Pension Manager

Southern California United Food & Commercial Workers Unions and Food Employers Joint Benefit Funds A•Cypress, CA

7d•$91,000 - $126,956

About The Position

The Pension Manager – VAPP & Audit is responsible for the full administration and oversight of the Variable Annuity Pension Plan (VAPP), including plan operations, compliance, and execution. This role will lead the implementation and ongoing management of VAPP, establishing processes, controls, and operational structure from inception. This position provides leadership over the Pension Audit Team, ensuring audit activities are executed effectively to support Pension Operations. For the defined benefit (DB) plan, this role operates in close partnership with, and in direct support of, the Pension Manager, reinforcing accurate plan administration, consistent application of plan provisions, and adherence to established processes and priorities. While the audit framework for the DB plan is established, this role is responsible for sustaining its effectiveness, aligning audit activities with operational goals, and supporting training efforts that drive consistency and quality across the team. Audit results and metrics will be leveraged to inform performance expectations, identify trends, and support continuous improvement across Pension Operations. For VAPP, this role will design and implement audit processes to ensure accuracy, consistency, and strong internal controls from the outset. This position works in close coordination with the Pension Manager responsible for the DB plan, ensuring clear role alignment, reinforcing operational priorities, and supporting the successful execution of departmental initiatives.

Requirements

Full administration and oversight of the Variable Annuity Pension Plan (VAPP).
Leadership over the Pension Audit Team.
Partnership with the Pension Manager for the defined benefit (DB) plan.
Design and implementation of audit processes for VAPP.
Coordination with the Pension Manager responsible for the DB plan.
Ensuring clear role alignment, reinforcing operational priorities, and supporting departmental initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead the implementation and ongoing administration of the Variable Annuity Pension Plan (VAPP), currently in its start-up phase.
Design, develop, and implement operational workflows, procedures, and internal controls to support VAPP administration from inception.
Establish foundational processes, including eligibility determination, benefit calculations, audit checkpoints, and documentation standards.
Ensure compliance with plan documents, regulatory requirements, and internal policies as the plan is operationalized.
Serve as the primary point of accountability for building, stabilizing, and scaling VAPP operations.
Identify risks, gaps, and dependencies early in the implementation phase and proactively develop solutions.
Partner with internal stakeholders, including Compliance, Legal, IT, and Plan Professionals, to support successful implementation and integration of VAPP into existing systems and processes.
Provide leadership and oversight of the Pension Audit Team, including pre- and post-audit functions.
Ensure audit activities support Pension Operations by reinforcing accuracy, consistency, and adherence to plan provisions.
For the DB plan, operate in close partnership with and in support of the Pension Manager to reinforce operational priorities and ensure alignment between audit and administration.
Maintain and enforce the existing audit framework supporting the DB Pension Plan, ensuring consistency and effectiveness.
Design and implement audit structure, standards, and workflows specific to VAPP, aligned with start-up and scalability needs.
Monitor audit results, including error trends and root causes, and drive corrective actions and process improvements.
Ensure audit findings are clearly documented, communicated, and escalated as appropriate.
Leverage audit results and metrics to inform performance expectations, identify trends, and support continuous improvement.
Partner closely with Pension Manager (DB), to ensure alignment between audit activities, operational priorities, training expectations, and service standards.
Support operational readiness by aligning audit and workflow priorities with implementation timelines and service expectations, ensuring participant payments are timely and accurate and the overall participant experience remains a top priority.
Ensure audit activities support onboarding and training efforts, including evaluating work quality and determining readiness for individuals to transition out of audit and perform independently.
Provide guidance and direction to audit staff, reinforcing accountability, role clarity, and performance expectations.
Develop and leverage reporting and metrics to provide visibility into audit outcomes, operational readiness, performance trends, and risk areas.