Senior Trust Advisor

Vanguard has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Trust Advisor to join our team and work in our Scottsdale, AZ, Charlotte, NC, or Newtown Square, PA locations. You will provide trust administrative services to corporate trustee clients and clearly communicate Vanguard’s corporate trustee offer and provide recommendations that are consistent with VNTC requirements and client objectives. You'll work in a collaborative team environment partnering with internal representatives to serve client needs and provide coaching/mentoring for employee development.  A CTFA is highly preferred.

This role:

• Administers the large and complex corporate trustee relationships.  Interacts with ultra high net worth clients, their families and advisors (e.g. attorneys, CPAs) to insure complex financial and estate plans are properly implemented. Develops thorough understanding of client’s needs and trust and wealth planning strategies and provides additional planning solutions as needed.  
• Responsible for evaluation of new business by completing comprehensive review of trust documents to ensure compliance with Vanguard National Trust Company (VNTC) criteria for trustee appointments. Provides recommendations to acceptance committee as to suitability to trust management. Recommends alternatives to clients that are consistent with VNTC requirements and client objectives. Partners with the assigned internal business partner to determine client strategy for deepening client relationships.
• Provides one-time consultations to clients as appropriate for the client situation.  Demonstrates a mastery of Client Relationship Management (CRM) skills along with strong written and verbal communication skills to build and strengthen client relationships.
• Leads business development processes, as needed, with prospective clients to deepen relationships and determine appropriate advice solution.
• Manages fiduciary actions including discretionary distributions, document interpretation, tax compliance and account maintenance. Oversees day-to-day administration of assigned accounts and onboarding process for new trust accounts. Maintains all fiduciary and administrative documents and history for each client relationship as necessary for administrative management, continuity, and support of reviews by compliance and regulatory agencies.  Conducts required reviews of trust accounts to ensure compliance with the terms of the trust document and all applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Utilizes department tools and technology to provide the optimal client experience. Partners with the assigned internal representative for the client to meet all client financial planning needs.
• Provides fiduciary guidance and training as necessary to assist and develop peers and financial advisors.
• Promotes professional development by maintaining an in-depth understanding of trust administration, wealth planning techniques and the corporate trustee services industry. Stays abreast of significant changes or developments (e.g. taxation, regulatory, legal, and competitive) within the corporate trustee services field. Maintains all required licenses and designations.
• Maintains an in-depth understanding of compliance, regulatory and departmental policies and procedures, including a thorough knowledge of the regulatory requirements for Vanguard's anti-money laundering policies and procedures.
• Continuously identifies process improvement opportunities along with business solutions.  Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.

What it takes:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation (or ability to obtain within 1 year of assuming position) or Certified Financial Planner designation required.
• Minimum of five years related to personal trust administration and client relationship management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop internal business partners.
• Exceptional client relationship management skills – both internal and external client facing.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Positive attitude with the ability to effectively change and adapt in a continual and rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member, balance multiple responsibilities simultaneously, and demonstrate exceptional time-management skills.

Special Factors

• Occasional overnight travel required.

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

We are Vanguard. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests.

For us, investing doesn’t just end in value. It starts with values. Because when you invest with courage, when you invest with clarity, and when you invest with care, you can get so much more in return. We invest with purpose – and that’s how we’ve become a global market leader. Here, we grow by doing the right thing for the people we serve. And so can you.

We want to make success accessible to everyone. This is our opportunity. Let’s make it count.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose.

Our core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Future of Work

During the pandemic, we transitioned to a work from home model for the majority of our crew and we continue to interview, hire, and on-board future crew remotely.

As we have developed the path forward, we have taken a thoughtful approach that both maximizes the advantages of working remotely and the many benefits of coming together and collaborating in a shared workspace. We believe that in-person interactions among our crew are important for preserving our unique culture and advantageous for the personal development of our crew.

When our Crew return to the office, many will work in our hybrid model. A smaller proportion of our crew will operate in the Work from Home work model (for example, field sales crew); or in the Work from Office model (for example, portfolio managers).

The working model that your role falls into will be communicated to you in the interview process – please do ask if you are unsure. We encourage you to make the decision regarding your job interview and offer knowing which model your role will fall into. We will test and learn as our ways of working evolve and will continue to evaluate working models along the way.