Trust Officer / Senior Trust Officer

Department

Trust

Location

Guernsey

Description

Saffery Trust is a director‑led firm of individually expert, collectively exceptional people. We help clients optimise their personal and business wealth and create lasting legacies.

Benefits

• 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

Role Summary

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 day‑to‑day administration and provision of excellent client service to a defined portfolio of clients.

Responsibilities

As part of a friendly and progressive environment, the role will undertake a broad range of duties.

Officer Responsibilities

• Ensure all information on the client database and statutory records are set up and maintained. Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date shareholder and beneficial owner information with the relevant company registers.
• Ensure bookkeeping is accurate and all necessary information is available to prepare accounts. Assist with queries arising from the production of accounts and review accounts where appropriate.
• Open and close entity bank accounts and ensure full understanding of any funds received into client bank accounts and that payments are made in line with policies and procedures. Monitor cash balances on client bank accounts in line with Investment Review Committee recommendations and take appropriate action to avoid overdrawn positions and large uninvested cash balances.
• Ensure knowledge of clients and that their instructions are fulfilled, with manager support.
• Attend client meetings as required and prepare all documentation as required.
• Review and understand all categories of investments/assets and reporting. Liaise with investment advisors regarding the requirements of the Investment Review Committee and maintain Investment Policy Statements as required.
• Incorporate legal entities and form trusts in common jurisdictions, while observing registry requirements.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the firm’s policies and procedures and ensure work adheres to the same; provide guidance to less experienced team members.
• Complete tax compliance reviews and ensure structures are managed in line with tax advice and tax related deadlines are met.
• Ensure financial targets and time utilisation are met in accordance with objectives.
• Maintain the timekeeping system and assist less experienced team members in selecting the relevant time codes. Identify opportunities to monitor aspects of client work through use of projects. Manage cashflow and produce client fee invoices.
• Identify opportunities for staff development through providing feedback.
• Assume authorised signatory responsibilities as appropriate.

Senior Officer Responsibilities

• Ensure all necessary client database and statutory records are set up and maintained, noting inconsistencies and potential changes for review and/or follow‑up and develop an awareness of jurisdictional requirements.
• Ensure bookkeeping is accurate and all relevant information is available to prepare accounts. Assist with queries arising in the production and review of accounts as appropriate.
• Open and close entity bank accounts and ensure full understanding of any funds received into client bank accounts. Monitor cash balances and take appropriate action to avoid overdrawn positions and large uninvested cash balances.
• Ensure knowledge of clients, including statutory obligations, and that client instructions are fulfilled in liaison with the manager.
• Attend client meetings as required and prepare all documentation as required.
• Review and understand all categories of investments/assets and reporting. Liaise with investment advisors regarding Investment Review Committee requirements and maintain investment policy statements.
• Review and discuss required documentation with senior team members and provide clarification to less experienced team members.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the company’s policies and procedures through review and approval of work and provide guidance to less experienced team members, demonstrating awareness of commerciality and risk within the client portfolio.
• Ensure tax advice has been received and reviewed for transactions and shared with the tax team. Keep abreast of tax changes and proactively discuss with relevant parties; manage warning messages relating to tax for own entities.
• Ensure financial targets and time utilisation are met in accordance with set objectives. Maintain the timekeeping system and assist less experienced team members in selecting relevant time codes. Identify opportunities to monitor aspects of client work through use of projects. Manage cashflow and produce client fee invoices.
• Coach and monitor individual progress on a regular basis to provide constructive feedback to support development needs.
• Identify opportunities for staff development through providing feedback.
• Assume authorised signatory responsibilities as appropriate.

Qualifications

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 CPD requirements.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to converse with a range of people and produce documentation of 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 and demonstrate 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 CPD requirements.
• Very good written and verbal communication skills and the ability to converse with a range of people and 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 and ability to monitor performance.