VP & Senior Trust Officer

About the role

Cetera Trust Company (CTC), an affiliate of Cetera Financial Group, is a premier wealth advisory organization specializing in financial services. The Senior Trust Officer (STO) develops strong working relationships with financial professionals who partner with Cetera Trust to service mutual clients and stakeholders. The role involves fulfilling administrative duties and responsibilities for assigned accounts while delivering professional, personalized service. The STO manages relationships with clients, beneficiaries, financial advisors, centers of influence, and other Cetera associates, ensuring the highest levels of client service and competent trust administration according to trust documents, best practices, and applicable laws. A key focus is on client acquisition, retention, and business growth, including educating and training Cetera advisors on the advantages of working with Cetera Trust using a directed trust model.

Responsibilities

• Develop and strengthen personalized, professional relationships with CTC clients and financial advisors.
• Administer trust accounts according to trust documents and relevant state and federal law, including managing distributions, annual reviews, and general oversight of the trust.
• Review and facilitate new business development by obtaining information to analyze factors for establishing accounts, requesting due diligence of assets, and identifying authorized parties for account acceptance recommendations.
• Participate in new client or financial advisor meetings during the new business process.
• Onboard new accounts by establishing personal relationships, performing initial account reviews, and preparing proposals.
• Work closely with the CTC new business development team on individual cases and broader product strategies.
• Deliver excellent client experiences in partnership with the client advisor, trust administration, new business, operations, and compliance teams.
• Oversee tax accounting activities related to individual and fiduciary tax planning and tax return preparation.
• Participate in the development and launch of new products and platforms, such as a Directed Trust option.
• Serve as a mentor and educator for other trust officers within CTC.
• Travel up to 5% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or CTFA designation.
• A minimum of 10 years of applicable and relevant experience in trust administration.
• Demonstrated proficiency serving in a trust officer capacity with deep familiarity with applicable trust administration rules and regulations.
• Strong working knowledge of trust administrative policies and procedures.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and analytical abilities.
• Effective problem-solving and decision-making abilities while working independently and as part of a team.
• Strong communication skills to educate others on the role of a trustee and how a Directed Trust model works with external advisors.
• Ability to identify the positive and negative attributes of a trust and the resultant responsibilities of the trustee.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite applications: Excel, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, and Access.
• Knowledge of trust reporting software such as SEI SWP, SAP Business Objects, other trust accounting systems, and trading platforms.
• Excellent customer service skills to maintain positive client and inter-department relationships.
• Ability to recognize and troubleshoot problematic trustee/beneficiary relationships, addressing issues proactively.