Switch to a US Long-Only RIA as a Consultant or Stay at a US BB?

I’m currently at a US bulge-bracket bank in Change/Product Management. I dislike the work and don’t want to build my career in this area. I’m expecting a promotion in Jan 2027 and recently took CFA Level III.

I’ve been offered a role at a ~$300m single-manager, long-only RIA on the Equity Research team. I’d research and pitch stocks, with the expectation that after ~1 year I’d get a small amount of capital to manage independently, with some variable comp linked to performance.

The catch: because the fund is US-based and I’m abroad, I’d have to work as a consultant/freelancer rather than a full-time employee.

Some context:

* Firm has ~15 employees, with only 4–5 in my country.
* Initial pay is roughly comparable to my current BB compensation, though take-home would be higher due to tax treatment.
* After my BB promotion, BB comp would be ~7–9% higher.
* No employee benefits at the RIA.
* Firm isn’t e-verified.
* Glassdoor is 2.9/5, with several reviews describing the founder/manager as toxic/difficult.
* I spoke to an analyst who has been there ~2 years. He was mostly positive about the work but said he hasn’t received a single recruiter outreach during his time there.
* The RIA work is far more aligned with my long-term goal of equity research/investing, and the lean structure could give me meaningful investment exposure early.

So I’m deciding between:

1. Stay at the BB: Get promoted in January, retain the BB brand/stability, and recruit for ER/AM/PE/Private Credit over the next 1–2 years. The downside is spending more time in a function I know I don’t want to pursue.

2. Take the RIA: Get directly relevant investing experience now, but accept the risks of being a consultant at a small/unknown firm, including weaker benefits, questionable online reputation, and potentially weaker exit opportunities.

TL;DR: I can stay at a US BB in a role I dislike, get promoted and recruit from there, or move now to a ~$300m long-only RIA where I’d actually do equity research and potentially manage capital after a year. The RIA is much more aligned with my goals but comes with consultant status, no benefits, a 2.9/5 Glassdoor rating, concerns about the founder, and potentially poor exits.

Would you take the relevant investing experience now, or stay at the BB, get promoted, and recruit from there?