STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Retirement And Benefits Officer

Recruitment #230908-4732AR-001

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Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is currently seeking dynamic, passionate individuals who are eager to contribute their expertise within the Active and Pension Payroll division as a Retirement and Benefits Officer. Join our team and embark on a rewarding career that offers growth, competitive benefits, and culture that encourages work/life balance.

What We Can Offer You
  • Work for a Forbes top company - ‘Forbes’:  State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
  • Competitive starting salary
  • Excellent state benefits package, including health and dental coverage
  • Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
  • Generous paid time off, including 13 holidays per calendar year
  • Alternate work schedules and a culture that encourages work/life balance
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
This Job Is For You If
  • You have strong attention to detail, sensitivity, and ability to work in a high-volume environment to contribute to the smooth and efficient processing of multiple business areas.   
  • You value fiscal responsibility and want to be a responsible steward of State resources.
  • You have a background in accounting and financial services and a strong sense of compliance and internal controls.
Position Highlights
  • Full-Time, 40 hours per week
  • Monday through Friday
  • Location: 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
  • Hybrid (office/telework) may be available
Discover the Opportunity To
  • Specialize in tuition and travel support; 
  • Play a crucial role in efficiently working on multiple processes; 
  • Process tuition and travel reimbursements and direct deposits for retirees from multiple retirement plans for State of Connecticut employees; 
  • Implement wage garnishment in accordance with court orders, working with State Marshall offices and Judicial Branch offices; 
  • Contribute to a system of internal controls to prevent and detect fraud in direct deposit processing; 
  • Contribute to efforts to upgrade the Core-CT payroll module and migrate to a cloud-based format; 
  • Implement NACHA requirements for non-financial institutions to protect banking account numbers; 
  • Ensure accurate calculations, coordinate with various stakeholders, and maintain compliance with relevant regulations.
About the Office of the State Comptroller
The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is an agency whose mission is to provide accounting and financial services, to administer employee and retiree benefits, to develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and to prepare financial reports for the state, federal and municipal governments, and the public. 

We are located in the State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT. This state-of-the-art building offers free garage parking, an on-site cafeteria, and ergonomic workspaces.

The Healthcare Policy and Benefit Services division administers benefits programs for all state employees, retirees, and their families covering over 100,000 lives. The division is responsible for the contract procurement, administration, and evaluation of benefit programs and identifies and implements initiatives to improve benefit programs and achieve significant savings. 

Selection Plan

For assistance in applying, please visit our ‘Applicant Tips on How to Apply’ page

To Apply
  • In order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the Office of the State Comptroller for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application. 
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Please ensure that your application is complete before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period.  It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
After you Apply
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices, and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting’s closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user’s spam.
  • At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect with Us
  • Due to the large volume of applications received, the State of Connecticut is unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. 
  • If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Sara Garrett at osc.hr@ct.gov or 860-702-3572.  
  • Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Office of the State Comptroller, Retirement Services Division and Healthcare Policy and Benefit Services Division and in the Teachers' Retirement Board Benefits Division, this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in public employee retirement and benefit administration.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Performs a variety of financial and administrative functions in field of retirement and benefits management;
  • Works on special projects as required;
  • Conducts or participates in examination of employee records;
  • Researches and analyzes employees retirement records and prepares individualized estimates of entitlement in accordance with retirement laws, collective bargaining and/or court actions relative to State Employees Retirement Systems;
  • Utilizes various databases for reports and analysis;
  • Examines and reconciles employment records with supporting data such as payroll records, calendars, etc.;
  • Responds to inquiries from a wide variety of individuals regarding all aspects of retirement plans and/or employee benefit plans;
  • Conducts training seminars and develops training materials and manuals on state and municipal retirement systems and/or employee benefit plans;
  • Researches impact of legislation, regulations and collective bargaining provisions on retirement system;
  • Examines retirement calculations and procedures to ensure compliance with laws and regulations and state or federal requirements;
  • Prepares unit reports;
  • Interprets and applies relevant Connecticut General Statutes and federal regulations pertaining to retirement and/or employee benefits;
  • Analyzes and prepares benefit, accounting, financial and administrative statements;
  • Acts as a liaison with agency human resources employees with respect to difficult retirements;
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Knowledge of
    • and ability to apply relevant agency policies and procedures;
    • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;
    • principles and practices of public employee retirement and benefit administration;
    • human resources and payroll practices and procedures;
    • basic examining and researching principles and practices;
    • governmental accounting as applied to retirement and benefit administration;
  • Skills
    • interpersonal skills;
    • oral and written communication skills;
  • Ability to
    • prepare, analyze and evaluate employee benefits statements, other employee records and reports, and benefit claims and cost data;
    • utilize various databases systems for retirement and benefits management;
    • read and interpret written materials;
    • lead other employees;
    • utilize computer software.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Six (6) years of experience in employee benefit and/or retirement administration.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been at the paraprofessional level in the fields of accounts examining, human resources, payroll or related administrative function.

NOTE: For state employees the Special Experience is interpreted at the level of Associate Retirement Examiner, Payroll System Coordinator, Payroll Officer 1, Assistant Accountant, Human Resources Assistant or Fiscal/Administrative Assistant.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  • College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor’s degree.
  • A Master’s degree in business administration, accounting or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.
  • Successful completion of a Connecticut Careers Trainee program approved by the Department of Administrative Services may be substituted for the General Experience and Special Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience managing and maintaining priorities and tasks in a deadline-driven environment; 
  • Experience reviewing and interpreting plan documents, federal and state statutes, collective bargaining agreements, court documents, federal mandates, etc; 
  • Experience administering retirement plans or pension processing of decease payments;
  • Experience providing customer service, including verbal and written communication to a diverse population;
  • Experience with Oracle/PeopleSoft systems.

Conclusion

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES AND THOSE RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE INDICATED ABOVE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. If you require accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact Sara Garrett at osc.hr@ct.gov. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.





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