Operations Team Lead- IRA & Qualified Plans

Stifel strives for a culture that puts its clients and associates first: a culture where everyone belongs, everyone is welcome, and everyone contributes to the success of our clients, their careers, and the firm as a whole.

Let’s talk about how you can find your place here at Stifel, where success meets success.

The Operations IRA/Qualified Plan (QP) Team Lead performs a variety of higher-level departmental duties requiring thorough knowledge of the IRA /QP Support Department while assisting in training and cross-training of department associates.  This role serves as a key resource for associates and leadership, ensuring accurate processing of retirement account transactions in alignment with IRS regulations, firm policies, and departmental procedures.   The Team Lead is a subject matter expert for associates and will support training, mentorship, and workflow oversight while collaborating with management to drive operational efficiency, service excellence, and regulatory compliance across IRA-related processes.

• Aid in providing leadership and oversite to the department.  
• Serve as a subject matter expert for IRA operations, including IRA Deposits such as contributions, transfers and rollovers.
• Assist associates with the resolution of complex IRA scenarios and escalated issues, ensuring adherence to IRS rules, tax reporting requirements, and firm policies.
• Provide guidance on retirement account regulations, including contribution limits, RMDs, withholding requirements, and reporting implications.
• Support and maintain daily workflow oversight, helping to prioritize tasks, balance workloads, and meet service level expectations.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and procedural enhancements, ensuring updates reflect regulatory and operational requirements.
• Partner with leadership and cross-functional teams to assess the impact of regulatory, system, or firm-wide changes on IRA processes.
• Mentor and train associates to strengthen accuracy, compliance, and IRA knowledge.
• Conduct testing for system enhancements, regulatory updates, and process changes, ensuring readiness and minimal operational risk.
• Assist with coverage during high volume periods or staffing gaps.
• Act as a liaison between associates and leadership, providing insight into workflow challenges, risks, and performance trends.
• Support supervisory controls by helping ensure key processes, documentation, and quality standards are consistently met.

• Strong knowledge of IRA rules, tax implications, and retirement account processes, with the ability to interpret and apply regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to train, mentor, and develop associates in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Proven ability to analyze complex situations and make sound, compliant decisions.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands and adjust workload based on volume and departmental needs.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate at multiple levels of the firm.
• Strong organizational, time management and prioritization skills to effectively handle multiple demands while meeting deadlines. 

• Minimum Required:  Bachelor's Degree and/or 5+ years' Stifel experience. 
• Minimum Required:  5+ years' of experience within the financial services industry.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Experience with BETA preferred.
• Ability to analyze data and interpret system outputs to support operational decisions. #LI-AS1

Stifel is more than 130 years old and still thinking like a start-up.  We are a global wealth management and investment banking firm serious about innovation and fresh ideas.  Built on a simple premise of safeguarding our clients’ money as if it were our own, coined by our namesake, Herman Stifel, our success is intimately tied to our commitment to helping families, companies, and municipalities find their own success.

While our headquarters is in St. Louis, we have offices in New York, San Francisco, Baltimore, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, and more than 400 other locations.  Stifel is home to approximately 9,000 individuals who are currently building their careers as financial advisors, research analysts, project managers, marketing specialists, developers, bankers, operations associates, among hundreds more.  Let’s talk about how you can find your place here at Stifel, where success meets success.

At Stifel we offer an entrepreneurial environment, comprehensive benefits package to include health, dental and vision care, 401k, wellness initiatives, life insurance, and paid time off.

Stifel is an Equal Opportunity Employer.