Senior Pension Consultant

Halifax Regional Municipality Pension Plan

Job Posting - Senior Pension Consultant (Full-Time)

The Halifax Regional Municipality Pension Plan Office is a busy and growing office dedicated to the effective operation of a $3.3+ billion pension fund serving approximately 15,000 plan members. The Pension Plan is a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan with an optional defined contribution component. Reporting to management, the Senior Pension Consultant will work with the Plan Member Services team to provide high quality pension administration service. The office is in HRM and can accommodate a flexible work arrangement that includes both an in-person and remote work environment with scheduled time in the office.

As a Senior Pension Consultant on the Plan Member Services team, your primary responsibility will be to assist the management team, ensuring the accurate and timely processing of all member transactions, such as retirement, termination, death, pension estimates, reciprocal transfers and service purchases; annual year end processing, and overall database management. You will also be responsible for communicating with plan members and beneficiaries on their pension entitlements and providing guidance and training to internal staff.

As the ideal candidate, you have experience in pension administration and can quickly prioritize your day. You are interested in working directly with plan members in a professional and highly regulated industry. You are self-motivated, highly organized, and possess a strong attention to detail. As part of a 24-person office, you must be able to work efficiently and collaboratively in a team environment with minimal supervision and be willing to support other team members as needed. This position requires confidentiality, excellent communication skills and the ability to work with many stakeholders including Pension Office staff, members of the Pension Committee, service providers, plan members, and Participating Employers. Honesty, integrity and the ability to keep confidential information private are essential requirements for this role.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain current/thorough knowledge and awareness of pension administration best practices, applicable legislative environment, technology and industry developments
• Assist with supervising internal Plan Member Services team, including training, development and performance evaluations
• Liaise with regulatory bodies, other pension plan sponsors and administrators, external lawyers, consultants, actuaries, auditors and other relevant parties
• Maintain member pension records, workflow management systems, member self service and pension calculation tools, procedures, internal standards and controls
• Review calculations, payments, correspondence and database updates for terminations, retirements, death benefits, pension estimates, reciprocal transfers and past service purchases; process and authorize benefit payments
• Ensure the effective flow of documentation for pension-related events
• Ensure staff compliance with service standards are met for member transactions
• Maintain/create pension administration spreadsheets
• Prepare and give presentations to plan member groups about the Plan
• Participate in the training and development of Plan Member Services staff
• Identify inefficiencies with pension administration processes and recommend improvements
• Assist in the annual year-end data collection process with the Participating Employers, annual data review/validations and preparation/review of Employee Statements
• Perform regular audits and reconciliations to ensure accuracy of benefit payments and pension records
• Provide excellent customer service by responding to escalated plan member requests and questions in a satisfactory and timely manner
• Communicate and meet with plan members, former members and beneficiaries regarding benefit entitlements and processes
• Document member calls to provide necessary and detailed information for internal audit purposes and member satisfaction surveys
• Assist with preparation of member communications, forms and statements and website information
• Communicate/meet with the pension plan's Participating Employers and external suppliers (third-party pension administrator and custodian)
• Perform other projects as assigned

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Post-secondary education in Mathematics or Business Administration/Commerce and 12+ years of applicable work experience in a defined benefit pension administration environment
• Certification or enrolment in the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) program and/or a Pension Plan Administration Certificate (PPAC) is preferred
• A suitable combination of education and experience will be considered

Job Specific Knowledge:

• Excellent mathematical skills
• Understanding of actuarial principles, pension and tax legislation, plan provisions and documents
• Understanding of industry standard pension administration procedures, processes and terminology
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to deal effectively with all stakeholders
• Strong customer service skills, positive attitude and good listening skills
• Ability to simplify complicated topics for plan members and employers
• Excellent time management skills, able to meet or exceed service standards
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical thinking

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency and expertise in use of current computer technology and related software (Outlook, MS Excel, MS Word, experience in MS PowerPoint and MS Access would be an asset)

SALARY:

Salary commensurate with education and experience; includes a competitive pension and benefit package.

To apply for this position, email your resume and cover letter to Lisa Tanner at [email protected] and Marisa Tobin at [email protected]. Additional information about the Plan may be found at www.hrmpensionplan.ca. Only those candidates invited for an interview will be contacted.