Estate Settlement Specialist

Plante Moran Trust; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 33,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Flexible Time Off

Pre-determined holidays

401(k) plan

Flexible benefits plans

Business-related travel expense reimbu

Lodging reimbursement

Meal reimbursement for businessrelated

Pension plan for eligible staff

Discretionary bonus plan for eligible

Elective health insurance for conting

Limited paid sick time for contingent

Job summary

Plante Moran Trust in the United States seeks an Estates Administrator to handle estate settlements, probate administration, asset valuation, debt settlement, and asset distributions under the Trust Officer’s guidance.

You will coordinate with legal, tax, and financial advisors, communicate with clients and vendors, and drive process improvements while cultivating relationships with internal teams and external referrals.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of administrative or office support experience required.
• Paralegal experience preferred.
• Estate settlement, probate administration, trust administration, financial planning, or estate planning experience preferred.
• Ability to demonstrate good judgement and strong communication and organization skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform and monitor the estate settlement process, including probate administration, for the Trust Officer.
• Identify and collect assets owned by the decedent at time of death and value assets as of date of death.
• Settle debts and pay valid claims and costs of administration; distribute assets per the trust terms.
• Understand fiduciary accounting and the trust accounting system; facilitate account openings/closings/transfers.
• Communicate with internal and external clients and vendors, including distribution requests and client meetings.
• Manage and monitor daily transactions and prepare receipts and disbursements; partner with Trust Officer for client communications.
• Share best practices, participate in team meetings, and help improve processes and institutionalize procedures.
• Build relationships with Partners, Staff, attorneys, and referral sources; ensure coverage and service levels.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Judgement

Education

HS Diploma or GED

Undergraduate degree in Business/Finance/Accounting/Economics

Job description

Count on us. Our "we-care" culture is more than just a motto; it's a promise. From day one, we prioritize your growth, well‑being, and success. You can count on us to support your career journey and help you achieve your professional goals. Join us. Your role. Your work will include, but not be limited to:

• Perform and monitor most aspects of the estate settlement (post-death administration) process, including any probate administration, for the Trust Officer
• Identification and collection of assets owned by the decedent at the time of death
• Valuation of all assets as of date of death
• Settlement of all debts and payment of all valid claims and costs of administration
• Distribution of assets pursuant to the terms of the Trust
• Understand fiduciary accounting and trust accounting system
• Facilitate account opening/closing/transfer process
• Facilitate written and verbal communications between internal and external clients and vendors including distribution requests, documentation, client meetings and other matters
• Manage and monitor daily transactions and prepare receipts and disbursements
• Partner with Trust Officer to facilitate communication with clients alongside legal, tax, and financial advisors when necessary
• Share best practices with Trust team members, participate in team meetings, work on process improvement, and institutionalize practices and procedures
• Build relationships internally with Partners and Staff and externally with attorneys and other referral sources

The qualifications. 2+ years of administrative or office support experience required Paralegal experience preferred. Estate settlement, probate administration, trust administration, financial planning, or estate planning experience preferred. HS Diploma or GED equivalent required. Undergraduate degree preferred (preferably in Business, Finance, Accounting, or Economics). Ability to demonstrate good judgement Strong communication and organization skills This is a non-exempt position, so you may have to work hours that exceed the standard 40-hour work week.

So,what are you waiting for?

Plante Moran enjoys a “Workplace for Your Day” model which, simply put, means we strive for flexibility and balance while staying true to our principally in-person model. We believe that face‑to‑face interactions are paramount for individual and collective development, but also encourage individuals to work with their supervisor and team to determine their optimal working environment each day.

What makes us different?

On the surface, we’re one of the nation’s largest audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firms. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see what makes us different: we’re a relatively jerk‑free firm (hey, nobody ‘s perfect) with a world‑class culture, consistent recognition as one of Fortune Magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work For," and an endless array of opportunities.

At Plante Moran, diversity, equity and inclusion means that all staff members have equitable and fair opportunities to succeed, in an inclusive environment, with their individual, unique identities.

We believe that each person’s ultimate potential begins with first acknowledging their inherent dignity. When we can recognize — and celebrate — our many human differences, we’re able to create a workplace where all staff feel a sense of belonging and an opportunity to succeed. This allows us to attract and retain the best talent, serve clients through diverse thinking, and better represent and support the various communities in which we live and work.

Plante Moran is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Plante Moran maintains a drug‑free workplace. Interested applicants must submit their resume for consideration using our applicant tracking system. Due to the high volume of interest in our positions, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, with the exception of qualified candidates who are bilingual in either Japanese and English or Chinese and English. Unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies, or similar, will not be paid a fee and become the property of Plante Moran.

The specific statements above are not intended to be all‑inclusive. We are pleased to offer eligible staff a robust benefits package. Eligibility and contribution requirements for some of these benefits vary based on the number of hours staff work per week.

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible Time Off
• Pre‑determined holidays
• 401(k) plan
• Flexible benefits plans
• Business‑related travel expense reimbursement
• Lodging reimbursement
• Meal reimbursement for business‑related use
• Pension plan for eligible administrative and paraprofessional staff
• Discretionary bonus plan for eligible staff
• Option for elective health insurance for contingent staff positions
• Limited paid sick time for contingent staff positions

The compensation range reflects the base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this position across our offices in the following regions: CO, IL, OH, and MA. Please review the position description for the applicable geographic location. Generally, experienced hires are not hired at or near the maximum salary range, as compensation decisions take into account a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to: responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and geography. For early career roles, including campus hires, we offer standardized, market‑based starting salaries among individuals within the same hiring group. This approach ensures fairness and reflects current industry benchmarks for entry‑level talent.

Under Colorado’s Job Application Fairness Act, you have the right to redact, from any documents that you submit in connection with your application, information that identifies your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. Should you wish to exercise your right to redact such information, please redact it prior to submitting documentation.

The compensation range for this role in CO, IL, OH, and MA is: $24.00 - $34.00 #LI-CB1

This application window is a good‑faith estimate of the time that this posting will remain open. This deadline will be promptly updated if the deadline is extended.

Our founders often referred to our firm as "a people firm disguised as an accounting firm." Why? Because people are at the core of everything we do, and our firm was built on values and principles that support this philosophy to this day.