Benefits Counselor I

Summary of

Job Responsibilities PERA’s Member Services Division provides the administration and related member services of PERA’s defined benefit program. The Benefits Counselor prepares and presents information regarding the PERA defined benefit retirement plan, PERA’s healthcare plans, and other PERA information to members in virtual, phone, or in-person individual counseling sessions. This position is also responsible for verifying, calculating, and auditing member account information for processing benefits according to legal and regulatory compliance standards.

This position will be stationed at our Westminster location with part of the onboarding training being at our Denver office.

Ideal Candidate Statement The ideal candidate has the ability to learn, navigate, and adhere to extensive, complex, and evolving procedures governing all benefit services processes, ensuring accuracy and compliance while meeting or exceeding established efficiency standards. This candidate is highly detail-oriented, ensuring accuracy in all aspects of work while maintaining efficiency, and uses sound judgement in decision making. They are able to prepare comprehensive reports and present account information in a clear, organized, and meaningful manner to support informed decision making for PERA members.

The benefits counselor demonstrates a strong presence, quickly establishing rapport and trust while maintaining a consistently professional, positive, and engaged demeanor while representing the organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Individuals must be able to perform these duties with or without reasonable accommodations.

Conveys member specific and general PERA information in a professional, clear, concise, and compelling manner to members of diverse social, economic, and educational backgrounds

Motivates members to actively plan for retirement while ensuring they understand and utilize the resources available via PERA’s public facing website and member portal to help establish and achieve their financial goals

Works individually and in partnership with others to develop, arrange, deliver, and promote general and specialized retirement education materials for members and benefit recipients.

Utilizes adult learning theories and behavioral finance principles, to deliver impactful and effective counseling sessions

Serve as a primary resource for complex inquiries and issues related to: PERA benefits, retirement plans, insurance programs, retirement readiness, and financial security.

Determines benefit program eligibility through member data-driven decision making and ensures compliance with state and federal regulatory frameworks governing PERAExplains complex PERA specific calculations, such as the Highest Average Salary (HAS), service credit purchase break even/recovery cost, and service credit available in a clear and concise manner

Proactively investigates and resolves member account related issues while adhering to federal and/or state statute, PERA Rules, internal procedures, and escalating as needed

Responsible for accurate data entry, information retrieval, and outgoing correspondence

Consistently achieves or exceeds defined performance benchmarks, and division-level service metrics as set forth by management

Operates with a strong sense of ownership, urgency and accountability to meet assigned deadlines and member expectations

Demonstrates dependability by maintaining regular and prompt attendance in the workplace and at meeting locations

Embraces a growth mindset by taking on projects, cross-functional initiatives, and other duties as assigned to support organizational objectives

Engages in continuous training and educational opportunities for ongoing professional development and enhanced personal skills

Supports management decisions and change efforts among teammates, other divisions, members, employers, and other stakeholders

Performs other duties as assigned

Job QualificationsA combination of education and experience equivalent to 2 years of benefit administration; a bachelor's degree is preferred

Exceptional verbal and written…