Client Associate & Trust Services (Tax/Bill Pay)
About the role
We are seeking a full-time Client Associate & Trust Services (Tax/Bill Pay) to join our team. You will work with a team of wealth management professionals and other Laird Norton Wetherby (LNW) team members to provide excellent service to our internal clients. The focus areas will be Trust Tax and Trust Bill Pay.
Responsibilities
- Nature of Role
- Work primarily within our Trust Resource Group
- The role will be split between working on Trust tax matters and paying and monitoring trust client bill payments
- Must be organized, have outstanding attention to detail, excellent computer proficiency and great communication skills.
- Tax Compliance Coordination & Filing Oversight
- Cook up and oversee tax filings prepared by external vendors
- Prepare and file select tax forms in-house
- Manage compliance for various tax forms
- Maintain filing inventories, due date tracking, extension, and delivery status
- Ensure accurate setup and classification of accounts for tax report purposes
- Data Integrity & System Bridging
- Review transaction level data flowing from trust accounting systems into tax reporting platforms and vendor deliverables
- Identify and correct coding or classification issues that could impact tax reporting
- Coordinate corrections with Operations and Client Service teams as needed
- Withholding Oversight & Control
- Monitor and coordinate federal withholding obligations
- Ensure alignment between withholding calculated, withheld, and reported
- Track semi-monthly and monthly payment cycles and ensure timely compliance
- Vendor & Internal Stakeholder Coordination
- Serve as primary liaison with external tax vendors
- Receive, review, and disseminate tax deliverables provided by external tax vendors
- Notify internal teams when tax returns, tax letters, and information returns are available
- Coordinate and distribute workflows, ensuring teams retrieve their respective files and deliver them to clients in accordance with firm procedures
- Collect and manage tax documentation from outside trustees and investment managers
- Provide clean, organized information packages to vendors to minimize rework
- Billing
- Monitor Bill Pay inbox
- Perform tasks as requested from internal clients and respond to research/project requests
- Review prior day transactions for accuracy and coding
- Update Bill Pay monthly tracking sheet to ensure all recurring bills have been received and special handling instructions followed
- Review daily mail for recurring bill pay items (when time permits or other Associates are on PTO) to ensure correspondence has been handled
- Reconciliation-first mindset - seeks confirmation, not assumptions
- Process-oriented – values controls, checklists, and closed-loop workflows
- Comfortable with payments and accountability – understands the importance of precisions and verifications
- Calm under complexity – able to manage ambiguity, legacy issues, and competing deadlines methodically
- Strong organizational skills and attention and accuracy to detail to meet client deadlines with high quality, detail-oriented work
- Strong communication skills enabling proactive, consistent and effective communication within the client team
- Demonstrates the ability to work independently in a fast-paced setting, be a self-starter, and take ownership of tasks from beginning to end
- Interest in building a career in the wealth management industry
- Motivated to take on new challenges and actively involved in learning and development
- Ability to effectively manage conflicting priorities and handle time-sensitive issues
- Familiarity with investment concepts a plus
- Experience in Microsoft Office Suite is required, advanced skills preferred
- Experience in financial software applications and platforms, including Addepar, Salesforce, Schwab custodian, are a plus
- Reconciliation-first mindset - seeks confirmation, not assumptions
- Process-oriented – values controls, checklists, and closed-loop workflows
- Comfortable with payments and accountability – understands the importance of precisions and verifications
- Calm under complexity – able to manage ambiguity, legacy issues, and competing deadlines methodically
- Strong organizational skills and attention and accuracy to detail to meet client deadlines with high quality, detail-oriented work
- Strong communication skills enabling proactive, consistent and effective communication within the client team
- Demonstrates the ability to work independently in a fast-paced setting, be a self-starter, and take ownership of tasks from beginning to end
- Interest in building a career in the wealth management industry
- Motivated to take on new challenges and actively involved in learning and development
- Ability to effectively manage conflicting priorities and handle time-sensitive issues
- Familiarity with investment concepts a plus
- Experience in Microsoft Office Suite is required, advanced skills preferred
- Experience in financial software applications and platforms, including Addepar, Salesforce, Schwab custodian, are a plus
Requirements
Four-year college degree or equivalent work experience in the financial services industry is required. Prefer 2 or more years’ experience in private wealth management, client services, or finance/banking operations. Willing to hire with no or limited experience.
Prior experience in trust operations, fiduciary administration, tax operations, accounting operations, or payment processing roles is preferred.
Knowledge and experience of basic accounting concepts are required.
Experience coordinating outsourced tax preparation or compliance activities is beneficial.
Familiarity with EFTPS, withholding payments, or similar electronic payment systems is helpful.
Qualifications
Skills and Attributes
Benefits
We provide a competitive salary commensurate with your experience and skills and offer an annual bonus based on company and individual performance. The salary range for this position starts at $65,500 for those without experience to $82,000 for those who meet all qualifications depending on location and experience.
The salary range applies to current posting and may change in the future. The posted salary range may vary for key factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related knowledge, experience, skill set, and geographic location.
We offer excellent benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage; generous time off (including a sabbatical program after 10 years); flexible spending plans for health care, transportation, and dependent care; 401(k) plan, educational reimbursements, and more. Detailed information can be found on our site and here.
About Us
For more than five decades, Laird Norton Wetherby (LNW) has served the interests of exceptional families and individuals. As both an RIA and trust company, LNW offers a full spectrum of specialized wealth & legacy planning, investment management and trust & estate services that advance the aspirations and long-term, multigeneration financial ambitions of its clients. LNW has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as an affiliate trust company in South Dakota, empowering clients across the U.S.
LNW is majority owned by Laird Norton Company, one of the longest-sustained family enterprises in the United States, as well as by active employees.
Additional Information
Our firm aims to cultivate an inclusive environment and culture that fosters growth, collaboration and acceptance; where we celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of our employees; and where employees feel empowered to bring their full, authentic selves. Our diversity drives us forward and helps us build deeper relationships with our clients and our community.
We are an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, unpaid interns and volunteers based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military and veteran status, civil air patrol status, national origin, immigration status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, and including medical conditions related to lactation) or medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics).