Associate Retirement and Investment Services Specialist

Associate Retirement and Investment Services Specialist

The Associate Retirement and Investment Services (RIS) Specialist is a registered financial services representative who provides excellent customer service to existing and potential WEA Member Benefits (Member Benefits) members. The Associate RIS Specialist is responsible for providing, evaluating, and improving program administration services for the WEA Tax Sheltered Annuity Trust 403(b) and WEA Member Benefits Individual Retirement Account (IRA) programs; providing technical expertise to associates who directly serve members and ensuring forms, brochures, web content, programs, processes, and procedures comply with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and regulations.

The incumbent responds to inquiries from members about retirement and investment questions, takes and enters mutual fund trade orders, provides calculations, and assists the RIS Specialists with death processing and beneficiary inquiries. Accuracy, timeliness, and dependability are expected and must be routinely delivered without significant ongoing supervision or technical assistance.

80% RIS Member Service

• Respond to member inquiries about mutual funds, investment allocation, regulations relating to contributions to and distributions from 403(b) and IRA programs, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs), and death distributions.
• Contact members or prospective members by telephone to provide meaningful customer service on a proactive basis.
• Execute financial planning calculations, investment portfolio analysis, Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) benefit calculations, and Social Security (SS) benefit estimates.
• Complete mutual fund orders for trades and fund allocations at the request of members.
• Consult with existing members about their retirement savings needs by reviewing the programs in which they currently participate and recommending changes.
• Educate members on potential 403(b) and IRA exchanges, transfers, rollovers, and Roth conversions.
• Communicate and assist retirement account beneficiary(ies) through the death notification and account transfer process.
• Communicate and assist members and alternate payees through the qualified domestic relations order notification and account transfer process.
• Determine whether members meet eligibility guidelines.
• Accurately provide requested forms, brochures, and other written information to members.
• Accurately provide clear and concise instructions to the vendor relationship management team.
• Provide backup phone coverage to the RIS Service team as needed.

15% RIS Program Administration

• Assist RIS Manager in 403(b) and IRA program retention and growth initiatives.
• Review beneficiary and QDRO required distributions schedules.
• Assist RIS Manager in Required Minimum Distribution annual notifications.
• Recommend changes to processes, procedures, and programs to ensure compliance with IRS laws and regulations and improve the administration and delivery of services to members.
• Provide backup for aged checks and lost participant research.

5% Projects

• Participate in projects to evaluate and/or improve RIS programs and services.

• Associate degree in Business or related field or commensurate experience.
• Knowledge of at least one of the following:
  Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 403(b) and 408(a) and the pertinent regulations, WRS, SS, or retirement planning concepts and techniques.
• Experience utilizing personal computers and word processing and spreadsheet software, including either financial software programs or online record-keeping systems.
• Excellent performance in present and past positions.
• Commitment to providing excellence in customer service and other Member Benefits values.
• Effective leadership that results in achieving desired results, including collaboration and team building, objective establishment and implementation, and project work.
• Current Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Series 6 or 7 and 63 securities and State of Wisconsin (additional states also required) life licenses or the willingness and the ability to gain within six months of appointment.

• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to compose clear, concise, and persuasive correspondence and narrative reports that communicate messages consistent with Company policy using appropriate tone, grammar, and word usage.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with individuals, skillfully ask questions and listen, and explain difficult and technical financial and investment issues.
• Excellent analytical skills, including the ability to identify problems, research and analyze issues from different perspectives, organize information, reach sound conclusions, and work cooperatively with others to develop and implement effective solutions.
• Ability to quickly, effectively, and continually adapt to changes in work duties, processes, and technologies.
• Ability to work independently…