Retirement Benefits Reconciliation Specialist

State of Maryland • Baltimore City, MD

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position serves as an Administrator in the operations of the reconciliation team in the Reconciliation & Replacement Team. The incumbent reports to the Reconciliation & Revision Team supervisor. The Reconciliation & Replacement Team handles reconciliation of retirement applications, retirement estimates, and retirement revisions updates. The team also completes reissuance of benefit payments, workers’ compensation cases related to accidental disability retirements, and processing of liens, levies, and court ordered domestic relations orders. This position requires critical thinking skills and the ability to use independent judgement in their daily responsibilities. The incumbent should obtain and maintain and understanding of retirement law and the Code of Maryland Regulations as it applies to reconciliation of the nightly updates, reissuance of benefit payments, workers’ compensation reviews, and processing of liens, levies, and domestic relations orders. This position is responsible for maintaining a solid knowledge level relating to retirement law, regulations, policies and procedures. The incumbent uses independent judgement to apply Agency policies and procedures and makes recommendations to the Team lead on procedural and process improvements to ensure the Agency meets its goals. The incumbent works with the lead worker to periodically review and suggest modifications to standard operating procedures, checklists, worksheets, and job aides as necessary. This position facilitates the nightly processing updates of retirement applications, retirement estimates, and retirement revision transactions by preparing and/or reviewing monetary reconciliations to identify discrepancies in posted data. The incumbent also reviews incoming requests for liens, levies, and domestic relations orders based on internal policies and procedures, retirement law, and the Code of Maryland regulations. The incumbent may also be assigned workers’ compensation cases to determine if any workers’ compensation benefits require offset based on an award of accidental disability retirement. Finally, this position may also prepare/review unused sick leave recertifications to ensure the accuracy of sick leave credit.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
• Four years of administrative staff or professional work.
• Candidates may substitute 30 college credit hours from an accredited college or university for each year up to four years of the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university for the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university for the required experience.
• Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer involving staff work related to the administration of rules, regulations, policy, procedures and processes, or overseeing or coordinating unit operations or functioning as a staff assistant to a higher ranking commissioned officer on a year-for- year basis for the required experience.
• Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Nice To Haves

• One year of demonstrated experience working with Microsoft Office software, including Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Two years of reconciliation experience, analyzing and interpreting accounting systems, records and reports
• One year of calculating benefits payable (e.g. retirement, insurance, health, etc.).
• One year of experience creating or approving payments (vouchers).

Responsibilities

• Reconciles reports of retirement applications processed to identify accounts not processed or processed incorrectly. This includes reconciliation of monetary values, reviewing of all posted data, utilizing worksheets to verify the calculation of the monthly retirement benefit, and all steps necessary for mailing of retirement acknowledgements and document imaging.
• Reconciles reports of retirement estimates processed to identify accounts not processed or processed incorrectly. This includes reconciliation of monetary values, reviewing of all posted data, utilizing worksheets to verify the calculation of the monthly retirement benefit, and all steps necessary for mailing of retirement acknowledgements and document imaging.
• Reconciles reports of retirement revisions processed to identify accounts not processed or processed incorrectly. This includes reconciliation of monetary values and a review of all posted data. This also includes all steps necessary for document imaging.
• Prepare and/or review incoming liens, levies, Domestic Relations Orders for processing. Following a review of the incoming request, prepare the appropriate worksheets to calculate the lien, levy or Domestic Relations Order allocation. Once approved, submit the appropriate adjustment for processing. May also include preparing manual benefit payments for amounts owed to an alternate payee or lienholder.
• Prepare and/or review workers’ compensation cases related to accidental disability retirement allowance. Includes contacting workers’ compensation or the appropriate insurer to obtain information related to any workers’ compensation awards, preparing worksheets and supporting documentation to determine if an offset of the accidental disability allowance is required, and preparing written communication to notify the retiree. May also include preparing manual benefit payments for retroactive amounts owed following case review.
• Issue replacement and manual benefit payments. This includes electronic funds transfer (EFT) failures, stop payment checks, staled dated checks, and returned checks in accordance with established procedures. This includes gathering supporting documentation, reconciling payment history, preparing necessary worksheets, and completing the necessary forms to replace or issue benefits due in accordance with established procedures. Communicate with retirees via correspondence to determine whether stale dated checks should be replaced.
• Prepare and/or review sick leave recertification worksheet to verify used sick leave credit.
• Special projects as assigned by the Team Supervisor, Deputy Director, or Director.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• health insurance, dental, and vision plans offered at a low cost.
• Personal Leave - new State employees are awarded six (6) personnel days annually (prorated based on start date).
• Annual Leave - ten (10) days of accumulated annual leave per year.
• Sick Leave - fifteen (15) days of accumulated sick leave per year.
• Parental Leave - up to sixty (60) days of paid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child.
• Holidays - State employees also celebrate at least thirteen (13) holidays per year.
• Pension - State employees earn credit towards a retirement pension.
• Positions may be eligible for telework.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED