Retirement And Benefits Officer

The State of Connecticut, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), is an agency whose mission is to provide accounting and financial services, to administer employee and retiree benefits, to develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and to prepare financial reports for the state, federal and municipal governments and the public. 

We are currently seeking qualified candidates to fill one (1) Retirement and Benefits Officer position within the Healthcare Policy and Benefit Services Division.  This class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in public employee retirement and benefit administration.

The Healthcare Policy & Benefit Services Division administers benefits programs for all state employees, retirees, and their families. The largest programs are the medical, pharmacy, and dental benefit programs covering over 200,000 lives. The division is responsible for the contract procurement, administration, and evaluation of these programs. The division is working on new and expanded opportunities for municipalities and non-profits to procure health care in coordination with the state, potentially saving significant dollars and resources.

The division is also responsible for administrating the State of Connecticut Defined Contribution Plans, including oversight of investments which are currently in excess of $3.2 billion. The division also coordinates group life insurance, unemployment insurance, and supplemental benefits for state employees.

The Office of the State Comptroller is located in the newly-renovated State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue.  This state-of-the-art building offers an on-site cafeteria, free garage parking, and ergonomic workspaces. 

In order to be considered for this job opening, you must be a current State of CT employee, who has permanent state status* and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening.  You must specify your qualifications on your application.

*For employees in the classified service, permanent status is obtained after successful completion of a working test period.  For employees in the unclassified service, permanent status is obtained after serving in a position for at least six months (full-time or full-time equivalent).

Please ensure that your application is complete and you have included a resume within the "Resume Tab" of your application. Candidates who do not submit the required documents will not be considered.  NOTE: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, performance reviews, supervisory references, attendance records, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQ’s) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date. Please regularly check your email for notifications. If referral questions are sent, you will need to reply by the deadline indicated on the notification or you will be automatically disqualified from consideration.

Questions about these required documents should be directed to the hiring agency's human resources office: Bonnie.Schlechtweg@ct.gov.

Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements and preferred qualifications of the position. Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account.

Please note that applications to this recruitment process may be used for future vacancies.

In the Office of the State Comptroller, Retirement Services Division and Healthcare Policy and Benefit Services Division and in the Teachers' Retirement Board Benefits Division, this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in public employee retirement and benefit administration.

Performs a variety of financial and administrative functions in field of retirement and benefits management; works on special projects as required; conducts or participates in examination of employee records; researches and analyzes employees retirement records and prepares individualized estimates of entitlement in accordance with retirement laws, collective bargaining and/or court actions relative to State Employees Retirement Systems; utilizes various databases for reports and analysis; examines and reconciles employment records with supporting data such as payroll records, calendars, etc.; responds to inquiries from a wide variety of individuals regarding all aspects of retirement plans and/or employee benefit plans; conducts training seminars and develops training materials and manuals on state and municipal retirement systems and/or employee benefit plans; researches impact of legislation, regulations and collective bargaining provisions on retirement system; examines retirement calculations and procedures to ensure compliance with laws and regulations and state or federal requirements; prepares unit reports; interprets and applies relevant Connecticut General Statutes and federal regulations pertaining to retirement and/or employee benefits; analyzes and prepares benefit, accounting, financial and administrative statements; acts as a liaison with agency human resources employees with respect to difficult retirements; performs related duties as required.

Knowledge of and ability to apply relevant agency policies and procedures; knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; knowledge of principles and practices of public employee retirement and benefit administration; knowledge of human resources and payroll practices and procedures; knowledge of basic examining and researching principles and practices; knowledge of governmental accounting as applied to retirement and benefit administration; interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; ability to prepare, analyze and evaluate employee benefits statements, other employee records and reports, and benefit claims and cost data; ability to utilize various databases systems for retirement and benefits management; ability to read and interpret written materials; ability to lead other employees; ability to utilize computer software.

Six (6) years of experience in employee benefit and/or retirement administration.

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been at the paraprofessional level in the fields of accounts examining, human resources, payroll or related administrative function.

Note: For State Employees the Special Experience is interpreted at the level of Associate Retirement Examiner, Payroll System Coordinator, Payroll Officer 1, Assistant Accountant, Human Resources Assistant or Fiscal/Administrative Assistant.

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor’s degree.
2. A Master’s degree in business administration, accounting or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.

Preference will be given to applicants with the following experiencing/training:

• Knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures regarding health benefit administration, including relevant CT statutes, CT Partnership Plan Operating Rules, and Partnership Plan contract requirements.
• Financial knowledge including underwriting principles and accounting principles.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of Core-CT HRMS and Financial modules.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES AND THOSE RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE INDICATED ABOVE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 

An Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer.  The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.  If you are requesting special accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) please contact Bonnie Schlechtweg at 860.702.3323 or Bonnie.Schlechtweg@ct.gov.