Senior Trust Officer

Company Description:

Alta Trust Company partners with investment advisors and asset managers to help them deliver more comprehensive solutions for their clients and build more scalable businesses. The team brings real-world experience across trust, retirement, custody, and alternative investments, collaborating closely with advisors to design structures that match their operating models and client needs. Through the Alta Advisor Platform, the company integrates advanced estate and tax planning, private investments, retirement solutions, custody, and custom builds into a single, advisor-centric framework. Chartered in South Dakota, a leading trust jurisdiction, Alta leverages legal, tax, and structural advantages to make modern trust and estate planning more effective. Alta Trust is built by former advisors for advisors, keeping them at the center of the client relationship while expanding what they can offer.

Job Description:

Alta Trust Company is a growing trust company providing sophisticated fiduciary solutions across Personal Trusts, Private Funds, Common Trust Funds, Institutional Trusts, and Collective Investment Trusts. We are seeking an experienced trust professional to serve as Senior Trust Officer. The Senior Trust Officer will manage and administer a diverse book of complex fiduciary accounts, with a primary focus on personal trusts and related structures. This role includes reviewing governing instruments and related legal and financial documents, coordinating asset onboarding and money movement, and making prudent, well-documented decisions consistent with Alta’s policies, procedures, and applicable regulations. The Senior Trust Officer will serve as a key point of contact for clients and professional advisors, support team excellence through mentorship and quality control, and contribute to business development by deepening existing advisor relationships. The position offers a lean, collaborative team structure with direct access to senior leadership and the opportunity to help shape processes and best practices in a growing organization.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Account Administration and Oversight: Administer and oversee a book of trust and fiduciary accounts, with a primary focus on personal trusts and related structures, including discretionary decision-making within delegated authority.
• Governing Instrument Review: Interpret trust agreements and related legal and financial documents; ensure accurate account setup, administration, and documentation.
• Periodic Account Reviews: Conduct periodic account reviews to confirm compliance with governing documents, internal policies, and regulatory standards.
• Onboarding and Account Opening: Lead onboarding of new relationships, including funding, asset transfers, titling, account opening, and required due diligence.
• Distributions and Money Movement: Coordinate distributions and other money movement; confirm authorization, document rationale, and ensure timely execution.
• Investment and Operations Coordination: Partner with investment and operations teams to monitor investments and support trust operations, including vendor and third-party oversight.
• Client and Advisor Relationships: Maintain strong relationships with clients and professional advisors (attorneys, CPAs, and investment advisors) through responsive, proactive communication, and serve as a trusted resource for complex trust and estate planning questions.
• Business Development: Support business development by deepening relationships with existing advisors and identifying opportunities with prospective clients.
• Compliance: Support compliance activities, including BSA/AML and KYC due diligence.
• Continuous Improvement: Contribute to continuous improvement projects, process documentation, and special initiatives.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• This position has no direct reports
• Mentors junior team members and supports quality-control initiatives within the Personal Trust Services department.
• Carries out mentoring and quality-control responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required. An advanced degree or professional designations such as CTFA is preferred.
• Seven or more years of combined experience as a trust officer and/or trust administrator in fiduciary services, or equivalent experience in a regulated trust environment.
• Strong working knowledge of trusts and fiduciary principles, with a demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret governing instruments.
• Experience with trust operations, compliance, and quality control.
• Excellent judgment, attention to detail, and communication skills; a proactive and critical thinker.
• Exposure to BSA/AML and KYC due diligence is preferred.
• Investment familiarity, such as working with investment advisors and monitoring portfolios within fiduciary accounts, is preferred.
• Familiarity with SS&C trust administration software or comparable trust accounting and administration platforms is preferred.
• Experience with South Dakota trust law and directed trust administration is preferred.
• A track record of developing professional advisor relationships is preferred.
• Ability to work in person at Alta’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota office.

COMPETENCIES

• Attention to Detail - Supplies an exceptional level of accuracy and thoroughness; identifies inconsistencies; verifies calculations; ensures compliance with governing documents, policies, and industry standards.
• Judgment / Fiduciary Decision-Making - Exercises sound, prudent judgment within delegated authority; weighs the terms of the governing instrument, beneficiary interests, and policy requirements; documents the rationale for decisions.
• Analytical - Interprets trust agreements and complex legal and financial documents; Collects and researches information; Uses experience to complement data; Identifies issues and risks.
• Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Client Service / Relationship Management - Responds to client and advisor needs promptly and professionally; manages expectations; builds trust with clients, beneficiaries, and professional advisors.
• Mentorship / Teamwork - Shares knowledge and helps develop junior team members; supports quality-control efforts; collaborates effectively with investment, operations, and compliance teams.
• Integrity / Confidentiality - Safeguards confidential client information; acts in the best interest of clients and beneficiaries; upholds Alta’s fiduciary and ethical standards.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Frequently required to stand
• Occasionally required to walk
• Frequently required to sit
• Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Continually required to talk or hear
• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 10 pounds.

What We Offer

• Salary range: $100,000 - $150,000 per year, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• 401(k) plan with employer contribution
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays

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The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Alta Trust Company is an equal opportunity employer.