Retirement and Benefits Specialist 1 (02-8125)

Job Description

This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

What You Will Be Doing

Working in the Member Education Center, the Specialist I will be providing assistance and excellent customer service to members with inquiries on the telephone, email, and in-person. You will provide responses to routine and complex questions regarding retirement and health benefits, determine retirement eligibility based on statutes and regulations, prepare standard forms and letters to request membership and claimed service information, and explain retirement benefit calculations and entitlements.You will also assist in escalated member inquiries by phone, email and in-person, make recommendations to the supervisors for system or process changes to eliminate reporting errors or to streamline processing, conduct scheduled group training or formal seminars for members of the PERS and TRS regarding retirement and health benefits, and conduct workshops and individual counseling sessions on the principles of retirement savings and planning in the Juneau area.

Our Organization, Mission, and Culture

The Department of Administration's Division of Retirement and Benefits administers State of Alaska and political subdivision retirement and benefit plans. We achieve organizational excellence by focusing on the customer to deliver exceptional services using effective and efficient processes.

This position represents the Division by being the first point of contact for members calling into the Member Education Center and assists members who come to the Division as walk-ins with retirement counseling. You would be an integral member of the Retirement and Benefits Operations Team, assisting members with inquiries on the telephone, by email, and in-person. We are seeking an individual who has exceptional interpersonal skills; has a commitment to professional and respectful customer service; and who can adapt to a dynamic, changing work environment.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

The Member Education Center Team is committed to providing a supportive work environment that fosters the growth of knowledge, skills, and experience needed to advance their career in the Division. The individual hired will help provide an excellent experience for employees and retirees who seek to understand the benefits available to them and benefits they are entitled to.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

This position is in the State Office Building in downtown Juneau, with a view of the Gastineau Channel.

Who We Are Looking For

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.

Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.

Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect.  Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.

Minimum Qualifications

Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions

This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications.

Please ensure your application

(through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Competency Description

The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in

Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.

Arithmetic: Performs computations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division correctly using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages.

Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Any combination of preparatory post-secondary education and/or experience in public or business administration providing administrative or technical support to management in running an organization/enterprise which required some application of guidelines and policies to meet assigned responsibilities.

Special Note:

“Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.

“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

Additional Required Information

Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

Please be sure to check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

At time of interview

, please be prepared to provide:

Copies of the last two (2) performance evaluations, or two (2) letters of reference from a supervisor,

Copies (not originals) of official college/university transcripts (only if using post-secondary education as part of your application package to meet minimum qualifications),

A list of at least three professional and/or academic references, including the following required contact information:

Reference Name,

Reference relationship (ex: Supervisor, former supervisor, high-school math teacher, accounting professor, co-worker, etc…),

Reference email(s), and

Reference phone number(s).

EDUCATION

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or within 48 hours of the close of this recruitment to the contact person liste