STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Associate Retirement And Benefits Officer

Recruitment #240716-4731AR-001

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Introduction


The State of Connecticut, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is currently seeking detail- and people-oriented individuals who are eager to contribute their expertise within the Active and Pension Payroll Services division as an Associate Retirement and Benefits Officer. Join our team and embark on a rewarding career that offers growth, superlative benefits, and a 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.
  • Comprehensive health and dental insurance, providing you with peace of mind and access to quality healthcare.
  • Robust pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings to secure your financial future.
  • Generous paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, personal days, and 13 holidays per calendar year.
  • We are an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, which means you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.
  • A culture that recognizes the importance of work/life balance and offers alternate work schedules and telecommuting options.
  • Opportunities to invest in your professional growth and development with training programs, tuition reimbursement, and opportunities for advancement within the State of Connecticut.
  • Connecticut is a strong community with a lot to offer in entertainment, food and shopping, recreation in our beautiful state parks and forests, diverse culture, and rich history. Learn more about all Connecticut has to offer.
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
  • Full-Time, 40 hours per week
  • Monday through Friday
  • Location: 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
  • Hybrid (office/telework) may be available
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 thrive navigating high-pressure situations in a professional manner.
  • You have strong time management skills and demonstrated experience prioritizing tasks and competing priorities in an effective and efficient manner.
  • You value fiscal accountability and want to be a reliable steward of State resources.
  • You want to do work that matters and want to build a better Connecticut with the Office of the State Comptroller, promoting economic growth, advocating for fiscal control, and championing policies that lower costs.
DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO
  • Perform all tasks associated with the processing of payments with regards to deceased retirees and annuitants for the following pension plans administered by the Office of the State Comptroller, Active and Pension Payroll Services Division (APPSD):
    • State Employees Retirement System (SERS);
    • Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS);
    • Judges;
    • Family Support Magistrates and Compensation Commissioners Retirement System;
    • States Attorney Retirement System;
    • Public Defenders Retirement System;
  • Explain benefits entitlements and available options to clients; 
  • Credit and or debit monies through electronic fund transfer; 
  • Compose appropriate correspondence providing written explanations of benefits; 
  • Enter transactions in Core-CT to process payments, refunds, rollovers, add annuitants, and close accounts; 
  • Investigate and follow up on accounts and reconcile outstanding funds.
ABOUT US
The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is an agency whose mission is to provide accounting and financial services, administer employee and retiree benefits, develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and 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 Active and Pension Payroll Services Division coordinates the payroll function for all state employees, including maintaining records, depositing income tax withholdings and social security contributions, pre-audits and issues paychecks, administers direct deposit programs, and interfaces with central agencies on mass salary changes, collective bargaining, complex accounting transactions, and other information requests. 

Selection Plan

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

APPLYING FOR THE POSITION
  • For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e. Executive, Judicial or Legislative) to the other.
  • 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.
  • Ensure that your application is complete before submitting it. To comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut no longer requests resumes during the initial application process. Once your application is submitted into the JobAps system, you cannot make revisions.
  • In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. For institutions located outside of the U.S., you must provide documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service specializing in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the specified deadline. Late applications will not be considered. Candidates may request a rare and documented exception for events that incapacitate them during the entire duration of the job posting period by providing a legally recognized justification to accommodate such an exception. Requests may be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING
  • Applicants will receive correspondence via email and are also encouraged to monitor their Personal Status Board daily for status updates, notices, and tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Some postings may require additional referral questions (RQs). You will receive an email with these questions after the posting’s closing date. Check your email and Personal Status Board for notifications, including your spam or junk folders. 
  • You may be required to submit additional documentation supporting your qualifications at any point during the recruitment process. The documentation may include a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, or licensure, at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • Candidates who have been selected for employment with the Office of the State Comptroller are subject to a detailed background investigation, including a fingerprint supported state and federal criminal history record check along with reference checks, subject to the provisions of Section 31-51i and conducted in accordance with Section 29-17a of the Connecticut General Statutes. Selection for employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the background investigation.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, but your application may be considered 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 offered a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
CONNECT WITH US
  • Due to the high volume of applications, we cannot confirm receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. 
  • If you have any questions about this recruitment, please contact Sara Garrett at osc.hr@ct.gov or 860-702-3572.
  • Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn to stay updated on our career opportunities and news.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Teachers’ Retirement Board or Office of the State Comptroller this class is accountable for acting as a working lead and/or performing the most complex tasks in the administration of various retirement and benefit plans and programs.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Distributes, prioritizes, oversees and reviews work of staff;
  • Provides staff training and assistance;
  • Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations;
  • Recommends policies and standards;
  • Performs the most complex duties and reviews in examination of employee and employer records and calculation of benefits;
  • Assists in development of retirement and benefit procedures, and document references;
  • Assists in development, definition, analysis and documentation of requirements and procedures for automated solutions to administrative needs;
  • Researches and assesses impact of proposed or enacted legislation, collective bargaining agreements and court documents pertaining to various retirement and benefit plans and programs;
  • Acts as a liaison with other operating units, governmental entities and outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures;
  • Prepares and analyzes complex financial statements and oversees maintenance of accounting and data base records;
  • Prepares retirement and benefit bulletins, statistical reports and other publications;
  • May testify or represent office at court, legislative or collective bargaining proceedings;
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Considerable knowledge of retirement and/or pension fund principles and practices with special reference to retirement and benefits administration;
  • Knowledge of
    • personnel and payroll practices and procedures;
    • examining and researching principles and practices;
  • Considerable
    • interpersonal skills;
    • oral and written communication skills;
  • Considerable ability to
    • prepare, analyze and evaluate employee benefit statements, other employee records and reports, and benefit claims and cost data;
    • interpret and apply statutes, contracts and regulations;
  • Ability to utilize computer software;
  • Supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Seven (7) years of experience in employee benefit and/or retirement administration.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been at the professional working level in the fields of accounts examining, human resources, payroll or related administrative functions.

NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Retirement and Benefits Officer, Accounts Examiner, Accountant, Payroll Officer 2, Retirement Research Counselor, Retirement Counselor, Payroll System Supervisor or Fiscal/Administrative Officer.

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.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience processing a retiree option election at the time of retirement.
  • Experience calculating retirement death benefits and amounts owed to the retirement fund (as an accounts receivable) and/or to the Estate of the deceased, annuitant, or beneficiaries.
  • Experience with checks, direct deposits (EFT), reclaims and deletions, and CashPro(BOA). 
  • Experience analyzing and determining remaining Equity Balances.
  • Experience performing Balance Adjustments, reversals, paysheets, and reconciling the Tax Ledger.
  • Experience interpreting and applying rules around Fringe Benefits and Paylines.
  • Experience with HRMS, CRM, Financials, EPM, Queries, Stars, SQL
  • Experience using Microsoft Excel to compile and analyze spreadsheets. 
  • Experience using Microsoft Word to complete mail merge and create professional documents or communications.

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, veterans, 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 or 860-702-3572.

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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