Senior Estate Settlement Officer

Principal Accountabilities:

Operations: 30%

• Coordinate up-front investigation, gathering of support documentation and decision making/analysis to inform the estate settlement process.
• Direct Operations for account opening characteristics, appropriate asset valuation, booking and maintaining of inventories for fee calculations and Court and beneficiary accountings.
• Direct Operations with regard to appropriate fee collection to coincide with tax filings and internal budget/cash flow processes.
• Coordinate the collection and review of tax records for decedents; work with tax partner and/or outside tax advisors and trust counsel to identify tax requirements, oversee gathering of appropriate information to resolve tax issues, and secure tax clearance. This entails coordination of individual income tax requirements, fiduciary income taxation, estate taxation, and the Generation Skipping Transfer Tax.
• Oversee investment decisions to include working with tax advisors for cost basis treatment and Investment Officer to protect principal during settlement phase as well as establish an appropriate portfolio for ongoing Trust shares.
• Initiate and review trust accountings required for judicial and informal settlement proceedings.

Client and Advisor Communications: 30%

• Communicate with interested parties. Address questions raised by beneficiaries, co-trustees, trust counsel, counsel for beneficiaries, and financial advisors for beneficiaries.
• Respond to client needs and concerns identified by effective interaction with them, their advisors and where applicable co-trustees.
• Conduct strategy meetings and coordinate communications among internal partners (operations team members, portfolio managers, and fiduciary advisors) to ensure seamless information flow and achieve settlement milestones.
• Build and maintain relationships with external business partners (Attorneys, CPAs, and Attorneys General Offices) to support relevant estate, gift tax and trust reporting requirements that are triggered by the disposition of assets in a terminating trust. 
• Maintain high quality communication with individual and charitable beneficiaries with a focus on client satisfaction and asset retention, as appropriate.

Risk/Asset Management: 25%

• Timely and accurate interpretation and implementation of provisions in governing instruments that relate to the disposition of trust and estate assets. 
• Ensure account administration is carried out in compliance with defined policies, procedures and audit standards.
• Identify and address trust owned Real Estate holdings, as well as coordinate with outside advisors including Real Estate Agents, property managers and Legal counsel to review, execute, and implement process for securing appraisals where appropriate, retaining property managers for income producing property, coordinating maintenance and upkeep of property, ensuring and collecting proper documentation for insurance coverage, payment of real estate taxes, etc., and maintaining ongoing communications to ensure all work is timely and in good order.
• Review, organize and maintain real estate and corresponding insurance records.
• Identify and log status of outstanding tax filings for Estates and Decedents.
• Participate in Trust & Estate Management Subcommittee activities to identify, avoid or minimize any unusual risk that might be incurred in connection with the terminating event consistent with applicable policies and procedures.
• Initiating, coordinating and obtaining adequate and appropriate release from liability.

Legal Document Review: 10%

• Review, interpret and apply the terms of the governing trust or Will instrument to identify the individuals entitled to receive distributions.
• Determine the appropriate form of settlement to adequately protect the Trustee, including the review of legal documents and accountings. Work with internal and/or trust counsel to resolve any legal issues that may arise.  

Other Activities: 5%

• Serve as a mentor and advisor relative to operational requirements and workflow processes.
• Monitor tasks of Estate Settlement Specialists.
• Act as a technical resource to colleagues within and outside of the Personal Trust & Estate Settlement team.

Additional:

• Approaches work, interactions, and relationships in a manner consistent with the company’s Core Values
• Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of those portions of both the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible with scriptural references to money and finances, and ability to apply and integrate this knowledge into all phases of client counsel
• Understands the financial planning philosophy and biblical basis upon which Blue Trust serves its client base and applies these principles in personal finances
• Maintains the highest Compliance standards by adhering to the firm's Human Resources guidelines, Compliance policies and procedures, professional designation standards, and industry's regulatory standards to mitigate risk to the firm

• Highly organized and goal-oriented self-starter who is able to work in an unstructured environment with minimal supervision. 
• Effectively prioritizes workflow and multiple priorities.
• Strong people and problem-solving skills and the ability to deal with many issues simultaneously.
• Thorough knowledge of trust administration, estate planning, compliance, and tax concepts.
• Understanding of investment principles, portfolio management and fiduciary practices.
• Ability to work with management to ensure that estate settlement and trust administrative functions are performed efficiently and in compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and guidelines.
• Ability to work closely with current and prospective clients, referral sources and strategic partners to meet client and department goals.
• Strong ability to run and/or oversee multiple related and unrelated projects simultaneously
• Ability to perform role with excellence and a keen focus on overall client engagement, striving for exceptional client satisfaction levels
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong organization skills and systems acumen
• Ability to deal with difficult situations when working with cases that are escalated
• Proactive planning, discernment, and responsiveness to urgent needs
• Demonstrates computer literacy and knowledge of specialized office programs and demonstrates competency in utilizing software applications that are company specific
• Demonstrates maturity in interpersonal interactions and strong followership; is open, adaptable, and exhibits flexibility and adaptability to changing needs
• Positively contributes to a healthy, productive work culture, and is not intimidated by strength in others; actively displays and encourages a servant mentality and team-mindedness
• Personal integrity and ability to discreetly handle confidential data
• Adept at prioritization with ability to complete multiple time-sensitive tasks

Education, Experience & Skills: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Science required. Juris Doctor Degree or CPA certification strongly preferred. Additional courses in business, law or related field also preferred. 
• 10+ years serving as lead relationship role in estate and trust administration required.
• Advanced courses in trust administration and professional designation(s) required (e.g., CTFA).
• Requires thorough knowledge of terminologies, regulations, and other accounting methods pertaining to the Trust and Securities industry
• Excellent communication skills: verbal, written, listening and presentation.
• Ability to work closely with current and prospective clients, referral sources and strategic partners to meet client and department goals.
• Highly organized and goal-oriented self-starter who can work in an unstructured environment with minimal supervision. 
• Excellent problem-solving customer relationship skills.