Senior Retirement Counselor

Position Description

Under direction, a Senior Retirement Counselor performs difficult and complex work in a variety of areas within retirement benefit administration; provides training and direction to subordinate staff; assists in the development of policies and programs to better serve the changing needs of the members of the Retirement Administration Systems.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

Supervises, assigns, reviews, and evaluates services provided to retirement members
and beneficiaries.

Coordinates retiree payroll activities with the accounting function; authorizes the payment
of withdrawals, refunds, retiree payroll, death benefits, and other disbursements.

Assists in developing, implementing, and monitoring internal procedures and support
systems for retirement administration.

Train subordinates to provide accurate guidance to members of the Retirement Systems
regarding a wide variety of retirement benefit questions for active, deferred, and retired
members, clearly articulating their various options so members can make informed
retirement planning choices.

Verify eligibility, review Retirement Counselor I/II calculation estimates of benefits payable, service
purchases, service and disability retirement, the Deferred Retirement Option Program
(DROP), the Post Retirement Supplemental Benefit (PRSB), and death benefits.

Coordinate and calculate reciprocal benefits with other retirement systems.

Process, apply and reconcile member contributions from City payroll to employee retirement
accounts as maintained in Pension administration software and apply the monthly
interest and annual cost of living increases to accounts.

Instruct Retirement Counselor I/II of retirement system calculations, member benefit options, the completion of application forms, tax-withholding forms, and beneficiary forms; explain tax liability of disability benefits.

Respond orally or in writing to a wide variety of disability retirement benefits questions
from applicants, attorneys, medical experts, hearing officers, witnesses, department
directors and others.

Responsible for the processing and distribution of monthly retirement payroll.

Research, prepare, and submit materials and reports to the Retirement Boards.

Interpret and implement new federal and state laws and regulations affecting retirement benefits and payroll operations.

Provide pension actuarial data verification.

Perform related duties as required.

Full job description available to be viewed at:

https://www.fresno.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/JS-Senior-Retirement-Counselor.pdf

One vacancy currently exists in the Retirement Office. Immediate and future vacancies will be filled from this eligible list for a period of three (3) months from the date the eligible list is created, with the option of extending that period at the City's discretion. If the examination process is suspended for this recruitment, the eligible list may be limited to three (3) months.

Pay,Benefits, & Work Schedule

UNIT 13 Classification City of Fresno Professional Employees Association (CFPEA)

HEALTH INSURANCE: The City contributes toward monthly premiums for PPO medical, dental and vision for employee and dependents.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT: IRS 125 Plan for health and dependent care expenses.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary 457 plan with Fidelity Investments to increase your retirement savings.
MANAGEMENT LEAVE: 60 hours per fiscal year for exempt employees.
ANNUAL LEAVE: Accrue 15.5 hours per month with cash out provisions.
SUPPLEMENTAL SICK- 40 hours per fiscal year. 80 hours lifetime maximum
HOLIDAYS: Ten (10) City-observed annual holidays plus birthday and two (2) personal days.
LIFE INSURANCE: Benefit equal to annual salary; premium paid by the City.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY: Benefit equal to 66.66% of monthly salary up to $7,500 per month after 30 days of disability; premium paid by the City.
BILINGUAL PREMIUM: PAY: $100 per month
HEALTH REIMBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENT: Eligible retirees can use remaining Sick Leave balance at 80% of hourly rate and other leave balances, if applicable, to reimburse medical insurance and qualified medical expenses, tax free.
RETIREMENT: City of Fresno Retirement Systems, one of the best funded public systems in the state. Reciprocity with other CA public agencies. Vested in Retirement benefits after 5 years of service. City employees do not participate in Social Security.
DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program): an optional, voluntary program that allows an employee to deposit retirement benefits in a special savings account within the Retirement System while continuing to work for the City of Fresno for up to 10 years. Participation minimum is age 50 and vested. Benefits includes ownership of accumulated funds, compound interest earnings, and alternative distribution options.

