annualized base pay range for this role is expected to be between $170,000–$190,000 base salary compensation range. Actual base pay may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, subject matter expertise, geographic location where work will be performed, and the applicant’s skill set. The base pay is just one component of the total compensation package. Other rewards may include an annual cash bonus and a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401(k). Please note that the job title is subject to change based on the selected candidate’s experience and education.
About Focus Financial Partners
Focus is a leading financial services firm comprised of integrated wealth management, family office, and business management services. Blending deep expertise and expansive resources with a boutique, client-first fiduciary philosophy, Focus helps individuals, families, and institutions navigate complex financial situations with highly personalized solutions tailored to their unique needs. To learn more about Focus, visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.
Focus is an equal opportunity employer and bases its employment decisions on the employee or candidate’s skillset, and without regard to an employee or candidate’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state and/or federal law.
Focus complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@focuspartners.com.
The following language is for US based roles only
For California Applicants: Information on your California privacy rights can be found here
For Indiana Applicants: It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of status as a veteran by refusing to employ an applicant on the basis that they are a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, a member of the Indiana National Guard or a member of a reserve component.
For Maryland Applicants: I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER MARYLAND LAW, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT REQUIRE OR DEMAND, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYMENT OR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL SUBMIT TO OR TAKE A POLYGRAP OR SIMILAR TEST. AN EMPLOYER WHO VIOLATES THIS LAW IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $100.
For Massachusetts Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
For Montana Applicants: If hired, the employment relationship is governed by the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act. Mont. Code Ann. Section 39-2-901.
For Rhode Island Applicants: Focus is subject to Chapters 29-38 of Title 28 of the General Laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state’s workers’ compensation law. If you willfully provide false information about your ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, you may be barred from filing a claim under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act of the State of Rhode Island if the false information is directly related to the personal injury that is the basis for the new claim for compensation. The Company complies fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
About Focus Financial Partners
Focus is a leading financial services firm comprised of integrated wealth management, family office, and business management services. These include: Focus Partners Wealth SCS Financial, Focus Partners Family Office and OCIO Cardinal Point, Focus Partners Canada NorthCoast Asset Management Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, Focus Partners Business Management Focus Partners Australia & Escala Partners Blending deep expertise and expansive resources with a boutique, client-first fiduciary philosophy, Focus helps individuals, families, and institutions navigate complex financial situations with highly personalized solutions tailored to their unique needs. We believe talent is central to realizing our vision—so we invest in our people, support their growth, and create meaningful opportunities for development at every stage of their careers.
Jobb.ai is an independent skill benchmarking platform. Applications are submitted on the employer's official website.