Benefits Department Analyst

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund • Elmhurst, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides support to the Benefits Department Supervisors and staff, providing training and documentation as well as conducting quality assurance to determine compliance with established goals. This position will be assigned claim production responsibilities, as needed. The assignments given to individual Benefits Department Analysts will differ depending on the needs of the department.

Requirements

• Five years’ experience as an IMRF Examiner/Senior Examiner. Performance history of meeting or exceeding unit standards.
• Associate’s Degree with 3 years of work related experience
• Bachelor’s Degree with 1 year of work related experience
• Expert knowledge of the IMRF processing system, Pension Code, department standards and benefit structure
• Detail oriented.
• Strong project work skills.
• Strong mathematical skills.
• Strong statistical interpretation and reasoning skills.
• Technical writing and documentation skills
• Ability to communicate both verbally and written concepts on varying levels.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong customer service skills – external and internal
• Ability to stay organized, calm, and constructive when handling stressful situations, demonstrate tolerance, appropriate demeanor, and patience with all members, employers and staff, and interact in a manner that shows genuine concern and respect for others.
• Ability to work unexpected overtime.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret technical system documentation including the Illinois Pension Code; IMRF legal interpretations and policies; and Spectrum edits, pends, and output. In addition, understand and calculate outside contracts/ supplemental benefits that affect IMRF. Strong ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with internal and external customers in efforts to resolve complex issues, and convey decisions and direction. Primary customers will include most IMRF departments; IMRF members and beneficiaries, and employers; and attorneys and medical providers.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as, benefit calculation, including use of IMRF benefit formula tables. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Ability to solve complex and practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where detail and limited standardization exists. Ability to understand how the Spectrum system is processing a given set of data. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Ability to sit.
• Ability to use hands, to finger, handle or feel.
• Ability to talk and or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Responsibilities

• Foster a positive, team centered culture in support of our Values and individual accountability.
• Provide the necessary support to enable the department to achieve established service goals.
• Train new Examiner staff and other IMRF staff as requested on policies, procedures and IMRF’s administration of Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code. Analysts reporting to the Benefits Supervisor are also responsible for administration and training of Article 20 of the Illinois Pension Code.
• Conduct training of department staff, utilizing internal and external resources, including staff, Benefits Supervisors and Senior Examiners. Prepare procedural training materials and syllabi, identify training issues and work with Business Solution Analyst, Supervisor or Manager to determine a training plan.
• Maintain current knowledge of benefit, legislative, and administrative changes, as well as current events, including issues that impact IMRF members. Assist in providing updates to department staff.
• Assist the department staff in resolving difficult claim situations; provide feedback to staff to assist them in developing the necessary skills to resolve difficult claims going forward.
• Review and approve workflows
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of claims, workflows and payrolls to determine compliance with established goals for promptness and accuracy,. Provide feedback and training to staff based on results.
• Conduct system testing as assigned.
• Analyze claim QA trend data. Create and maintain monthly reports for the Benefits Department.
• Assist the Supervisors and Business Solution Analyst in maintaining up-to-date written procedures for all activities of the department. Assist in providing updates to staff.
• Provide technical support and guidance for department staff and other IMRF employees as needed. Review and report on problem situations as requested by the Benefits Supervisors, Business Solution Analyst or Manager.
• Support achievement of the organization’s Journey of Excellence, Mission, Vision and Strategic Objectives of IMRF.
• Maintain current knowledge of the operation of all other departments in IMRF as it relates to the Benefits Department operations. Act as liaison between Benefits and other IMRF departments.
• Conduct research for the Benefits Department. This requires knowledge of the various resources, and ability to determine which of these resources should be used in order to locate diverse types of information. Resources include – IMRF Enterprise Benefit System (SPECTRUM), Imaging system, microfiche, microfilm, employer paper files, board minutes, Illinois Pension Code, IMRF Legal Interpretations, Authorized Agent's Manual, external documentation, member employment records, payroll records, employer resolutions, payment information, social security records, Illinois state statutes, and IMRF policies and procedures.
• As directed by the Benefits Supervisors, provide back up to the Examiner staff and perform claims processing, as needed.
• Other duties and special projects may be assigned.

Benefits

• Pension, death, and disability benefits as a member of IMRF
• Generous insurance benefits, including medical and dental
• 35-hour base work week, Monday-Friday. Ability to work one day remote, per week, after 6 months of hire.
• Paid vacation, paid sick, 12-13 paid holidays and 2 personal days
• Tuition reimbursement
• Business casual attire

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree