Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Trust Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Trust Technician is the operational cornerstone of the fiduciary services team, providing essential administrative and technical support to Trust Officers and Administrators. This role is instrumental in the day-to-day management of trust and estate accounts, ensuring seamless execution of financial transactions, meticulous record-keeping, and compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements. A successful Trust Technician combines a sharp eye for detail with a client-focused mindset, acting as a reliable internal hub for account activity and a key contributor to the integrity and efficiency of our wealth management operations. This position is critical for maintaining client confidence and enabling senior staff to focus on strategic relationship management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Financial Services Administrative Assistant
Paralegal (Trusts & Estates)
Bank Operations Associate or Senior Teller

Advancement To:

Trust Administrator or Senior Trust Administrator
Trust Officer
Fiduciary Specialist or Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Wealth Management Operations Specialist
Compliance Analyst (Fiduciary)
Client Service Associate (Private Banking)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Execute timely and accurate discretionary and non-discretionary distributions from trust accounts, ensuring all requests are properly documented and authorized in accordance with trust agreements.
Diligently process and verify incoming deposits, wire transfers, and ACH transactions, ensuring funds are credited to the correct accounts and properly coded.
Manage the complete bill payment process for trust accounts, including setting up recurring payments, verifying invoices, and ensuring payments are made on schedule to avoid penalties.
Initiate the setup of new trust and estate accounts on the fiduciary accounting system, meticulously entering all required client data, asset information, and account-specific coding.
Proactively monitor account cash balances, raising flags for low or overdrawn positions and executing necessary cash movements or liquidations as directed by the Trust Officer.
Facilitate the transfer of assets into and out of trust accounts, coordinating with brokers, transfer agents, and other financial institutions to ensure a smooth and timely settlement.
Prepare and assemble comprehensive administrative reviews and client-facing reports, ensuring data accuracy and compliance with internal policies before submission to the Trust Officer.
Serve as a key point of contact for routine client inquiries, providing exceptional service and resolving operational questions regarding account activity, balances, and transaction status.
Maintain immaculate and audit-ready client files, both digital and physical, by organizing legal documents, correspondence, and transaction records in a systematic manner.
Assist in the complex process of estate settlement by gathering asset information, processing final expenses, and coordinating with legal counsel and other involved parties.
Support the tax reporting process by gathering necessary data for the preparation of Forms 1099, 5498, and K-1s, and collaborating with the tax team to ensure accuracy.
Conduct daily reconciliation of cash and asset positions between the trust accounting system and custodian banks, identifying and resolving any discrepancies promptly.
Perform account maintenance duties, including updating client contact information, processing address changes, and managing standing instruction updates in the CRM and trust systems.
Assist Trust Officers in preparing materials and documentation for client meetings, ensuring all relevant financial statements and performance reports are ready and accurate.
Onboard newly acquired assets into client accounts, ensuring they are correctly valued, titled, and integrated into the trust accounting platform.
Calculate, process, and track management and administrative fees, ensuring they are charged in accordance with the governing document and fee schedules.
Review governing trust instruments and legal documents to extract key administrative provisions and ensure account setup and ongoing management align with the grantor's intent.
Collaborate closely with internal partners in investments, tax, and legal departments to facilitate multi-disciplinary client service and resolve complex operational issues.
Participate in internal and external audits by providing requested documentation, explaining processes, and assisting in the remediation of any identified findings.
Generate and analyze various operational reports, such as transaction summaries, cash flow projections, and exception reports, to support effective account management.
Support the account closing process by ensuring all assets have been distributed, all fees and taxes have been paid, and all final reporting has been completed and filed.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency in trust accounting software (e.g., SEI Trust 3000, FIS AddVantage, AccuTrust, or similar platforms).
Advanced competency in the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel for data manipulation, reconciliation, and reporting.
Strong understanding of basic accounting and bookkeeping principles, including debits, credits, and general ledger functions.
Knowledge of financial transactions, including wire transfers, ACH, security trades, and asset transfers.
Experience with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for client data and interaction tracking.
Familiarity with reading and interpreting legal documents such as trust agreements, wills, and powers of attorney.
Ability to perform accurate data entry with a high degree of speed and precision.
Understanding of financial markets and different asset types (equities, fixed income, mutual funds).
Knowledge of compliance and regulatory standards within the banking and fiduciary industry (e.g., KYC, AML).
Experience with document management systems and maintaining digital records.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy and quality.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for clear and professional interaction with clients and colleagues.
A high level of discretion and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with integrity.
Proactive problem-solving abilities and a resourceful mindset to investigate and resolve issues independently.
A client-centric mindset with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service and support.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team.
Adaptability and a willingness to learn new systems, processes, and industry concepts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate's degree or equivalent work experience in a related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Finance
Business Administration
Accounting
Paralegal Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-5 years of direct experience in trust operations, wealth management support, paralegal work (trusts & estates), or financial services operations.

Preferred:

Experience working directly within a bank trust department or an independent trust company. Professional certifications such as the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) are highly valued but not required.