Business Development Officer

The Role

This is a business development role, responsible for originating, developing, and growing new trust and fiduciary business for Trident Trust (South Dakota), Inc. The successful candidate will possess deep technical expertise in U.S. wealth planning, trust administration, fiduciary services, and estate planning, with international planning experience a plus. This role requires a proven ability to engage and manage sophisticated client and intermediary relationships while balancing business development objectives with fiduciary, regulatory, compliance, and operational considerations. The individual will actively identify and develop new opportunities, expand the firm’s trust platform across domestic and international structures, and effectively articulate the firm’s capabilities and value proposition in the marketplace. The position requires a collaborative team player who can partner within the South Dakota office but also across business lines and jurisdictions, contribute to strategic growth initiatives, and serve as a subject matter resource within the organization. This role reports to the President of the Trust Services Division and is a remote position.

Duties

• Proactively identify, pursue, and convert new business opportunities for Trident’s trust and fiduciary services platform
• Build, develop, and maintain a strong pipeline through active engagement with professional intermediaries, including attorneys, CPAs, RIAs, family offices, private banks, and other referral sources
• Arrange and lead meetings with prospective clients and intermediaries with the objective of originating and closing new business
• Take ownership of relationships throughout the full lifecycle, from initial sourcing through onboarding and long-term development
• Prepare and deliver tailored proposals, presentations, fiduciary structures, and planning solutions in coordination with internal teams
• Participate in the development and presentation of complex planning structures, including domestic and cross-border solutions
• Collaborate closely with trust administration, compliance, onboarding, and operations teams to ensure seamless onboarding and execution
• Achieve and exceed assigned sales and revenue targets, with clear accountability for performance
• Maintain consistent follow-up and relationship management to generate repeat and referral business
• Utilize CRM systems to track pipeline activity, manage relationships, and report to senior management
• Stay current on legal, tax, regulatory, and market developments affecting fiduciary and wealth planning
• Communicate pipeline activity, client developments, and strategic opportunities to senior management
• Contribute to internal knowledge-sharing by communicating planning developments and market trends to colleagues
• Support marketing and thought leadership efforts, including participation in conferences, presentations, and technical content development
• Operate in alignment with fiduciary standards, risk frameworks, and compliance requirements
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities 

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience of trust administration and/or business development within trust, fiduciary, wealth management, private banking, or related financial services
• Demonstrated track record of originating and closing new business and achieving revenue targets
• Strong network of professional intermediaries relevant to trust and fiduciary services
• Deep understanding of U.S. trust and estate planning concepts, fiduciary structures, and wealth planning strategies
  Working knowledge of trust administration, fiduciary operations, and trust document analysis
• Familiarity with AML/KYC requirements, onboarding procedures, and fiduciary compliance standards
• Knowledge of cross-border and international planning structures strongly is a plus
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex planning concepts
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams and jurisdictions
• Professional presence, high ethical standards, and strong client service orientation
   

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field required
• JD, CTFA, CFP®, CFA®, CPA, or similar professional designation strongly preferred
• Significant experience in the financial services industry, with emphasis on trust and fiduciary services
• Experience working with South Dakota trust structures or comparable jurisdictions is required 

Equal Employment Opportunity

Trident Trust provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.