Retirement Plan Consultant

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide expert analysis and consultation on plan design options, including qualified and non-qualified plans, participant investment menus, fiduciary overlays, and plan fee benchmarking.
• Stay current on legislation, regulatory developments (e.g., ERISA, SECURE Act), record-keeper platforms, and investment trends impacting retirement plans.
• Conduct plan reviews and audits: ADP/ACP testing, Top-Heavy, 403(b) compliance, Form 5500 preparation and filing oversight.
• Develop, document, and present investment policy statements (IPS) and investment menu architecture in accordance with fiduciary standards.
• Monitor plan performance, participant engagement metrics, and service provider effectiveness; identify opportunities for plan enhancement and cost optimization.
• Manage retirement-plan clients and maintain accurate records, proposals, and analyses in CRM/planning tools.

Client-Facing Responsibilities

• Serve as primary consultant for assigned plan sponsor clients: lead or colead client meetings, present findings, make strategic recommendations, and coordinate implementation.
• Deliver participant education and engagement programs (group meetings, webinars, one-on-one sessions) to enhance retirement readiness and plan utilization.
• Support advisors and plan sponsors in onboarding new retirement plan clients: perform discovery, design plan structure, facilitate RFPs, recordkeeper selection, and transition logistics.
• Build strong, long-term relationships with plan sponsor decisionmakers, third-party administrators, trustees, and recordkeepers.
• Maintain high service standards: respond to client questions, resolve issues quickly, ensure plan compliance and administration meet expectations of PWA and clients.

Team Responsibilities

• Partner with internal PWA teams; Advisory, Investment Research, Operations, Legal, Compliance, to integrate retirement plan consulting into broader client wealth planning engagements.
• Work closely with the Head of Retirement Planning and peers to define strategy, enhance service offerings, refine workflows, and improve efficiency of the retirement practice.
• Mentor and support junior staff or associates assigned to retirement plan engagements; share knowledge and help build overall team capability.
• Participate in business development initiatives: contribute to RFP responses, thought leadership content (white papers, seminars), internal training sessions, and cross-referrals within the firm.
• Create and deliver educational curriculum presentations tailored for webinars and employee meetings to enhance engagement and knowledge sharing.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with vendor wholesalers to enhance collaboration and drive mutual business growth.