County of Alameda

DESCRIPTION

Under general direction, plans, organizes and manages all activities and staff of the Benefits Division of the Alameda County Employees' Retirement Association (ACERA) and performs related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

The Retirement Benefits Manager is a single class position which reports to the Deputy General Manager and is responsible for managing the overall record keeping, application processing, counseling, and retirement payroll. This class is distinguished from the Deputy General Manager by having as its primary function, responsibility for managing workload issues and assisting with the development of operational procedures, whereas the former is the chief assistant to the General Manager.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

1. Coordinates and directs the activities of teams which are assigned to work in specified areas that include claims for benefits and customer service to members of the Retirement Association.

2. Plans, assigns, reviews and evaluates the work of subordinate staff; participates in hiring decisions, disciplinary actions and other personnel activities.

3. Manages the application of actuarial tables to individual retirement cases, including disability, death and divorce cases; responsible for maintenance and updating the actuarial tables in the Retirement Information System.

4. Supervises the work of staff involved in maintaining and updating records, preparing and reconciling retirement payrolls, determinations of prior and current service credits and tentative approval of claims for death, disability and retirement.

5. Plans and delivers information programs for ACERA staff, Board and Association members; makes educational presentations before a variety of groups regarding the benefits, statutes, and current activities of the retirement system.

6. Responsible for the coordination of activities related to disability retirement; oversees the dissemination of information to doctors, attorneys and staff from other departments regarding disability retirement; assures that all documentation is complete and accurate for presentation to the Retirement Board.

7. Responsible for ensuring delivery of superior member service by providing guidance, training and development of subordinate staff, overseeing member counseling, assisting with researching complex benefit questions and interpreting the 1937 Act County Employees Retirement Law.

8. Conducts various studies regarding prospective benefits; coordinates annual health care open enrollment and other activities of the Association.

9. Responsible for overseeing Special Projects staff whose duties include records management for ACERA’s physical member files, as well as data management of ACERA’s Retirement Information System.

10. Gathers data and writes correspondence, statistical and narrative reports; and manages special projects.

11. Develops and implements policies and procedures for the Association; assesses operational effectiveness and recommends changes when necessary.

12. Oversees the division of community property interests of members’ retirement accounts in marital dissolution cases.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Business or Public Administration, Human Resources or closely related field.

AND

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience as an Assistant Retirement Benefits Manager or the equivalent of four years of full-time experience as a Retirement Specialist III in the Alameda County Employees' Retirement Association.

OR II

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Business or Public Administration, Human Resources or closely related field.

AND

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience equivalent to an Assistant Retirement Benefits Manager or the equivalent of four years of full-time benefits administration experience equivalent to a Retirement Specialist III with another public or corporate system.

Substitution:

Additional years of experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Possession of the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist and the equivalent of two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the required degree.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Example of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• 1937 Act County Employees Retirement Law as it relates to disability and service retirements, divorce and death benefits.
• Actuarial principles pertaining to retirement, system funding.
• Modern principles and practices of staff development and supervision.
• Management of automated information systems.
• Operation of a personal computer with proficiency in word processing and spreadsheet applications.
• Retirement benefits calculations and processes.
• Issuance and reconciliation of pension payroll.
• Management of work teams.
• Customer service.

Ability to:

• Establish and maintain professional relationships with members of the Retirement Board, ACERA staff, members of the Retirement Association, other governmental agencies, legal and medical professionals and consultants.
• Coach and develop staff to deliver superior member services.
• Work effectively in a team environment.
• Plan, coordinate and oversee the supervision of subordinate staff.
• Interpret and apply the provisions of retirement law and Board policies and procedures.
• Analyze and solve problems.
• Gather, organize and summarize specialized data.
• Manage automated information systems.
• Employ effective oral and written communication skills to make public presentations and reports.
• Improve processes to enhance member services.
• Exercise sound judgment in decision making.

CLASS SPEC HISTORY

Old document: JH:lm
Typed: 3/25/96
VS:jc
Revised 6/98
1303H
New document: Jobspecs/1355
ys/12/00

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.