Director, Project & Change Management

Clearstead is seeking a Director, Project & Change Management to lead the successful execution and adoption of important initiatives across the firm. This hands-on leadership role brings structure, discipline, and accountability to complex, cross-functional projects while ensuring that employees affected by change are prepared, supported, and able to adopt new tools, processes, and ways of working. The Director will guide initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, stabilization, and completion, coordinating across teams, leaders, vendors, and technology partners. The role requires a strong technology orientation and active use of AI, automation, and digital tools to reduce administrative work, improve visibility, and streamline execution. Initially, the position will operate as a highly capable individual contributor. 

Key Responsibilities 

Project & Program Management 

• Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, adoption, stabilization, and completion.
• Translate objectives into clear project plans with defined scope, deliverables, milestones, owners, dependencies, risks, decisions, and measures of success.
• Establish an appropriate operating cadence for each project, creating visibility and accountability without unnecessary administrative burden.
• Coordinate work across business functions, technology teams, subject matter experts, and external partners and vendors.
• Monitor progress, proactively identify risks and roadblocks, drive issues toward resolution, and escalate decisions when necessary to maintain momentum.
• Provide clear, concise updates to executive sponsors and stakeholders regarding progress, risks, decisions, and required actions.
• Manage multiple priorities and initiatives while maintaining focus on the work that matters most.
• Maintain accountability through implementation and stabilization, ensuring projects are completed and intended outcomes are achieved. 

Change Management & Adoption 

• Lead change management efforts for initiatives that significantly affect employees, clients, processes, technology, or ways of working.
• Incorporate change management into project planning from the beginning rather than treating adoption as a separate implementation activity.
• Conduct stakeholder and change-impact assessments to understand who will be affected, how work will change, and what support will be required.
• Develop practical change, communication, training, readiness, and adoption plans based on each initiative’s scope and complexity.
• Partner with executive sponsors, project leaders, managers, and functional teams to create alignment and reinforce accountability for change.
• Identify potential resistance, readiness gaps, and adoption barriers early and develop strategies to address them.
• Measure readiness and adoption, adjust the approach when expected outcomes are not achieved, and help embed changes into day-to-day operations. 

Building the Capability 

• Help establish practical and scalable project and change management standards, tools, templates, and ways of working across Clearstead.
• Bring a technology-forward mindset to project and change management and continuously seek better, simpler ways to get work done.
• Create enough consistency to improve execution and transparency while avoiding unnecessary process or bureaucracy.
• Share effective practices with project owners, managers, and employees responsible for leading initiatives.
• As organizational needs evolve, help determine the capabilities, resources, and structure required to support a growing project and change management function. 

Role Scope and Working Relationships 

• Direct Reports: None initially; role begins as an individual contributor.
• Decision-making responsibility: Leads project planning and execution; identifies and drives resolution of risks and roadblocks; escalates decisions when necessary.
• Key internal partner(s): Executive sponsors, project leaders, managers, business functions, technology teams, and subject matter experts.
• Key external relationship(s): External partners and vendors.
• Primary systems/tools: AI, automation, digital tools, and project/change management tools and templates.
• Travel Requirements: To be confirmed by the hiring manager.

Required Qualifications 

• 8+ years of experience in project or program management, change management, technology implementation, business operations, or related work.
• Demonstrated experience personally leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation and adoption.
• Strong project management discipline with the ability to simultaneously manage multiple initiatives, priorities, stakeholders, and dependencies.
• Experience leading the people side of significant technology, process, or organizational change.
• Experience supporting large-scale system or technology implementations.
• Strong technology orientation with demonstrated ability to use AI, automation, and digital tools to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and detailed levels, moving comfortably between executive-level discussions and hands-on project execution.
• Strong problem-solving, organization, judgment, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and create accountability across teams without relying solely on direct authority.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Financial services, wealth management, or professional services experience.
• Project management certification, such as PMP. 

Work and Physical Requirements  

• Work environment: Office, home office, or mixed environment, based on business needs; specific arrangement to be confirmed.
• Physical requirements: Primarily sitting, standing, walking, and keyboarding; other job-related requirements as applicable.
• Cognitive / communication requirements: Sustained attention, analysis, prioritization, problem-solving, and clear written and verbal communication across multiple stakeholders.

Performance Expectations 

• Deliver assigned initiatives with clear scope, ownership, milestones, risk management, decision tracking, and measures of success.
• Maintain transparent, concise communication with executive sponsors and stakeholders regarding progress, risks, decisions, and required actions.
• Demonstrate effective change adoption by identifying readiness gaps, providing appropriate communication and training support, and adjusting plans when outcomes are not achieved.
• Build practical, scalable project and change management standards that improve consistency, execution, and visibility without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

Key Skills 

• Project and program management
• Change management and adoption
• Cross-functional leadership
• AI and automation mindset
• Process improvement
• Stakeholder management
• Risk and issue management
• Executive communication
• Training and enablement
• Measurement and continuous improvement
• Ability to create structure from ambiguity
• Bias toward execution and completion 

About Clearstead 

Clearstead is a financial advisory firm serving wealthy families and leading institutions. Our mission is to enable wealthy families and leading institutions to meet their financial objectives and achieve their aspirations, building stronger futures for their families, their communities, and themselves. 

We fulfill our mission by creating a unified investment framework for our clients and integrating financial planning, tax planning and compliance, and trust administration services with investment management to address complex financial situations. 

General Statement 

This job description summarizes the primary duties and requirements of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every responsibility or task. Responsibilities may be adjusted based on business needs, consistent with applicable law. Nothing in this job description creates a contract of employment or changes the at-will employment relationship where applicable.