What Does a Branch Office Administrator Do?

What does a branch office administrator do?

Think about a business you frequently visit. Most likely there is that one employee who greets you when you come in and asks about your family. This person probably knows why you are there and can ensure you have a positive experience. For clients of financial advisors, this top-notch, attentive employee is the branch office administrator.

A critical role in an Edward Jones branch office, the branch office administrator is client-facing and customer-focused. A branch office administrator keeps the office running smoothly by overseeing business operations, building and maintaining client relationships, assisting with business development and partnering with the financial advisor to chart out strategic goals for the branch office.

The ideal branch administrator candidate is a team player who enjoys going above and beyond to help others. Often self-starters with great attention to detail, and can use their critical thinking skills to anticipate, identify, and solve ongoing needs. There are opportunities for Edward Jones branch office administrators to start and continue to grow in their careers through training, mentoring programs, and regional development opportunities.

What is a branch office administrator?

A branch office administrator supports the work of the office’s financial advisor. This includes overseeing the office from scheduling and managing appointments to completing deposits, processing checks, and making transfers. But the role is so much more. For example, the branch office administrator helps to build relationships with current and prospective clients.

Having an interest in meeting people and having a knack for making others comfortable are important assets to have as a branch office administrator. This person is often the first to greet clients when they arrive at the office or when they reach out via phone or email. During these interactions, an attentive branch office administrator can learn more about the client or prospect, which could be helpful in providing better service and personalized solutions for their situation.

The branch office administrator also builds and strengthens client relationships through accurate and timely communication and preparation. For example, ensuring the proper documents and paperwork have been prepared ahead of appointments helps keep the office on track and supports the financial advisor in their work.

A branch office administrator also works on the office’s business development by maintaining client and prospect records, executing branch marketing such as direct mail campaigns, organizing seminars and events, and setting and confirming appointments. These touchpoints are all opportunities to build and deepen relationships, which is critical to the work of Edward Jones offices.

If the branch office administrator works with a financial advisor who holds a leadership role in the region, the office may be responsible for planning region-wide events. In this case, the branch office administrator helps the team achieve successful regional events.

“A branch office administrator is a critical part of the client support team, and we’re often the drivers of client satisfaction and first impressions — those are the things that give us a competitive edge,” said Inger Mitchell, a senior branch office administrator in Irving, Texas. “We make it easy to do business with Edward Jones, and we ensure our clients have the ability to deepen the relationship with the financial advisor in their community.”

Day in the life of a branch office administrator

Many branch office administrators say one of their favorite things about their role is that no two days are the same. Branch office administrators need to be problem solvers who can think on their feet because one never knows what situation may present itself. By building and maintaining client and prospect relationships and keeping the office running smoothly, the branch office administrator is contributing to the success of their office.

“You must be able to multitask and be flexible to do whatever it takes to make your office run like a well-oiled machine,” said Inger. “As a branch office administrator, I do everything from A to Z — facilitating meetings, answering client and prospect questions, accepting monies, receiving and processing required documents, handling mail from clients, communicating with outside institutions, managing vendors and much more.”

Being a team player who can work closely with colleagues on common goals is key to being a successful branch office administrator. This allows financial advisors to work closely with each of their clients and manage their relationships. A branch office administrator supports a financial advisor to help clients meet their goals, the branch office meet its goals and the region meet its goals. It’s a lot to ask of a two-person team, but no Edward Jones employee does it alone. While working independently, branch office administrators have the support of a mentor, other branch office administrators in their region and the Edward Jones home office.

“A big part of the value the branch office administrator brings to the branch team is the ability to be a good sounding board,” said Darryl Plunkett, the financial advisor who works alongside Inger in their Irving office. “Inger has the authority to hold me accountable and redirect my course as needed. When it’s a small team, it’s important to trust one another and value each other’s opinions.”

How do you become a branch office administrator?

After successfully going through the application and hiring process, an Edward Jones branch office administrator will have six months of training to ensure they are prepared for their role. This includes training for the branch office administrator as well as for the branch office administrator and financial advisor together. A trainer from Edward Jones headquarters works with the branch office team and the branch office administrator in order to have a successful transition.

Furthermore, each branch office administrator has a mentor in their region. This person supports their branch office administrator mentee so they understand and can take advantage of growth opportunities within the firm. In addition, the branch office administrator mentor can be a resource for the mentee in troubleshooting or answering questions.

After time performing well in their role, branch office administrators have the opportunity to give back as mentors and even be promoted to senior branch office administrator. These continued education and growth opportunities keep branch office administrators excited for the next steps in their career.

What makes a branch office administrator successful?

A branch office administrator is a varied role that offers new challenges and opportunities every day. A successful branch office administrator has numerous qualities that help them to navigate their role and support the office.

To effectively serve clients, a branch office administrator needs to have exceptional customer service abilities such as critical thinking, the ability to build relationships, and effective written and verbal communication skills. A strong work ethic is also important as well as interest in learning and understanding the financial services industry, ability to adapt, being proficient in technology and ability to work independently among others.

A successful branch office administrator has exceptional client service abilities including:

• Critical thinking capabilities
• Strong initiative
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to deepen and broaden client relationships

Work ethic is important to a career as a branch office administrator. This includes:

• Aptitude to learn and understand the financial services industry
• Adaptable to changing branch and client needs
• Ability to identify opportunities to create efficiency
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment
• Proficient in current and new office technology

Apply to become a branch office administrator

A branch office administrator is a key role in a branch office as this person is often a point of client contact responsible for building relationships and supporting the financial advisor. A successful branch office administrator will be able to focus on client needs and serve them well and be dedicated to their role and building a successful office with the team.

Edward Jones understands the importance of this role and values branch office administrators. The firm provides an extensive training program for new branch office administrators including training with the branch office administrator and the financial advisor to help build the team. In addition, there is a mentoring program for branch office administrators. This gives new branch office administrators resources in their region to work with and also gives long time branch office administrators the opportunity to give back and help new colleagues.

As with any Edward Jones career, a branch office administrator can be a meaningful career path as they work to support their team and community while building deep relationships with clients, prospects, team members and others.

If you are interested in applying for a branch office administrator position at Edward Jones, you can find open positions here.