Trust Administrator

ABOUT OUR COMPANY

Bridgeford Trust Company is a fast-growing and well-known South Dakota trust company. South Dakota has a thriving trust industry that has become a global leader in the field. Bridgeford services high-net-worth clients across the country and around the globe as a trustee, primarily of directed trusts. Bridgeford offers meaningful opportunities for professional development and advancement. We are looking for individuals who want to learn, take ownership of their work, develop specialized knowledge, and grow with a collaborative, forward-thinking company.

START DATE

January 2027

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

Bridgeford Trust Company is seeking a Trust Administrator to join its Sioux Falls office and assist with the general administration and operation of trust accounts. This is an excellent entry-level or early-career opportunity for someone who wants to begin a career in the trust industry.

The Trust Administrator will work extensively and collaboratively with both Bridgeford’s Trust Officers and Trust Operations team. The position will help connect the day-to-day administrative needs of trust relationships with the operational work necessary to carry out trust activity accurately and efficiently. This includes coordinating account onboarding, distributions and other transactions, account maintenance, document and information collection, trust reviews, pending items, client requests, and other activities necessary for the ongoing administration of trust accounts.

The Trust Administrator will work closely with Trust Officers, Senior Trust Officers, Senior Vice Presidents, Trust Operations professionals, and other Bridgeford employees. This position will frequently help coordinate information and workflow between these teams, making strong communication, organization, follow-through, and teamwork particularly important.

This role is designed to provide broad exposure to both the administrative and operational sides of the trust industry. The successful candidate will learn how trusts are established, accepted, funded, administered, reviewed, maintained, and ultimately closed. The Trust Administrator will also gain experience working with sophisticated clients and their attorneys, accountants, investment advisors, family offices, custodians, and other professional advisors.

Prior trust experience is not required. Bridgeford will provide training, resources, and professional development opportunities to help the successful candidate build a strong foundation in trust administration. This position is particularly well suited for an organized, curious, and detail-oriented individual who wants to accept meaningful responsibility early in their career and who may be interested in developing into a Trust Officer or another fiduciary professional over time.

FUNCTIONS

Trust Account Onboarding

• Assist with onboarding new trust relationships using Bridgeford’s established processes, systems, forms, and checklists.
• Review onboarding materials for completeness and help obtain required documents, identifying information, signatures, tax forms, and other information from relevant parties.
• Assist with background checks, regulatory reviews, client due diligence, and other required onboarding processes.
• Enter and maintain information in Bridgeford’s client due diligence platform and other internal systems and organize trust agreements, acceptance documents, identification records, and related materials.
• Coordinate with Trust Officers and Trust Operations to move prospective and newly accepted relationships through onboarding and initial funding.
• Track outstanding requirements, follow up on incomplete items, provide status updates, and establish organized trust files.

Trust Officer and Trust Operations Collaboration

• Serve as a day-to-day administrative resource to Trust Officers and work closely with Trust Operations to support effective trust administration.
• Coordinate distributions, receipts, asset activity, account maintenance, funding, account closings, and other authorized trust activity.
• Help ensure Trust Operations receives the information, documentation, approvals, and instructions necessary to process requests.
• Track operational requests through completion and communicate exceptions, delays, rejected items, or unresolved matters to the supervising Trust Officer.
• Work with Trust Operations to research and resolve routine administrative and operational issues affecting assigned accounts.
• Maintain communication regarding pending items, priorities, deadlines, and account activity.
• Recognize matters requiring Trust Officer approval or additional review and avoid making fiduciary, discretionary, investment, legal, tax, or other decisions outside the position’s authority.

Trust Administration Support

• Work collaboratively with Trust Officers to support the ongoing administration of assigned trust accounts.
• Complete delegated administrative responsibilities and manage recurring workflows, deadlines, documentation, and follow-up.
• Review account activity and pending matters and identify items requiring Trust Officer attention.
• Prepare administrative forms, correspondence, summaries, reports, internal requests, and supporting documentation.
• Maintain organized account records reflecting material communications, decisions, requests, and completed work.
• Develop familiarity with assigned trust relationships, including governing documents, parties, administrative structures, deadlines, and unique requirements.
• Promptly escalate substantive, unusual, discretionary, legal, tax, compliance, or fiduciary matters.