Additional information regarding the City of Fresno benefits is available at
https://www.fresno.gov/personnel/human-resources-support/#tab-1

The Requirements

Three (3) years of experience independently performing in retirement benefits administration that includes benefit calculations, payroll, service and disability retirement, deferred retirement benefits, death benefits, and interpreting and applying state and federal retirement laws; experience should include, or be supplemented by, one year of lead or supervisory work experience.

AND

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely related field.

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.

Eligibles certified for consideration for hire will be required to successfully pass a Department interview and a Department of Justice fingerprint prior to employment with the City of Fresno.

Possession of a valid California Driver's License may be required at the time of appointment. Candidates considered for hire may have to provide proof of a valid driver's license and current copy of their driving record.

Additional Requirements

HOW TO ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR TRANSCRIPTS TO YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION:

a) Your document must be scanned and saved to your computer or thumb drive as a pdf
b) Go to www.fresno.gov/jobs > City of Fresno Jobs > Apply On-Line> Enter the same Login Information that was used to apply for this job> choose My Career Tools (located at the top of the page).
c) Choose Cover Letters and Attachments Select Add Attachments.
d) For Attachment Type: choose Reference Attachment, then select Add Attachment link.
e) Select the Browse button, you will be able to attach the saved document from your computer. Select Upload.
f) Click Save and Return.

How To Apply

APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AN ON-LINE APPLICATION. PLEASE VISIT WWW.FRESNO.GOV/JOBS TO APPLY. For information on how to complete an on-line application, please view "Instruction Guide" on the City's website, Personnel Services Career Opportunities page, or call (559) 621-6950 for assistance. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed employment application.

ALL CORRESPONDENCE regarding this recruitment and exam process will be sent via e-mail. All applicants will acknowledge such understanding when they complete their on-line application. Verify we have your correct e-mail address before you submit your application. It is an applicant's responsibility to check their email frequently to ensure they receive all pertinent communication from the Personnel Services Department on a timely basis. Applicants will receive an automatically generated confirmation e-mail upon a successful application submittal. The e-mail is the only proof of submittal.

It is an applicants responsibility to check their email account and to ensure it is set up to accept emails from the City of Fresno. Dependent upon your settings, notices from the City of Fresno may be directed to the junk mail or spam folders. It is the applicants responsibility to check these folders.

Applications must be submitted by midnight on the filing deadline or they will not be accepted for any reason. FOR THIS RECRUITMENT, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PERMANENT FRESNO CITY EMPLOYEES APPLY THROUGH PEOPLESOFT SELF-SERVICE.

Selection Process

The examination process may consist of the following:

Oral Exam: 100% - An Oral Exam may be administered which will be worth 100% of your score in determining your eligibility and placement on the eligible list.

The examination is designed to assess a candidate's knowledge and ability in the following areas: to interpret and apply state and federal laws relating to public pension systems, long-term disability, and death/survivor benefits; to apply sound independent judgment; apply principles of logic to define problems, analyze data and evaluate options for problem resolution; to provide clear and concise training and direction to subordinates; and to develop and maintain positive working relationships with the public, other agencies, City management and staff.

Candidates must achieve a passing score in order to qualify for the eligible list.

The Oral Exam is tentatively scheduled for the week of July 7, 2025.

Veteran Preference Regulations

Candidates applying for veteran's preference are required to submit a copy of their DD214 with their application during the specified filing period. Evidence must be presented to indicate that the candidate was discharged honorably from the military service. Veterans, including City employees, must resubmit proof of honorable service for every examination for which veteran's preference credit is requested. Qualified veterans who pass the examination will have five (5) points added to their final score.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Fresno is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Should you need a special accommodation due to a qualifying disability, please contact the Personnel Service Department at (559) 621-6950 in advance of the examination.

Closing Date/Time: 06/19/2025

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• City of Fresno

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