Retirement Benefits Coordinator

Reports to the Director of Special Services Unit, the candidate will serve as the Department of Transportation’s Retirement Counselor. This includes counsel new employees, retirement system members and prospective retirees on the benefits of membership and/or operations of the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS); provide technical advice and assistance to employees in the planning, choosing of options and selection of beneficiary protection; compute retirement benefits and review member records to ensure summaries of accounting, reconciliation, calculation and pension payroll data are accurate; review complex calculations involving deficits, purchase of prior time, entry and re-entry into system; give informational and training presentations regarding retirement benefits at weekly new hire orientation sessions; plan and conduct programs and approve and disseminate materials designed to provide information about the retirement system to new employees; assist staff engaged in duties pertaining to deferred compensation, leaves of absence, workers' compensation and death benefits; develop processes to enhance the unit's operations; resolves issues. The Retirement Benefits Coordinator will also serve as the back up to the Workers’ Compensation Coordinator and perform related duties and special projects as directed by the Director of Personnel and/or Director of the Special Services unit.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION CANDIDATES MUST BE SERVING PERMANENTLY IN THE TITLE OF ASSOCIATE RETIREMENT BENEFITS EXAMINER, REACHABLE ON THE ASSOCIATE RETIREMENT BENEFITS EXAMINER CIVIL SERVICE LIST OR ELIGIBLE UNDER THE 55A PROGRAM.

Minimum Qualifications

1. An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in mathematics, statistics, accounting and/or actuarial science and two years of satisfactory full-time experience performing mathematical, statistical, actuarial or accounting computations in one or more of the following: a) a retirement or employee benefits plan;
b) for customer service in a financial institution; and/or c) in a position requiring the application of law, rules and regulations and the use of statistical, actuarial or similar tables; or

2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of the experience described in "1" above. Each 15 semester credits from an accredited college including at least 3 credits in the areas described in "1" above may be substituted for each 6 months of experience to a maximum of 2 years experience. All candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and at least 2 years of experience as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills

- A minimum of five years of experience serving as a Retirement Counselor for a government pension system. - Comprehensive knowledge of the benefits of membership and operations of the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS). - Proven ability to counsel and provide technical advice and assistance to employees in the planning, choosing of options and selection of beneficiary protection. - Proficient in the use of the City of New York’s automated systems used to manage personnel, including but not limited to PMS and CHRMS. - Excellent communication and transactional skills, including a proven ability to effectively analyze retirement issues in writing. - Strong interpersonal, leadership and supervisory skills and the ability to maintain a high level of discretion and confidentiality. - Willingness to work additional hours when necessary to complete tasks within prescribed deadlines.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.