Distribution, Investment, and Administrative Requests

• Assist with processing distribution, investment, asset movement, and other account requests as directed by a supervising Trust Officer.
• Prepare required forms and documentation and help obtain necessary signatures, approvals, instructions, invoices, tax forms, and supporting materials.
• Coordinate with Trust Officers, Trust Operations, custodians, clients, beneficiaries, advisors, and other parties to facilitate processing.
• Track requests from receipt through completion and maintain appropriate documentation of approvals and completed activity.
• Escalate unusual, time-sensitive, high-risk, or potentially discretionary matters to the supervising Trust Officer.

Trust Instrument Review

• Perform initial administrative reviews of trust instruments using Bridgeford’s established systems, templates, and checklists.
• Identify and summarize provisions relevant to trustees, beneficiaries, advisors, protectors, investment and distribution authority, tax matters, governing law, situs, and administration.
• Enter relevant trust information into Bridgeford’s systems and compare account records against governing documents.
• Identify inconsistencies or provisions requiring review by a Trust Officer, Legal, Compliance, outside counsel, or another appropriate professional.
• Develop trust-reading and summarization skills through training and progressively more complex assignments.

Administrative Reviews and Account Oversight

• Assist with Annual Administrative Reviews, Post-Acceptance Reviews, and other required periodic account reviews.
• Gather and organize information and help verify that account records, interested-party information, administrative provisions, and supporting documentation remain current.
• Identify missing or outdated information and matters requiring Trust Officer attention.
• Prepare review materials, track outstanding items, and maintain documentation supporting completed reviews and follow-up.

Pending Items and Unfunded Trust Tracking

• Maintain accurate tracking of pending matters for assigned trust relationships, including outstanding documents, signatures, funding, asset transfers, tax information, administrative requests, and reviews.
• Track accepted but unfunded trusts and follow up regarding funding, asset transfers, required documentation, and timing.
• Communicate with Trust Officers, Trust Operations, clients, advisors, custodians, and other parties regarding outstanding matters.
• Provide timely status updates and follow matters through completion or resolution.
• Escalate delayed or difficult-to-resolve matters and maintain reliable tracking systems so important items do not fall through the cracks.

Client Due Diligence and Information Maintenance

• Maintain accurate client and interested-party information within Bridgeford’s client due diligence platform and other internal systems.
• Obtain and update identification, tax forms, contact information, entity records, certifications, and other required documentation.
• Monitor outdated or expiring information and assist with periodic due diligence reviews.
• Maintain confidentiality and promptly report missing information, inconsistencies, or potential concerns.

Client and Professional Advisor Service

• Communicate professionally and responsively with clients, beneficiaries, attorneys, accountants, investment advisors, trust protectors, family offices, custodians, and other professional advisors.
• Assist Trust Officers with routine communications and help explain administrative requirements, documentation needs, and process status.
• Promptly acknowledge requests and route legal, tax, investment, discretionary, compliance, and other specialized questions to the appropriate professional.
• Support existing client relationships and, when requested, assist with prospective-client and new-business matters.

Document and File Management

• Maintain complete, accurate, and organized electronic and physical trust files in accordance with Bridgeford’s document-management standards.
• Properly save, name, categorize, and file governing documents, correspondence, reviews, approvals, administrative forms, identification records, and other materials.
• Review files for missing, duplicate, outdated, or misfiled documents.
• Follow Bridgeford’s naming, record-retention, privacy, confidentiality, and document-management requirements.

Reporting, Filings, and Special Projects

• Prepare or assist with reports, filings, correspondence, account summaries, review materials, and other administrative work.
• Gather information requested by Trust Officers, Trust Operations, Legal, Compliance, Taxation, auditors, regulators, and other authorized parties.
• Assist with regulatory filings, notices, certifications, and information requests as directed.
• Participate in process improvement, data cleanup, system testing, conversions, and other departmental or firm-wide projects.
• Assist with developing and maintaining forms, checklists, templates, procedures, and training resources.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative processes and assume progressively more complex responsibilities as knowledge and experience develop.

Learning and Professional Development

• Develop working knowledge of trust administration, fiduciary responsibilities, directed trusts, South Dakota trust concepts, and Bridgeford’s services.
• Develop familiarity with the responsibilities of trustees, Trust Officers, trust administrators, advisors, protectors, beneficiaries, grantors, attorneys, accountants, custodians, and other parties.
• Participate in training, departmental meetings, educational programs, and professional development opportunities.
• Build knowledge of relevant fiduciary, tax, accounting, legal, compliance, operational, and regulatory concepts.
• Seek and apply feedback and pursue relevant industry education or professional designations as appropriate.
• Demonstrate an interest in developing toward a Trust Officer or another advanced fiduciary-services position.

