Financial Compliance Specialist (03820)

State of Montana•Helena, MT

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration (MPERA) is seeking an individual with a balance of solid accounting/auditing expertise and soft skills to work with a wide variety of participating members. This position is within the highly driven Fiscal Services Bureau and involves providing retirement benefit information on ten separate retirement plans. The specialist will verify and perform an audit of benefit calculations, service purchases, and final payments to members and retirees. They will also communicate differing retirement plan provisions to a diverse population of plan participants, including employees from state, university system, school district, and local government employers. The work is largely regulatory in nature.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with coursework emphasis in accounting, finance, economics or closely related fields
Demonstrated professional experience performing accounting or auditing work with at least 3 years of experience
Strong aptitude for using moderate to advanced functions of Excel
Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn: State retirement statues, administrative rules, regulations and policies
Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn: Actuarial principles related to the calculation of retirement benefits
Ability to effectively look at a problem and break it down using critical thinking skills (Problem-solving)
Ability to operate comfortably with moderate to advanced Excel functions
Ability to analyze and interpret data effectively as well as identify errors
Ability to provide effective and professional customer service
Ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically, both verbally and in writing with staff members, agencies, and members of the public
Ability to effectively work both in a team environment and independently to achieve business objectives and timelines
Ability to maintain high attention to detail
Ability to adapt to changing conditions and work responsibilities

Nice To Haves

Strong foundation in auditing or accounting

Responsibilities

Verify and perform an audit of benefit calculations, service purchases and final payments to members and retirees
Communicate differing retirement plan provisions to participants
Advise and train benefit specialists in their calculation role
Recommend actions to address violations, corrections, or new requirements in rules/regulations
Research and analyze employment data and apply critical thinking to problem solve
Communicate complex plan provisions and resolve member questions, with courtesy, respect and without influence
Manage workload and juggle multiple tasks while identifying order of priority