From time to time, Michael Kitces of Kitces.com has positions available for hire, either associated with Kitces.com itself, or one of Michael’s related businesses.
Career Opportunities At Kitces.com
Research Associate
Kitces.com is the leading financial planning industry blog, producing award-winning blog commentary on financial planning strategies and practice management trends for financial advisors. Our Members Section provides additional webinars, research white papers, and the opportunity for financial planning professionals to earn continuing education credits, and we are invited to speak regularly at financial advisor conferences to present our research and insights.
Kitces.com is hiring a Research Associate to assist in the research process, with opportunities to both support and author research content (in the form of blog posts, white papers, and Journal articles), and support the duties of preparing and distributing expert content on our publishing platform.
Description/Responsibilities
This entirely virtually-based staff position (work from anywhere, no relocation required!) will work directly with Michael Kitces and his team, and be responsible for a blend of original writing and research support for The Kitces Report white papers, Nerd’s Eye View blog, educational live presentations and webinars, and various Journal research submissions. Support duties will include both raw research and analysis, assisting in the writing process, and crafting the resulting information into graphs, charts, and other visual elements.
Additional responsibilities of the Research Associate will include supporting the CE submission process for Kitces.com content, including crafting CE quizzes, creating outlines and learning objectives, and assisting with any other related CE qualification requirements.
The Research Associate will also be expected to assist in the creation and maintenance of an array of digital content, including formatting and editing newsletter materials, blog posts, and Powerpoint presentation content. A growing responsibility for producing original and co-authored articles, including blog content and Journal research submissions, is expected over time. Candidates interested in presenting will have public speaking opportunities over time as well.
Further description of responsibilities are indicated below.
Annual Writing and publishing responsibilities:
- 24 full-length articles for Nerd’s Eye View
- 1 co-authored research submission to peer-reviewed Journals (and SSRN)
- 1 issue of The Kitces Report white paper
Research-related responsibilities:
- Research support for Nerd’s Eye View blog and The Kitces Report white papers
- Support for original research for Journal articles, including working on analysis and literature reviews
- Assisting in preparation of written research for Journal (and SSRN) submission
- Spot research on blog posts and/or white paper content as necessary
- Edit/review white papers and blog posts for technical accuracy and typos/grammar fixes
- Create CE quizzes for newsletters and webinars
- Craft standalone educational/teaching support materials for presentations & white paper subscribers
- Work with graphic designer to create graphic images & concept illustrations for all content (presentations, white papers, and blog posts)
Other responsibilities:
- Support CE accreditation requirements for various continuing education types/entities
- Posting articles from guest blog posts
- Formatting/editing and cleanup, and graphic additions, for regular blog posts
- Potential light amount of video editing responsibilities
- Additional graphics-related assistance as needed
- Cross-training on operational tasks with other team members
Future responsibilities:
- Opportunity to present research as a paid speaker/educator
- Opportunity to lead original research studies via the Kitces.com platform
Key Candidate Traits
The ideal candidate should be self-motivated enough to work in a virtual environment with limited supervision, have a strong desire for continuous learning and doing research, a natural interest in coming up with creative ways to present and deliver information, and be highly effective in written communications and original writing on technical financial planning topics. A high level of expertise in Excel is required, and additional research/modeling capabilities in other supporting software (e.g., R, MatLab) are preferred.
Candidates should also have a high comfort level in creating and managing graphics, including charts and graphs in Excel, managing images and animations in Powerpoint, and be willing to learn basic audio and video editing. Familiarity with blogging Content Management Systems (e.g., WordPress) is preferred but not required.
Completion of CFP education required, Master’s degree or Ph.D. in related subject matter strongly preferred. Direct planning experience with clients is a positive, but not required.
Compensation/Benefits
- Base salary $45,000/year – $60,000/year depending on background/experience
- Available bonus up to 12% of base salary, determined by meeting key business metrics
- $2,000 budget for additional financial planning education (i.e., post-CFP designations/certifications) or other training/skills education
- $1,000 budget for technology hardware/software or related office materials
- $2,000 conference budget
- Paid membership in Financial Planning Association or NAPFA (Researcher Associate’s discretion)
- Supporting co-authorship credit for submitted Journal articles where involved in research and writing
- 12 days of paid time off for combined vacation + sick, plus 6 national holidays
Apply
Interested candidates should submit their Resume and Cover Letter to candidate@newplannerrecruiting.com, and may include an (optional) up-to-2-minute video to discuss why they are interested in the position as well.
Careers At Related Businesses
For current job opportunities at XY Planning Network and our related businesses, click here.
For currently available positions at Pinnacle Advisory Group, click here.
For current opportunities for financial advisors at New Planner Recruiting, click here.
