Senior Manager, Trusts & Estates

Summary:

Funding plays a critical role in allowing the ASPCA to achieve our mission of preventing cruelty to animals. Bequest revenue continues to grow annually, with an increasing number of files under management. The Senior Manager, Trust & Estates, will play a critical role in helping ensure these generous donations advance our lifesaving work and create meaningful change for animals.

What You’ll Do

• The Senior Manager, Trusts & Estates, will oversee administrative support of bequest files, interact with attorneys and fiduciaries, and manage a team. The Senior Manager will also elevate potential litigation or other issues to the Senior Director, Trusts & Estates. 

• The Senior Manager reports directly to the Senoir Director, Trusts & Estates, and has 3 direct reports.

Where and When You’ll Work

• This is a hybrid position that provides the ability to work remotely up to four days per week, with approximately one day per week commuting on-site to our New York City location on 8th Avenue.

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 5% annually, as needed.

What You’ll Get

Compensation

Benefits

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include but are not limited to:

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental and optional vision coverage.

• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, paid personal time, sick time, bereavement time, paid parental leave, and 10 company paid holidays that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.

• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar-for-dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.

• Robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field and so much more.

Responsibilities:

Responsibility buckets are listed in general order of importance. They include, but are not limited to:

Bequest Administration

• Review bequest correspondence and update internal bequest database
• Open new estate files and correspond with attorneys and fiduciaries
• Review correspondence and accounting statements; elevate potential litigation or problem files to Senior Director, Trusts & Estates
• Process invoices from outside trust and estate counsel hired to represent the ASPCA and maintain calculations of litigation file legal fees 
• Assist the Data team in the processing of checks, wires, and stock
• Accurately record revenue for reporting to the Planned Giving and Finance Departments
• Collaborate with Trusts & Estates Administrator on non-probate gifts

Estate Communication and Correspondence

• Follow up with delinquent estate and trust files via correspondence and telephone contacts
• Monitor the general Trusts & Estates telephone and email line to respond to communications and inquiries from trusts and estates professionals and individual fiduciaries; use critical judgment to answer inquiries and/or refer questions to the Senior Director, Trusts & Estates
• Communicate with other estate representatives on behalf of the Senior Director, Trusts & Estates as needed
• Discuss donor recognition opportunities with attorneys, fiduciaries, and decedents’ families to honor bequest gifts

Staff Management

• Manage a team of three employees to succeed in their role by communicating clear expectations, providing oversight on their work, providing opportunities for learning and development and building positive and trusting relationships.
• Support your direct reports by holding regular effective feedback conversations, career conversations, annual performance evaluations and ongoing check-in conversations with each team member on a cadence that’s appropriate for their role(s).

Qualifications:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel required
• Comfort and experience with learning new applications and software programs on a regular basis, including the ability to learn donor software, required
• Ability to use and run reports on internal bequest database
• Ability to present information clearly in oral and written form
• Self-starter with motivation to manage a busy workload and identify ways to improve efficiency throughout the team
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent judgment and discretion, especially regarding sensitive and confidential matters
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently as well as work collaboratively with all levels of staff
• Ability to effectively hire and manage staff
• Ability to exemplify ASPCA’s core values and behavioral competencies

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience required
• 3 years of experience as a Trust & Estate paralegal, or working within the Trust & Estates department (or the equivalent, i.e. Private Wealth) of a law firm, required
• Experience reading wills, including assessing next steps and documenting them appropriately, required
• Experience reviewing accounting statements and noting key details required
• Experience working within a fast-paced environment required
• 1 year experience managing staff required

Language:

Education and Work Experience: