Director of Trust

Director of Trust

At Carriage Services, we are united by our purpose of creating premier experiences through innovation, empowered partnership, and elevated service. As a member of our team, you'll join a dynamic community dedicated to setting new standards in the Funeral and Cemetery profession. Join us on this exciting journey as we continue to shape the future of our industry. Carriage Services is an equal opportunity employer.

The Director of Trust owns the administration, compliance, and financial integrity of the company's preneed and perpetual care trust portfolio.

This role ensures that all funds subject to trusting requirements are deposited accurately and within statutory deadlines, that withdrawals and cancellations are executed in accordance with the governing statute, that trust balances reconcile to recorded contract liabilities, and that the company is always prepared for state examination and external audit. The Director partners closely with corporate accounting, legal, field operations, and corporate development, and serves as Carriage's internal authority on trust matters.

Compensation: $175+ benefits and competitive yearly bonus eligibility

Job Type: FT

Location: 3040 Post Oak Blvd Houston, TX

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily trust operations, including contract review for regulatory conformity, trust deposits, withdrawal and delivery documentation, cancellations, and refund processing across all jurisdictions.
• Extensive knowledge of interpreting and applying regulatory requirements, statutes, and administrative procedures to ensure compliance with industry, business and operational needs.
• Oversee the preparation and timely filing of all state trust reports, annual reports, and renewal filings to funeral boards, cemetery boards, insurance departments, external auditors and other regulators.
• Lead and coordinate, in consultation with other internal business teams, the company’s response to any state trust examinations and regulatory inquiries; manage document production, examiner communication, and remediation of any findings.
• Escalate material compliance matters to the CFO and General Counsel with a clear assessment of exposure and recommended course of action.
• Manage relationships with corporate trustees, custodians, and third-party trust administrators; monitor service levels and fee arrangements.
• Design, document, and maintain internal controls over trust processes in accordance with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
• Establish and maintain written policies and desk procedures for all trust functions; ensure procedures are current with regulatory change and consistently applied across the team.
• Support due diligence on corporate development projects, including assessment of trust funding adequacy, historical compliance, unrecorded liabilities, and jurisdiction-specific exposure.
• Oversee post-close integration of acquired business trust accounts, contracts, and records onto company systems and procedures, including remediation of legacy funding or documentation deficiencies.
• Partner with operations and preneed sales leadership teams to ensure contracts are written in a manner that satisfies all compliance requirements.
• Ability to coordinate and support system trust law changes and system upgrades around trusting or trust related compliance needs.
• Lead, develop, and manage the trust administration team, including hiring, performance management, and succession planning.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in trust administration, fiduciary operations, regulatory compliance, or related accounting operations, including at least three years leading a team. (Funeral Services Experience preferred)
• Demonstrated experience administering preneed programs subject to state-by-state regulatory requirements in a multi-jurisdiction environment.
• Working knowledge of accounting principles.
• Experience preparing for and responding to regulatory examinations or external audits.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with enterprise financial and contract management systems.
• Exceptional analytical, organizational, and written communication skills
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential customer and financial information.