Trader - Overlay

Kestra Financial is a wealth management platform dedicated to empowering independent financial professionals—including traditional and hybrid RIAs—to grow their businesses and deliver exceptional client service. We combine advanced business management technology with personalized consulting to provide unmatched scale, efficiency, and support. Our advisor-focused culture is built on innovation and advocacy, enabling advisors to offer comprehensive securities and investment advisory solutions to their clients

Lead with Purpose. Partner with Impact.
As a key member of the Overlay Trading Team at Kestra Financial, you will help drive the next evolution of trading and portfolio implementation across our advisor network. This role is centered on delivering advisor focused managed account solutions within the UMAPlus program, with an emphasis on scalable Unified Managed Account (UMA) trading, tax optimized overlay services, and improved client transition outcomes.
You will implement portfolio strategies on behalf of advisors and their clients, partnering closely with portfolio managers, analysts, and operations teams. Your work will include executing trades, monitoring exposures, managing cash flows, and ensuring client portfolios stay aligned with their designated models and objectives. The ideal candidate brings strong execution capability, a process improvement mindset, and a passion for building technology enabled, scalable trading solutions.

What you’ll Do:

• Execute trades across client accounts using single sleeve and multi sleeve UMA models, ensuring adherence to product guidelines and firm policies.
• Monitor portfolios to identify outliers, discrepancies, or drift relative to model targets; recommend and implement adjustments.
• Manage cash positions, allocations, exposures, and tax considerations—including realized gains/losses—to enhance efficiency and portfolio outcomes.
• Support platform administration activities such as rebalancing, implementing strategies, and executing market driven actions.
• Collaborate with third party managers and internal stakeholders to integrate overlay strategies within UMA structures.
• Review and process trade orders with precision, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and best execution.
• Keep current on market developments, regulatory requirements, and best practices in UMA and overlay trading.
• Contribute to technology and workflow innovation, including automation tools that enhance scale, consistency, and performance.
• Help build robust workflows for multi asset UMA trading, tax optimized overlays, and direct indexing, incorporating risk models and client specific preferences.
• Support trading implementation for Kestra Investment Management’s legacy programs.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or related field required.
• MBA or CFA preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in wealth management, investment operations, or trading.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong problem solving skills; thrives in fast paced, deadline driven environments.
• Solid understanding of wealth management, UMA structures, and overlay strategies (e.g., tax or risk overlays, trading restrictions).
• Proficiency with trading platforms, OMS systems, and portfolio management tools.
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements that enhance scale, quality, and consistency.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, data manipulation; VBA/macros a plus).
• Experience with analytical platforms such as Morningstar Direct, FactSet, or similar.
• Strong communication and cross functional collaboration skills.
• Working knowledge of trading regulations and operational controls.
• Ability to craft clear messaging and present information effectively.
• Experience integrating trading automation to support scalable overlay execution.
• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, and formal process documentation.
• Background in workflow automation and tooling development.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and/or VBA.
• Comfort engaging with advisors and senior leadership; strong influencing skills.
• Exposure to optimization techniques (e.g., quadratic or mixed integer) and multi factor risk modeling.
• Experience with agentic or automated operational workflows.
• Understanding of Modern Portfolio Theory, multi factor risk models, and tax optimization methodologies.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• FINRA Series 7 and 66 (or 63/65 equivalent) required, or must be obtained within 90 days of hire.

Internal Application Policy:
Internal applicants must be in good standing and have a minimum of 1 year of service with Kestra. Internal applicants must also have a minimum of 1 year service in current role unless approved by EVP.

Benefits to support you:

• Competitive pay and benefits with a large employer (over 1600 employees nationwide)
• 401(k), health insurance, and a competitive benefits package
• Work in a supportive, collaborative environment committed to professional excellence
• Help clients navigate meaningful financial decisions with confidence
• Opportunities for training, development, and long-term growth within the firm
• Tuition reimbursement for qualified expenses

Kestra Values:
Our Mission is Powering Financial Independence, enabling the growth and success of investing clients and the advisors who serve them. We do that by living our values: Serve, Make it Happen, and One team.
Explore Life at Kestra
Kestra Holdings Website: https://www.kestrafinancial.com/
Careers Portal: https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/kestra/KESTRACAREERSITE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kestra-financial
Apply Today
Lead with purpose. Apply now and help shape the future of Kestra.
Disclosure By applying to a job at Kestra Financial, Inc., you are agreeing to the following statements:

• You acknowledge that if hired, Kestra Financial, Inc. may, obtain and use background information concerning your credit, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, work habits, performance and experience for evaluation for your potential employment.
• It is the policy of Kestra Financial to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Kestra Financial prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.