Benefits & Retirement Analyst II

About the role

The position involves processing, entering, and maintaining active and retired employees' enrollment information related to benefit and retirement programs, including health and dental insurance, voluntary benefits, disability, and City of Memphis pension plans.

Responsibilities

• Processes, enters and maintains active and retired employees’ enrollment information related to qualified life events (QLEs) in the personnel and payroll systems including updating benefits deductions.
• Responds to requests for information and answers questions regarding the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) and other pension plans, including gathering pension contribution refunds and disability retirement information.
• Calculates pension, disability, and refund benefits, accounting for previous service credits and/or costs with associated pension funds.
• Ensures the accuracy of pension and retirement records in the human resources information system (HRIS) to provide accurate eligibility information.
• Provides plan interpretation and guidance when counseling employees and retirees on benefit and retirement plans.
• Prepares, processes, respond to, and distributes various correspondences and documentation, such as Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA), pension and retirement notices.
• Responsible for handling appropriate documentation and forms for active and retired employees and/or insurance companies to complete the enrollment and/or change process related to benefits and retirement.
• Affords assistance in the coordination of various health and wellness programs including open enrollment.
• Affords assistance to employees with pension applications and required documentation.
• Affords assistance in the benefits and retirement exit process, resolves complaints, and refers calls as necessary.
• Evaluates, recommends, and leads initiatives to drive improvements in benefits and retirement program delivery, while increasing awareness and appreciation among active and retired employees.
• Researches, interprets, and applies current and pertinent codes, laws, rules, and state/federal regulations to benefits and retirement programs.
• Uses experience to develop communication materials to deliver benefits and retirement programs that provides a superior customer-service experience and is cost effective.
• Acts as a liaison between active and retired employees, third party vendors or insurance carriers to resolve problems or answer benefit and retirement questions.
• Participates in vendor meetings to understand and recommend performance improvements.
• Collaborates with the Benefits and Retirement leadership team on forecasting and budgeting.
• Interacts and communicates in a customer centric manner with management, staff, employees/retirees, vendors and providers.
• Serves as the subject matter expert to respond to requests about retirement programs, pension disability and pension appeals.
• Gathers pension contribution refunds and disability retirement information to respond to requests.
• Affords assistance with the development of information needed to present to the Pension Administration Board and other related committees.
• Conducts audits of coverage comparisons with vendor data against the City of Memphis data.

Qualifications

• Benefits & Retirement Analyst I: Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration or a related field and three (3) years’ experience in employee health insurance and welfare benefits, including plan design, benchmarking and compliance; or any combination of experience and training which enables one to perform the essential job functions. Working experience in in health and welfare plan administration, consulting or program management including working with COBRA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending (FSA), High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)s, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and Health Care Reform is highly desirable. Working experience utilizing Oracle systems preferred.
• Benefits & Retirement Analyst II: Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration or a related field and four (4) years’ experience in employee health insurance and welfare benefits, including plan design, benchmarking and compliance; or any combination of experience and training which enables one to perform the essential job functions. Working experience in health and welfare plan administration, consulting or program management including working with COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, HSA, FSA, HDHPs, ERISA, and Health Care Reform is highly desirable. Working experience utilizing Oracle systems preferred.
• Benefits & Retirement Analyst III: Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration or a related field and five (5) years’ experience in employee health insurance and welfare benefits, including plan design, benchmarking and compliance; or any combination of experience and training which enables one to perform the essential job functions. Working experience in health and welfare plan administration, consulting or program management including working and monitoring compliance with COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, HSA, FSA, HDHPs, ERISA, and Health Care Reform is highly desirable. Working experience utilizing Oracle systems preferred.