Associate Counselor, CARE Team

About the Company

Building Services 32BJ Benefit Funds (“the Funds”) is the umbrella organization responsible for administering Health, Pension, Retirement Savings, Training, and Legal Services benefits to over 185,000 SEIU 32BJ members. Our mission is to make significant contributions to the lives of our members by providing high‑quality benefits and services. We embody five core values:
Flexibility, Initiative, Respect, Sustainability, and Teamwork (FIRST). Employees are encouraged to be open to new ways of doing things, to take active steps to improve the organization, and to foster an environment of trust, respect, and collaboration.

We oversee and manage $11 billion in assets, derived from property owners who pay into the funds on behalf of their employees. Our work requires a highly skilled financial management team.

Technology platforms include M365, Dynamics 365 CRM, Dynamics 365 F&O, Azure, AWS, SQL, Snowflake, Qlik View, and others.

Job Code A2226RS

Department Name Retirement Services

Reports To Assistant Manager, CARE Team

FLSA Status (unspecified)

Union Code 53A

Management No

Under the supervision of CARE Team Management, the Associate Counselor provides counseling and case‑management services to active, inactive, disabled, and retired 32BJ members and their dependents. The Associate Counselor delivers guidance on benefit eligibility calculations, methods of retirement payments, taxability of retirement income, retiree health benefits, and disability benefits related to the pension application. This role requires a commitment to empathetic and high‑quality service while upholding the CARE Team’s core values of Collaboration, Action, Reliability, and Empathy.

• Make and receive initial and follow‑up calls to members whose cases are being handled by the CARE Team.
• Interpret retirement rules and communicate pension application procedures and requirements for member retirements, pre‑retirement surviving spouses, and post‑retirement surviving spouses.
• Conduct in‑person and telephone counseling appointments and process pension applications.
• Provide supportive, participant‑centered guidance to members and dependents, actively listening to understand needs and identify appropriate next steps.
• Review the accuracy of all received pension applications and supporting documents.
• Process pension elections in Dynamics or v3locity and establish disbursement schedules.
• Ensure required supporting documents are submitted and verified; determine needs for additional information to meet requirements.
• Coordinate all communications with members, including pension summary letters, acknowledgement letters, missing information letters, and award letters.
• Review members’ eligibility for retiree health benefits.
• Discuss SRSP (401(k)) distribution options with members.
• Discuss Legal Fund benefits with members.
• Provide an overview of Social Security and Medicare benefits to retiring members.
• Assess the need for detailed earnings reports from the Social Security Administration to assist in finalizing the calculation of pension service credits and review such reports with members.
• Participate in retirement planning seminars by presenting pension information to large groups.
• When not providing retirement counseling, work on processing pension applications and estimates (OPEs), including RMD applications and OPEs, reinstatements, and other duties including banking procedures (stop payments, check reissues and EFT changes).
• Provide back‑up support to CARE Support Specialists and CARE Representatives as needed.
• Work closely with Management in maintaining and reviewing personal work production.
• Perform tasks and special projects as required by management/supervisory staff.

• Minimum of 1 year experience processing pension claims/calculations or 1 year customer service experience with pension products.
• Knowledge of some aspects of Pension Fund administration, including eligibility requirements and benefit provisions, is preferred.
• Must demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• Must meet performance standards, including attendance…