Senior Trust Administrator

Briar Hall LLC (“Briar Hall”) is a full-service private family office.  This position is based in our main office in downtown Chicago. We offer a flexible hybrid work environment with a typical week being three days in the office and two days remote.

The Senior Trust Administrator will support the administration of family trusts and the operations of a regulated private trust company (“PTC”), ensuring compliance with fiduciary standards, legal requirements, and internal policies. This role serves as a key liaison between both family members and internal teams.  The Senior Trust Administrator will report to the Vice President, Trust Services. 

 Key Responsibilities:

• Lead specified trust and client relationships, including oversight of the daily administration needs
• Draft or review discretionary distribution requests and annual account reviews in accordance with the PTC’s policies and procedures manual
• Assist with the process of onboarding new trusts to the PTC
• Assist with meetings of the PTC committees and individual family trustees by preparing meeting materials and documenting and executing decisions
• Assist with the implementation of trust administration processes and workflows
• Collaborate with the accounting team on financial matters such as distribution calculations, income and principal allocations, and cash management 
• Prepare annual long-term cashflow projections for family trusts 
• Partner with internal and external tax professionals to manage the trust tax compliance process, ensuring timely information gathering and accurate filings of tax returns
• Assist with preparation and presentation of trust education content for beneficiaries and internal team members
• Special projects as necessary

The ideal candidate will have between 5-7 years of trust administration experience, preferably at a large corporate fiduciary or private trust company.  Strong communication skills and the ability to think multiple steps ahead and anticipate needs will serve well in this role.  Service excellence to all internal and external stakeholders must come naturally to this person.  Briar Hall employees are expected to act with integrity and discretion, always.

Desired skills and characteristics include:  

• Strong understanding of trust administration concepts, fiduciary standards, estate planning, and transfer taxes, including a demonstrated ability to interpret trust documents
• High level of organization, attention to detail, and respect for process
• Professional, confident and positive demeanor
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability
• High level of personal motivation, initiative, and discretion
• Ability to handle multiple competing priorities and organize tasks effectively
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written 
• Collaborative and a team player
• Strong aptitude for technology, including Microsoft Office products and CRM

Education requirements

A bachelor's degree in finance or accounting is preferred.  A law degree or Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation is recommended.