Trust Operations Analyst

First American•Santa Ana, CA

About The Position

This role performs complex trust operations and accounting activities, including account reconciliations, cash processing, trade settlements, disbursements, and trust account maintenance. It serves as a key resource for the team, ensuring transaction accuracy and integrity, supporting audits and process improvements, guiding less experienced staff, and helping maintain efficient day-to-day trust operations in a highly regulated environment. The position leads or serves as a subject matter expert for the department or function and provides backup support across departmental functional areas. It performs accounting functions for trust accounts, completes monthly certifications of critical general ledger and other accounts, identifies discrepancies, and prepares and reconciles accounting entries and daily activity. It also processes complex disbursements, income, liability payments, trust fees, and settlement instructions in accordance with procedures and account instructions. The role troubleshoots problems, supports data integrity and daily system processes, answers questions and assists less experienced employees, works on assigned projects, and helps create and monitor procedures.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
At least 4 years in a bank trust department or at a trust company in an operations role.
Experience working with trust accounting systems and trust-related transactions.
Strong understanding of trust operations, account reconciliations, settlements, cash processing, and general ledger controls.
Demonstrated ability to identify, research, and resolve complex operational issues.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple priorities accurately in a deadline-driven environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to guide and train less experienced team members.
Ability to work independently with limited supervision and exercise sound judgment in decision-making.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead or serve as a subject matter expert for the department or function and provide backup support across departmental functional areas.
Perform trust account accounting functions, including cash receipts, cash disbursements, income collection, trade settlement, and control of the trust accounting system.
Perform monthly certifications (audits) of critical general ledger and other accounts, identifying discrepancies for management review and correction.
Input accounting entries; prepare and balance or reconcile the daily blotter to the trust accounting system; balance and process checks; review and process reject items; and receive, distribute, and file related documents.
Troubleshoot problems and ensure data integrity, including daily backup and preparation of systems for transmission of daily data and activity.
Prepare, control, and process complex disbursements, income, note and other liability payments, and trust fees to and from trust accounts accurately and on time in accordance with established procedures.
Process settlement instructions and settle funds for assigned accounts in accordance with instructions.
Answer questions from less experienced employees, help resolve problems, and provide resources and information.
Work on special projects assigned by the department manager.
Assist in creating and monitoring procedures.