Benefits Specialist 1

State of Montana•Helena, MT

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration (MPERA) is committed to providing secure and sustainable retirement benefits to nearly 60,000 members and retirees. The agency administers ten retirement plans and is dedicated to customer service, member education, and operational efficiency. We are seeking an individual with a balance of solid math expertise and soft skills to work with a wide variety of participating members, providing retirement benefit information on ten separate retirement plans in our highly driven Fiscal Services Bureau. This includes calculating retirement benefits for members using the calculations and provisions specific to each plan, determining cost estimates for members to purchase other service into a plan, calculating benefit coordination across plans, and calculating interest payable to a member or beneficiary. This position communicates differing retirement plan provisions to participants to the diverse population of plan participants who are employees from state, university system, school district and local government employers. Given the work we do is largely regulatory in nature, we would prefer if you had a strong foundation in math. The State of Montana has a decentralized human resources (HR) system. Each agency is responsible for its own recruitment and selection. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the agency's HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application. State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.

Requirements

Associates degree with coursework emphasis in accounting/ mathematics or related fields
Demonstrated professional experience performing higher function calculations, balancing financial variables, and providing service to a customer or other third party
Strong aptitude for using moderate to advanced functions of Excel
Alternate combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis
Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn: State retirement statues, administrative rules, regulations and policies; Actuarial principles related to the calculation of retirement benefits
Operate comfortably with moderate to advanced functions of Excel
Learn and apply a variety of mathematical formulas
Provide effective and professional customer service
Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
Analyze a member’s retirement options and provide detailed explanation without influencing a member’s decision
Research and analyze employment data and draw conclusions
Ability to interpret and apply technical knowledge of financial informational, reported data, distribution, communication, and information systems for a variety of circumstances that often are not specifically addressed by statute, rule, policy or business processes
Communicate complex plan provisions and resolve member questions with courtesy and respect
Maintain high attention to detail