Customer Support Manager (Hybrid)

The Customer Support Manager’s primary function is to lead, manage, and coach employees within the Customer Support team to ensure accurate information and superior service is provided to employers and participants as specified within the MERS strategic plan and in compliance with the MERS plan document. The Customer Support Manager ensures the successful completion of department workflows, processes and the accomplishment of department metrics and goals. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Department Management

• Responsible for direct supervision, coaching, mentoring and professional development of direct reports by anticipating needs using proper management techniques and proven problem-solving methods.
• Responsible for daily operations and execution of processes for service and administration of benefits for active, terminated, and retired participants, beneficiaries, and alternate payees of the system for the Customer Support Team.
• Directs and oversees the timely and accurate response to members' requests for benefit information and the determination of initial and final benefits payments to retirees and survivors.
• Responds to escalated customer support issues including escalated inquiries from employers, participants and internal staff.
• Responsible for creating processes and procedures to ensure the team is consistently processing customer requests and transactions with the highest degree of quality, accuracy, and service.
• Partners with Business Process Owners to continuously improve processes and procedures.
• Prioritizes processes and workflow during time constraints and reallocates work amongst team to perform tasks.
• Manage the administration of monthly defined benefit payroll processing; weekly replacement vouchers, check reversals and adjustments, and annual/year-end processes including but not limited to 1099R, COLA, 415 limits, Disability Income Verification, Annual Member Statements, Annual Interest Process, SOC Audit, Annual Actuarial Valuation (AAV), Break in Service (Refund) etc.
• Provides oversight of the collection, review, and submission of participant data required for the annual actuarial valuation process
• Review workflow tasks, perform audits, as well as regular review of potential risks.
• Implements statutory and administrative policy changes necessary to administer all plan benefit provisions.
• Assist in development and implementation of technology updates and enhancements including but not limited to pension administration database and participant portal.
• Develops training resources including evaluating the effectiveness of resources and makes changes as necessary.
• Manages the new hire onboarding experience

Other Duties

• Participate with other managers in the implementation of MERS’ strategic initiatives to ensure balance scorecard metrics are achieved.
• Support the successful completion of organizational projects and initiatives that are related to the work of the Customer Support Team; prioritizing projects, and ensure adequate resources are dedicated to the fulfillment of the directing project management and communication.
• Recommend plan changes and system enhancement to the Customer Support Director; consult with the IT and legal department to ensure intended outcomes of changes to the plan document and system are implemented.
• Collaborates with functional areas in developing / updating Customer Support process documentation, working with process team to identify facts and understand situations that occur (e.g., errors, need for change, ) initiating necessary recommendations for change, and working on communication strategy for department when key messages or organizational updates occur ensuring proper communication to affected teams.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree

Experience:

• Two or more years in a management role or experience mentoring and coaching employees
• Oversight of operational functions and/or customer service in a financial industry strongly preferred
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of MERS products and processes preferred

Knowledge of:

• MERS Plan and products or general retirement products, pension principles, pension design, benefit calculations and legal and actuarial principles.
• Demonstrated expertise to create effective resolutions and solve problems in a highly complex and challenging organizational, policy, legal, public service work environment – both internal and external.

Skill in:

• Project management
• Leadership
• Attention to detail
• Organization and ability to prioritize
• Oral and written communication to communicate effectively with the team and other departments, including the Business Process Owners, Directors, and Officers.
• Microsoft office products, SharePoint and CRM

Ability to:

• Work in an atmosphere of frequent interruption
• Flexible and quickly adapt to changing business needs and processes
• Be analytical and problem solve
• Manage employees sufficient to establish project goals and expectations, anticipate problems, plan contingencies, critique and evaluate results, provide focused feedback, direct work and advise others

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform successfully the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. All MERS employees are required to be in office a minimum of 2 days a week. 

• Location: All work of this position will be performed on site at MERS main office or remote work location.
• Weather: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions.
• Noise: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.