Trust Officer

Brown Brothers Harriman; Wilmington (DE); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Brown Brothers Harriman in Wilmington is seeking a Trust Officer to coordinate and administer trust accounts for various clients. This role involves collaborating with relationship teams and overseeing Trust Administrators.

The ideal candidate will have 5 to 10 years of experience in trust administration, a Bachelor's degree, and expertise in trust and estate law. Strong communication and analytical skills are crucial. The position offers opportunities to engage with high net worth clients and internal teams.

Qualifications

• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in trust administration.
• Strong experience dealing with high net worth clients.
• Detailed understanding of trust and estate law and taxation.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and administer trust accounts for various clients.
• Collaborate with internal and external teams for trust administration.
• Prepare discretionary action memoranda for an internal trust committee.
• Communicate complex trust concepts clearly to clients and beneficiaries.

Skills

Trust administration

Client relationship management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Understanding of trust and estate law

Education

Bachelor's degree

CTFA or CFP preferred

JD or MBA considered

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

SunGard/FIS or trust accounting systems

Job description

The Trust Officer coordinates and administers trust accounts for various clients of Brown Brothers Harriman ("BBH") for which Brown Brothers Harriman Trust Company of Delaware, N.A. serves as trustee or as co‑trustee. This position interacts directly with BBH relationship teams, BBH clients, accountants, trusts & estates attorneys and other intermediaries as a point of contact for a defined book of business. In addition to the responsibilities provided below, the Trust Officer oversees the development of, and manages the activities of, Trust Administrators.

Key Responsibilities

• Taking primary responsibility and ownership for a diverse book of trust accounts with support from a Senior Trust Officer and/or Trust Company Management.
• Understanding and helping BBH clients with sophisticated financial situations in collaboration with relationship management teams.
• Ensuring that all aspects of trust administration are completed accurately, on a timely basis, and in accordance with fiduciary standards and BBH policies and procedures.
• Partnering with internal teams such as legal, tax, risk, and operations, along with external advisors including attorneys and CPAs to ensure proper handling, compliance, and reporting.
• Working with the internal tax team to ensure that all information needed for the preparation of fiduciary income tax returns is available, and reviewing fiduciary income tax returns prepared externally.
• Preparing discretionary action memoranda, for presentation to an internal trust committee, for distributions, investments, and other discretionary actions of BBH in its capacity as trustee.
• Participating in client meetings and prospect meetings with Relationship Managers and Wealth Planners to explain the role of BBH as trustee in general and the active role of a Trust Officer for an existing or prospective relationship.
• Communicating complex trust, estate, and private asset concepts in a clear and practical manner to clients, co‑fiduciaries, and beneficiaries.
• Providing guidance, oversight and supervision to a Trust Administrator supporting the book of trust accounts.
• Acting as an internal resource for colleagues, including the coordination of and participation in office training and the communication of best practices related to trust administration.
• Demonstrating a working knowledge of the interpretation and practical application of trust and estate document provisions and communicating complex trust and estate concepts to colleagues, co‑fiduciaries and beneficiaries.
• Reviewing document drafts (trusts, wills, releases, trustee succession instruments, modification instruments, accountings, promissory notes, etc.) prepared internally or by external counsel prior to execution.

Qualifications

• 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in trust administration
• Bachelor’s degree required
• CTFA or CFP preferred; advanced degree/designation, such as JD or MBA, considered but not required
• Strong experience in dealing directly with high net worth clients and their advisors
• Strong analytical skills and strong communication skills
• Detailed understanding of trust and estate law, personal and trust taxation, estate planning, and other financial services
• Strong working knowledge of the interpretation and practical application of trust and estate document provisions, trust and estate law, taxes, investments, and the legal framework of trust administration
• Experience with customer relationship management software, SunGard/FIS or other trust accounting systems
• Experience with Microsoft Office products, particularly Excel and Word

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other protected status under federal, state or local law.