Position: Client Services Officer

Reports to: President

Position purpose: Responsible for hands on work and coordination with internal personnel and external professionals for execution of investment decisions, financial services, accounting, income, gift and estate tax planning and compliance, risk management and insurance coverage, and other project-specific matters. Also responsible for understanding family member individual objectives and challenges in their various capacities and helping achieve their objectives.

Job responsibilities:

• Work with outside estate planning attorney, develop recommendation for individuals for annual gifting and strategies for transferring assets during lifetime or at death. Ensure proper and timely execution and documentation of decisions. Prepare gift tax returns with guidance from the estate planning attorney. 
• Work with outside CPA firm to develop recommendations for individuals for income tax planning. Ensure timely and accurate income tax compliance requirements. Communicate with outside CPA to ensure that information that is unique to the individual and their related entities (e.g. family investment LLCs, family LLCs, private foundations, single member LLCs, etc.) are understood by the outside CPA. Raise issues, questions or tax planning opportunities for consideration of client. Act as a sounding board for outside CPA for clients. Assemble tax work papers necessary for outside accounting firm to prepare income tax returns for clients.
• Work with outside investment advisor to implement investments recommended by investment advisor and approved by clients and provide information or initiate discussion about the clients’ circumstances with client or investment advisor as appropriate when relevant to asset allocation, liquidity, risk tolerance and long term portfolio sustainability.
• Work with property, casualty and liability insurance brokers to ensure they have sufficient information (along with the information provided directly to the broker from the client) to assess the client’s risk exposure so the client is insured to the extent the client had intended and there are no unintentional gaps in coverage.
• Prepare analysis to communicate to and facilitate client’s decision making for ideas, strategies, etc.
• Ensure that all records from internal and external sources are properly maintained and reconciled in order for information to be available timely for tax and regulatory compliance requirements, legal requirements and analysis as needed.
• Prepare or supervise the disbursements on behalf of individuals and related entities (i.e. payroll, accounts payable, capital contributions, maintain Quicken or QuickBooks).
• Be a resource to employees of individuals or entities and office staff for accounting, Quick Books, Quicken and payroll issues.
• Prepare financial statement and other accounting reports semi-annually or as requested by client.
• Implement decisions made by clients which frequently entails communicating with their outside professionals to ensure the intent of the client is achieved and the legal and tax issues are raised and addressed (i.e. wire transfers, transfer of assets)
• Other duties and projects as they arise.

Relationships

At all times, all members of the department must be in full understanding of the relationship of each client with family members within their immediate family, the greater family and the closely held company and handle each transaction accordingly. The level of wealth and sophistication of the clients mean that the issues that we are addressing are usually at the upper end as far as complexity.

Planning and Organization

The company organization includes the President who oversees 3 client service officers, 1 accountant and 4 administrative/technical professionals. client service officers work directly for the individual, entity or trust that has been assigned to them and with the outside professionals as they are needed. Coordination and information sharing between all company employees is critical. Client service officers receive general direction and are monitored on process and end results. All three client service officers are expected to collaborate with the end goal of ensuring all clients equally benefit from the best ideas that emerge. client service officers also coordinate a variety of projects simultaneously, ensuring that multiple timelines are achieved. In addition, each client service officer is responsible for work that benefits the overall office management (e.g. income tax, central cash account, office operations). company regularly utilizes a team decision making process in which all employees are expected to participate.

Problem Solving
Identify and resolve complex technical and procedural problems, in a wide range of fields and disciplines, by internal research and/or utilizing outside professionals. Recommends and/or develops policies and procedures (with verification from outside professionals) to ensure consistent compliance, maximizing the benefits to the clients or prevention of a problem recurring.

Written and Oral Communication
Communicate orally (or in writing) about complex issues in a clear, concise manner to a highly educated and intelligent audience. The communication is typically to provide a recommendation. Effectively adapt communication to a wide range of understanding levels and personality styles.

Skills and Knowledge Requirements

Experience with partnership, trust, and individual tax compliance and accounting is a requirement. At least five years of experience in accounting and tax including three to five years of experience or exposure to at least two of the following areas is desirable: risk management, investments, legal documents, land issues, business issues, corporate governance issues, estate planning, analysis, financial planning, life and property and casualty insurance and trust administration.

Prior demonstration of a high degree of initiative, self-management, organization, trust worthiness, judgment and common sense is a requirement. A high degree of adaptability is required to implement continual quality improvement in the company. Because the company is a strictly confidential environment (not only to outsiders, but even with other clients) dealing with potentially sensitive matters and issues, a demonstrated ability to handle matters in a confidential and discreet manner is required. Enjoy working in complex situations and “doing whatever it takes” to accomplish task.