Professional Standards and Teamwork

• Perform responsibilities with integrity, professionalism, sound judgment, confidentiality, and respect for Bridgeford’s fiduciary obligations.
• Comply with Bridgeford’s policies, procedures, internal controls, confidentiality requirements, and employee handbook.
• Work collaboratively across Trust Administration, Trust Operations, Legal, Compliance, Taxation, Accounting, Business Development, and other teams.
• Manage competing priorities responsibly, communicate workload or timing concerns promptly, and follow assigned matters through completion.
• Seek additional direction when necessary and incorporate constructive feedback.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

DEVELOPMENTAL AND HANDS-ON EXPECTATION

This is a hands-on trust administration position. The Trust Administrator will be expected to perform detailed administrative work, maintain accurate records, organize documentation, monitor deadlines, communicate with internal and external parties, follow up on outstanding items, and help ensure assigned responsibilities are completed thoroughly and timely.

The successful candidate is not expected to begin the role as an experienced trust professional. Training will be provided. However, the individual must be prepared to learn complex concepts, accept feedback, take ownership of assigned responsibilities, and steadily develop the judgment and knowledge necessary to support sophisticated trust relationships.

As the Trust Administrator’s experience and technical knowledge grow, the individual may receive increasingly complex assignments, greater account responsibility, and additional opportunities to work directly with clients and professional advisors. For someone who demonstrates strong performance, sound judgment, initiative, and a genuine interest in fiduciary services, this position can provide an excellent foundation for advancement into a Trust Officer or other professional role within Bridgeford.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

• Training will be provided as needed. A candidate does not need prior trust-industry experience to thrive in this role.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Interest in trust administration, fiduciary services, financial services, private wealth, estate planning, law, taxation, accounting, business, or a related professional field.
• Interest in developing toward a Trust Officer or another advanced fiduciary-services role over time.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate, complete, and organized work.
• Genuine willingness to learn unfamiliar concepts, systems, processes, and terminology.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines, and follow-up items simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills and a reliable system for tracking pending responsibilities.
• Sound analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to identify missing information, inconsistencies, potential issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Positive, adaptable, and team-oriented attitude.
• Personal initiative, accountability, and maturity to request additional direction when needed.
• Ability to complete work diligently, efficiently, and thoroughly.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise appropriate discretion.
• Sound judgment and understanding that legal, tax, investment, discretionary, compliance, and other specialized matters must be elevated to the appropriate professional.
• Comfort using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and other business applications, together with an ability to learn trust accounting, document-management, client due diligence, and workflow systems.
• Ability to work effectively in a close, collaborative team environment.
• Client-service mentality and interest in working directly with sophisticated clients and professional advisors.
• A can-do attitude and willingness to assist where needed.

Prior internship, professional, academic, or volunteer experience involving finance, accounting, banking, legal services, customer service, office administration, project coordination, or other detail-oriented work is helpful but not required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an organized, dependable, curious, and highly detail-oriented individual who wants to build a meaningful professional career in the trust industry.

GENERAL

Standard business hours are anticipated, but occasional unscheduled hours may be needed to meet high-volume, deadline-driven, tax-season, or emergency needs.

OFFERED COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Bridgeford offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Competitive base salary, based on qualifications and experience.
• Discretionary annual bonus opportunity, based on individual and Company performance.
• Employer retirement contribution in accordance with Bridgeford’s retirement plan.
• Health Savings Account contribution for eligible employees participating in Bridgeford’s applicable health plan.
• Individual or full-family medical insurance (up to $25,000) covered by Bridgeford in accordance with applicable plan terms.
• Individual or full-family dental insurance covered by Bridgeford in accordance with applicable plan terms.
• 20 paid days of paid time off, including days that may be used for illness or other personal needs.
• Parental leave.
• 14 to 16 paid holidays, as determined by Bridgeford’s employee handbook and management.
• Professional development assistance, including training, continuing education, and opportunities to develop specialized trust-industry knowledge.
• Industry education and development opportunities, including opportunities to pursue relevant professional education and credentials as experience and eligibility permit.
• Flexible scheduling in accordance with Bridgeford’s Flex Time policy.
• Company events, retreats, office lunches, and other employee activities and perks.
• Significant career-development opportunities through exposure to Trust Officers, Trust Operations professionals, sophisticated trust relationships, and other professionals across Bridgeford.
• Opportunity for advancement within a growing fiduciary organization, including the potential to develop toward a Trust Officer or other advanced trust-industry position.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance

Application Question(s):

• Are you willing to work in-person at our office in Sioux Falls?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Language:

• English fluently (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $46,427 - $65,939