Estate Settlement Officer- Birmingham/Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, MI

Greenleaf Trust; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Greenleaf Trust, based in Grand Rapids, MI, seeks an experienced fiduciary professional to manage trust and estate settlements, beneficiary communications, and related administration. The role involves coordinating asset valuation, distributions, and tax filings while maintaining strong client relationships.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's degree with 5+ years in estate settlement or trust administration and demonstrates empathy, exceptional communication, and teamwork to support the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with at least 5 years in estate settlement or trust administration.
• Experience in client service and wealth management.
• CTFA and/or JD preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as fiduciary in administration of trusts and estates.
• Direct collection, liquidation, and distribution of assets.
• Coordinate external service providers to value and preserve assets.
• Provide financial accountings for beneficiaries and court as required.
• Maintain proactive client communications and support the Client Centric Team.
• Support business development and seminars to share estate settlement expertise.

Skills

Team collaboration

Empathy

Communication skills

Relationship building

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

BASIC PURPOSE: Manage client, beneficiary, internal and estate settlement relationships related to handling duties in Greenleaf’s role as trustee, personal representative, agent and/or custodian.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Fiduciary Excellence:

• Act in a fiduciary capacity to perform activities relative to the administration of trusts and estates under the terms of the governing documents.
• Direct collection of income or proceeds from sale of assets in accordance with the governing rules related to income and principal.
• Ensure that fiduciary judgment is followed in collecting, liquidating, distributing, and investing trust assets in accordance with fiduciary investment statutes, terms of the governing documents, and distribution requirement of the beneficiary(ies) of trust or the estate.
• Direct liquidation of assets, payment of debts, payment of administrative expenses, and disbursement of funds and property pursuant to the provisions of the governing document.
• Coordinate services of service providers including, but not limited to, appraisers, realtors, surveyors, estate liquidators, and household help, as needed, to determine the value of assets, secure assets, maintain assets, and/or sell assets pursuant to the provisions of the trust.
• Provide financial accountings for beneficiaries, and/or court as required.
• Coordinate the preparation and filing of all tax returns; including but not limited to, state and federal income tax returns for the decedent, state and federal income tax returns for the trust, state and federal income tax returns for closely held assets, state and federal Estate Tax returns.

Client Service:

• Responsible for proactive, “high touch” communication and service to clients, beneficiaries, Client Centric Team and advisors.
• When possible, meet with clients and support Client Centric Team with pre-death planning.
• Coordinate estate planning timeline based on beneficiary needs, asset review and pursuant to the provisions of the governing document.
• Maintain a basis of knowledge in key areas of trust and estate planning, investment management, retirement planning, and tax planning and provide support to others in this area.
• Educate clients and trust beneficiaries on the estate settlement process under the terms and requirements of the trust.
• Problem solve issues that arise during the estate settlement process using resources of the entire Greenleaf team.
• Utilize other professional advisors, such as legal and tax advisors.
• Facilitate effective reporting and communication with beneficiaries, Client Centric Team, advisors, and other interested parties.

New Business Development:

• Be open to generating new opportunities across lines of business through direct contact with existing clients, prospects and referral sources.
• Actively participate in sales team meetings and event-driven marketing activities.
• Promote bank services.
• Provide industry thought leadership and share with other team members regarding estate settlement, trust/estate planning, tax, and other issues.
• Work closely with Client Centric Team members to support client needs and to mentor less experienced team members.
• Assist with seminar content development in areas of expertise as needed.
• Track client communications in CRM system.
• Provide appropriate reporting to Client Centric Team, Executive Leadership Team and/or Trust Committee.

Continuing Education:

• Participate in continuing education opportunities in estate settlement, tax, etc. to remain current with new developments in the industry.
• Actively participate in assigned workgroup(s) for various projects.

Other:

• All other duties as assigned

Security Responsibilities

• Employees are required to comply with all information and physical security policies and procedures
• Recurring training on information and physical security policies will be provided throughout your period of employment. Participation in these trainings is required.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

MINIMUM EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Bachelors Degree and minimum 5 years of experience in estate settlement, trust administration, and customer service, or equivalent education and experience. CTFA and/or JD preferred.
• Experience with client support/ wealth management/estate and trust administration
• Grief cycle knowledge and proven empathy application

TALENTS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Motivated, outgoing self-starter
• Empathetic and strong relationship building skills
• Knowledgeable in the grief process and managing expectations during difficult times
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Committed to EXCELLENT client service standards
• Knowledge of estate planning and IRA rules
• Basic computer skills with MS Office software
• Community minded
• Ability to learn in a fast-paced environment, both audibly and visually
• Open-minded, attentive listener
• Organized and able to multi-task, prioritize and manage workflow efficiently

EQUIPMENT USED

• Smart Devices
• Laptop

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Normal office environment that is well-lit, properly ventilated and handicap accessible.

CONTACTS

• Client Centric Team members
• Attorneys
• Regular contact with most areas of the company
• Trust Committee Members

OTHER

• The position would often require full day or overnight travel, approximately 25% of time, to facilitate estate settlement outside of the general area.