Client Relationship Consultant

Ascensus•Remote, California, CA

23h

About The Position

FuturePlan, the nation’s largest third-party administrator of retirement plans, partners with advisors across all 50 states and is part of Ascensus. The Client Relationship Manager serves as the primary point of contact for clients, advisors, and strategic business partners, managing a book of retirement plan clients and building and maintaining strong relationships. The role involves identifying and resolving complex plan issues, coordinating with internal specialists to deliver services accurately and on time, supporting client retention and satisfaction, and identifying opportunities for additional services and profitable growth. The successful candidate brings retirement plan expertise and strong communication and relationship-management skills. As a trusted resource to clients and their professional service providers, the role requires staying current with industry, regulatory, and business changes that may affect retirement plans and making thoughtful, solution-oriented recommendations. The position supports retirement plan sponsors in achieving their goals and navigating complex issues while contributing to organizational success. The role may involve travel to client sites by car or airplane, including occasional overnight stays. Depending on location and distance from an office, the employee may need to work in a corporate office up to two days per week. For virtual remote positions, an uninterrupted workspace, family care during business hours, and internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps are required.

Requirements

At least three years of hands-on client consulting on all aspects of actuarial administrative tasks.
Excellent understanding of funding methods and the ability to explain information in actuarial valuations, PBGC filings, and AFTAP certifications.
For roles primarily working with defined contribution plans, at least three years of hands-on experience with 401(k) plans, including recordkeeping and vendor issues.
Excellent understanding of plan administration, compliance testing, and pension law.
Good business sense and ability to understand clients’ business needs.
Team player and self-motivated.
Comfort working with numbers.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone and presentation skills.
Excellent delegation skills.
Excellent computer skills in Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Intermediate sales and negotiation skills.
Ability to travel by car to visit clients and, when needed, by car or airplane for out-of-area client visits involving overnight stays.
Ability to work in a corporate office up to two days per week, depending on location and distance from the office.
For virtual remote positions, ability to maintain an uninterrupted workspace, have family care in place during business hours, and meet the stated internet-speed requirement.

Nice To Haves

B.A. or B.S. degree preferred.
Working toward ASPPA’s CPC designation preferred.
For work on defined benefit plans, knowledge base of an Enrolled Actuary (EA).

Responsibilities

Retain existing profitable clients and prevent attrition; improve the profitability of non-profitable clients by increasing fees or helping them find a new consulting firm.
Offer annual client reviews and conduct formal conference calls or virtual meetings when requested.
Monitor changes in clients’ needs, expectations, and businesses.
Serve as the primary contact for clients, advisors, CPAs, and attorneys on strategic plan issues, and be the first point of contact for clients’ consulting or strategic concerns.
Identify client problems, listen to their concerns, and provide appropriate solutions.
Seek opportunities to provide and bill for additional services; promote or sell special services to existing clients.
Proactively contact clients about upcoming events and issues, including vendor changes and changes in laws or regulations that may affect their plans.
Coordinate with assigned specialists to complete normal recurring services within service standards and other services by agreed-upon client due dates.
Follow up on required data, trust information, and documents to complete work on time and minimize rushes.
Provide answers and solutions to problems encountered by specialists.
Manage a book of business in accordance with annual goals and keep client service fee agreements up to date.
Complete billing write-ups, write-offs, and approvals within five business days of receipt from Accounting, using paperless processes.
Determine write-up and write-off amounts and bill appropriately against budgets for normal recurring and other services.
Prepare Client Authorization Forms for additional special service projects as needed.
Work with Accounting to collect billing, monitor aging reports, and follow up with clients on outstanding invoices; target days sales outstanding of less than 35 days.
Stay current on retirement plan and investment consulting topics by reviewing circulated technical and investment communications.
Suggest process improvements, discuss challenges with a supervisor, propose constructive solutions, and share ideas with peers.
Attend scheduled monthly or quarterly one-to-one meetings with the leader.
Provide backup to other teams as necessary and complete other work assigned through committees, task forces, projects, or other assignments.
Refer prospects to the sales team as needed and attend meetings or seminars to build relationships with influential people.
Close an agreed amount of first-year billings from new clients if included in annual goals.
Protect, secure, and properly handle confidential Ascensus data to prevent unauthorized access, improper transmission, or unapproved disclosure.
Demonstrate Ascensus’ core values of People Matter, Quality First, and Integrity Always.