Trust Officer / Senior Trust Officer

Trust Officer / Senior Trust Officer

Department: Trust

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Guernsey

Reporting To: Trust Manager

Description

Who we are

Saffery Trust is a director-led firm of individually expert, collectively exceptional people. We help clients to optimise their personal and business wealth and to create lasting legacies. We have the freedom and agility to act in the moment, and the wisdom and experience to plan for the long-term.

Established in Guernsey in 1977, we are one of the largest independent private client firms in the island. As an accredited STEP Platinum Employer Partner, we offer great benefits, including: 

• a competitive salary
• flexible working and dress for your day policies
• full financial support and study leave for professional development
• top-level health insurance for our people
• annual performance-based bonuses
• e-bikes free for staff use and opportunities to take part in green initiatives
• regular sports and social events as well as opportunities to support local charities 

The role

We’re looking for an experienced Trust professional who demonstrates our core values and wants to build a rewarding career delivering client service excellence. 
This role is a permanent contract and will be responsible for the day-to-day administration and provision of excellent client service to a defined portfolio of clients.

The responsibilities

You’ll be working in a friendly and progressive environment as a member of the team to undertake a broad range of duties including:

Officer:

• ensuring all information on the client database and statutory records are set up and maintained, including accurate and up to date shareholder and beneficial owner information with the relevant company registers.  Following up on indications from the client when something has changed
• ensuring bookkeeping is accurate and all relevant information is available to enable the accounts to be prepared. Assisting with queries arising from the production of accounts and reviewing of accounts where appropriate
• opening and closing entity bank accounts and ensuring full understanding of any funds received into client bank accounts and that payments are made in line with policies and procedures. Monitoring cash balances on client bank accounts in line with Investment Review Committee recommendations and taking appropriate action to avoid overdrawn positions and large uninvested cash balances
• ensuring knowledge of clients and that their instructions are fulfilled, with manager support 
• attending client meetings as required, and preparing all documentation as required
• reviewing and understanding all categories of investments/assets and reporting. Liaising with investment advisors regarding the requirements of the Investment Review Committee and maintaining the Investment Policy Statements as required
• incorporating legal entities and forming trusts in common jurisdictions, while observing registry requirements
• demonstrating a good understanding of the firms’ policies and procedures and ensuring that work adheres to the same and provide guidance to less experienced team members to ensure their awareness of risk and the potential implications
• completing tax compliance reviews and ensuring structures are managed in line with tax advice and that tax related deadlines are met
• ensuring that financial targets and time utilisation are met in accordance with objectives.
• maintaining the timekeeping system and assisting less experienced team members in selecting the relevant time codes. Identifying opportunities to monitor aspects of client work through use of projects.  Managing cashflow and producing client fee invoices
• identifying opportunities for staff development through providing feedback
• assuming authorised signatory responsibilities as appropriate

Senior Officer:

• ensuring all necessary client database and statutory records are set up and maintained, noting inconsistencies and potential changes for review and /or follow-up.  Developing an awareness of the differences between jurisdictional requirements
• ensuring bookkeeping is accurate and all relevant information is available to enable the preparation of accounts. Assisting with queries arising in the production and reviewing of accounts as appropriate
• opening and closing entity bank accounts and ensuring full understanding of any funds received into client bank accounts and that payments are made in line with policies and procedures.  Monitoring cash balances on client bank accounts in line with the Investment Review Committee recommendations and taking appropriate action to avoid overdrawn positions and large uninvested cash balances
• ensuring knowledge of clients, to include statutory obligations and that client instructions are fulfilled, in liaison with the manager
• attending client meetings as required, and preparing all documentation as required
• reviewing and understanding all categories of investments /assets and reporting.  Liaising with investment advisors regarding the requirements of the Investment Review Committee and maintaining investment policy statements, as required
• reviewing and discussing required documentation with senior team members and providing clarification to less experienced team members
• demonstrating a sound understanding of the company’s policies and procedures through the review and approval of work and providing guidance to less experienced team members, demonstrating awareness of commerciality and risk within the client portfolio 
• ensuring tax advice has been received and reviewed for transactions and shared with the tax team.  Keeping abreast of tax changes and proactively discussing with relevant parties, managing warning messages relating to tax for own entities
• ensuring financial targets and time utilisation are met in accordance with set objectives, Maintaining the timekeeping system and assisting less experienced team members in selecting the relevant time codes. Identifying opportunities to monitor aspects of client work through use of projects.  Managing cashflow and produce client fee invoices
• coaching and monitoring individual progress on a regular basis to provide constructive feedback to support development needs
• identifying opportunities for staff development through providing feedback
• assuming authorised signatory responsibilities, as appropriate

You

Officer:

• very good technical knowledge and understanding to enable delivery of a range of activities within the Trust arena along with a base knowledge of tax and ability to develop a wider awareness of tax changes
• may have attained or be working towards STEP or CGI, or equivalent, along with meeting your CPD requirements 
• effective communication skills and the ability to converse with a range of people along with the ability to produce documentation of a slight to moderately complex nature with high accuracy and attention to detail
• ability to identify and resolve slight to moderately complex issues, with support and direction
• pro-active and self-sufficient to meet deadlines and objectives, with support and direction, as required
• ability to work to specified standards and service levels along with demonstrating a wider thought process around tasks, such as potential impact of actions and associated risk
• lead by example by evidencing a positive and committed approach

Senior Officer:

• sound technical knowledge and demonstrated technical ability within the Trust arena along with knowledge of tax, registry requirements and corporate governance 
• may have attained or be working towards STEP or CGI, or equivalent, along with meeting your CPD requirements 
• very good written and verbal communication skills and the ability to converse with a range of people along with the ability to develop effective internal and external relationships 
• ability to produce and/or review documentation which may be of a moderately complex nature with high attention to detail and accuracy
• demonstrated analysis skills to enable suggestions of improvement to working methods or suggestions for new processes
• demonstrated ability to work to deadlines and project plans (some of which may involve mid-term planning) with moderate direction to ensure that objectives are achieved 
• ability to consider the most appropriate solutions to a given situation and suggest the most relevant course of action while considering the impact on the business and client service excellence 
• supervisory skills to enable prioritisation and assignment of work along with the ability to monitor performance