First Financial Trust N.A., a fully-owned subsidiary of Wakefield-based The Savings Bank, has promoted Brendan Szocik to the position of vice president, investment officer.

First Financial Trust, headquartered in Newton with offices in Wakefield and Leominster, specializes in investment management, financial planning, trust administration and corporate profit sharing plans.

Prior to his promotion, Szocik served as portfolio manager for individual client accounts. In a statement, the company said Szocik has been instrumental in developing the firm’s Asset Allocation Program, which focuses on diversifying across multiple asset classes through the use of ETFs and Mutual Funds.

Before joining First Financial Trust, Szocik worked as a trader for a hedge fund focused primarily on mergers and acquisitions. He also worked as a specialist’s assistant at the New York Stock Exchange.