Disbursement Specialist

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)•Austin, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

In the Pension Services Division, we cultivate connection with our more than 2 million valued members by striving for excellence through counseling and administering benefits for retirees, active members, and employers. It is our goal to ensure our members have personalized service for pension benefits every day. Joining our fast-paced team you’ll have the opportunity to create meaningful experiences by learning the ins and outs of our business alongside a committed and collaborative community. Through coaching and mentorship, you’ll gain the skills you need to achieve your career goals at TRS while earning member trust and making a positive impact in their lives. The Disbursement Specialist is responsible for reviewing payments and processing account information for TRS members. The incumbent will disburse, cancel, and reissue annuity payments, process new and revise account information to ensure payment of retirement benefits, and research and resolve payment issues. This position will proactively work with the Benefit Processing team, Disbursements team, Pension Services staff, and agency employees.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED.
Education and experience may substitute for one another.
Three (3) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in payroll, accounting, financial analysis, banking, or benefit processing or related experience.
Knowledge of Basic accounting and business concepts and terminology..
Skill in Analyzing detailed financial reports with a high degree of accuracy.
Skill in Conducting thorough and detailed account investigations.
Skill in Preparing concise and accurate reports.
Skill in Interpreting and applying complex laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Skill in Planning, organizing, and prioritizing work assignments to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced and changing environment, including completing detailed work with a high degree of accuracy.
Skill in Using a computer in a Windows environment with Microsoft Office word processing, spreadsheet, and other business software, including accurately entering alpha/numeric data.
Skill in Effective written and verbal communications, including explaining complex technical information to people of all levels of technical knowledge.
Skill in Providing quality customer service.
Ability to Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, and external contacts.
Ability to Work effectively in a professional team environment.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, business, finance, or a related field.
Experience in reviewing governmental, legal, or financial documents.
Experience with Automated Clearing House (ACH) and/or other related banking transactions.

Responsibilities

Conducts extensive research in each case scenario to ensure appropriate and correct actions are taken.
Reviews and processes automated and manual annuity payrolls in compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
Maintains appropriate disbursement processing controls and assists with setups of deductions, garnishments, voluntary deductions, Tax Withholding Allowance Certificates (W-4Ps), and direct deposits, including returned monies and payment cancellations.
Distributes benefit checks and statements of earnings and deductions.
Reviews duplicate payment information to determine why duplicates were created and assists in preparing affidavits or statements necessary to inform appropriate staff to collect overpayments.
Prepares and codes manual vouchers to request or cancel payments to annuitants.
Responds to phone, email, and written inquiries from members, their families, school districts, and other interested parties regarding account information, annuity payment issues, refund status, routine income tax issues, and disbursement related laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Processes stop payment requests and prepares warrant cancellation vouchers.
Coordinates statute of limitations and responses, including stop payment requests and re-issuing outdated payments as appropriate.
Assists in preparing reversal vouchers to cancel electronic funds transfer (EFT) deposits due to notification of closed accounts, death of annuitant, stolen account information, employment after retirement, or other appropriate reason, including notifying appropriate staff to reissue payment when needed.
Communicates and coordinates with other agency staff and external entities to research, explain, and/or resolve complex annuity payroll issues and problems.
Posts or maintains office operating records or controls on disbursement payments, report creation, and posting procedures.
May conduct on-the-job training sessions.
Obtains, verifies, and updates member and account information from members, their families, school districts, and other interested parties.
Enters all changes requested by Benefit Processing and Disbursements to annuity payroll/alternate payee (ANPA/ALTP) systems.
Monitors special rollover address information at the State Comptroller of Public Accounts through the Texas Payee Information System (TPIS).
Creates and maintains special account files for IRS levies, child support, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), personal bankruptcies, and excess benefits payees.
Maintains and updates related logs, files, records, databases, and spreadsheets.
Researches, prepares, and types corrected 1099-R and 1042-S statements.
Provides routine technical assistance to members and agency staff regarding Disbursement related forms, documents, rules, policies, procedures, and systems, as well as agency laws, regulations, procedures, and processes.
Prepares or assists in preparing Estate Evaluation Worksheets on deceased members for their executors, attorneys, or accountants.
Prepares or assists in preparing waiver of benefit documents and letters for annuitants to assist them in adjusting annuity payments.
Assists in reconciling daily non-processed direct deposit and address error list, and researches annuitant files to obtain correct mailing address and re-mail returned warrants.
Identifies problems based on standard reports, referrals from agency staff, member inquiries, or other sources.
Researches records and gathers facts from members, financial institutions, the Comptroller’s office, the Attorney General’s office,and other appropriate sources.
Determines and implements the most appropriate action needed to resolve the problems, such as re-mailing, canceling, or reissuing checks; issuing stop payments; and/or account reparation.
Researches previously refunded accounts to verify that payment was issued and received by members, or initiates the forgery review process when necessary.
Researches errors and resolves discrepancies with Investment in Contract computer calculations.
Performs related work as assigned.