Project And Operations Lead

Job Requisition : 53752
Closing Date: 02/06/2026
Agency: Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Class

Title:

PROJECT ANALYST - 88004
Salary: $80,614 - $125,758
Job Type: Salaried
County: Sangamon
Number of Vacancies: 1

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TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION PLEASE VISIT THE TRS WEBSITE:

Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is one of the largest public pension systems in the United States. We provide retirement, disability and survivor benefits to teachers, administrators and other public‑school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago.

TRS serves over 456,000 members and manages a multi‑billion‑dollar investment portfolio for the exclusive benefit of the membership.

TRS is an agency of the State of Illinois governed by a Board of Trustees. Full‑ and part‑time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental and vision coverage. All employees hired after August 17, 2001 participate in the TRS retirement pension plan. Employees also have the option to contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans.

The TRS pension plan is a participating reciprocal system under the Illinois Pension Code Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act.

Learn more about careers at TRS:
Careers | Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

Under the direction of the Director of Finance, this position serves in a blended role providing both pension administration project functional leadership and operational oversight support for Employer Services. The position plays a key role in the multi‑year pension administration system modernization initiative by providing business expertise, statutory interpretation, and functional guidance to ensure system solutions align with TRS rules, processes, and compliance requirements.

In addition, this role provides experienced review, coaching, and quality oversight support within Employer Services, assisting with work review, issue resolution, and consistent application of policies and procedures. This blended role is designed to support long‑term project needs while strengthening operational consistency, risk management, and service delivery during and beyond the modernization effort. This role provides oversight, guidance, and coaching support but does not include formal supervisory authority.

• Serve as a business‑side subject matter expert for pension administration processes, statutory requirements, and employer reporting rules in support of the pension administration system modernization project.
• Collaborate with IT, vendors, consultants, and internal stakeholders to define, document, validate, and test business requirements and system functionality.
• Analyze existing business processes and recommend improvements aligned with best practices, system capabilities, and compliance requirements.
• Support User Acceptance Testing (UAT), including development and review of test scenarios, validation of outcomes, and coordination of issue resolution.
• Assess operational readiness and support change management activities related to system implementation, including input into training materials and procedural documentation.
• Maintain ongoing awareness of pension laws, IRS requirements, and regulatory changes to ensure continued compliance throughout system design and implementation.
• Provide experienced review and quality oversight of Employer Services work products to ensure accuracy, completeness, compliance with statute, and consistency with TRS policies and procedures.
• Serve as a resource to Employer Services staff and supervisors for interpretation of pension rules, complex reporting issues, and resolution of escalated or non‑routine employer matters, coordinating with subject‑matter experts as needed.

• Support consistent application of expectations related to documentation, communication, and ethical standards across Employer Services functions.
• Provide coaching and feedback to…