About this role
This position is hybrid and currently requires 40% of time in office and may work 60% remotely.
Participant Transaction Processing & Plan Administration
• Review, process, and execute customer requests related to standard and complex transactions, including nonstandard retirement, death, and disability benefits.
• Process a variety of participant transactions, including but not limited to employment changes, demographic updates, beneficiary updates, service credit purchase, refunding of service, and estimate calculations.
• Review, resolve, and/or reconcile incorrect participant data, ensuring accuracy and adherence to the plan document.
• Research and resolve complex plan provision questions and requests transferred by the service center analyst.
Cross-Functional Operations & Customer Engagement
• Provide customer support through phone, email, and in-person counseling sessions.
• Assist with onboarding new business groups and support external vendor communications for issue resolution.
• Perform UAT testing, document user stories for bugs and enhancements, and collaborate with Business Process Owners and Business Analysts to translate business needs into technical requirements.
• Lead operational projects and serve as a Subject Matter Expert during project planning and execution.
• Create process maps for workflow tasks and cyclical operational activities.
Minimum Required Qualifications
Education:
• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
Experience:
• Experience working in a customer service environment with demonstrated superior customer service aptitude.
• New employees will be placed into the role as a Retirement Analyst In-Training and will be eligible for a progression model based on knowledge, skills, abilities, and time in role.
Expertise
Knowledge of:
• MERS products and/or financial retirement products.
Skills in:
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Active listening and a positive attitude, including a professional phone presence.
• Microsoft Office products, with intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
Ability to:
• Apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills in retirement benefits administration to verify accuracy of work and recognize possible errors or defects in systems and processes.
• Communicate effectively, both written and orally, to lead change.
• Navigate multiple systems, apply critical thinking to work, and utilize processes in support of cross-functional training.
• Be punctual and deadline conscious.
• Work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Adapt to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Be professional, courteous, and efficient with the public.
• Learn and retain large amounts of information, utilize tools and resources, and provide accurate information to membership.
• Perform comfortably in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented work environment with a high level of accuracy leading to superior customer service.
• Identify and troubleshoot critical issues, write user stories to justify proposed solutions, and implement effectively.
• Maintain confidentiality of system information, documentation, and any sensitive information.
Physical Requirements
• 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; and 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
• Location: All work of this position will be performed on site at the MERS main office or at a 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.