RETIREMENT BENEFITS SPECIALIST SUPERVISOR

The Maryland State Retirement Agency is the administrator of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (System). The System is a defined benefit retirement system covering governmental employees within the State of Maryland. The System is composed of twelve (12) separate retirement and pension systems with over 50 different rule sets. The System has over 397,000 participants (customers), including 192,000 members who are actively employed and participating in the System, 165,000 payees who receive a monthly payment from the System, and 40,000 vested members who are no longer actively employed but have earned a benefit that will become payable at a future date.

The agency is seeking to fill a Retirement Benefits Specialist position in the Member Services Unit.

120 East Baltimore Street, Balto, MD 21202

Plans, organizes, directs, and controls all aspects of work performed by the unit to ensure that the unit’s responsibilities are completed in a timely and accurate manner through assigning and monitoring of work assignments.

Evaluates the performance of the unit’s staff to ensure satisfactory performance through the application of performance standards.

Serves as senior resource person both for the staff and members to respond to complicated member problems through the application and interpretation of retirement law, regulations, and procedures and through the exercising of mature judgement and common sense.

Reviews and approves all Power of Attorneys and subpoenas which are submitted to Member Services. Attends court proceedings when required to testify.

As needed, compiles, organizes, and presents training material to ensure that lower-level Specialists are prepared and knowledgeable through individual and group instruction.

Participates in the hiring process to ensure that staffing is adequate by interviewing and evaluating candidates for employment.

Specific Job Functions:

Specific Essential Job Functions for Call Center Supervisor:

Monitors quality of information conveyed to ensure caller’s questions are answered both correctly in accordance with retirement law, regulations and procedures, and in a helpful and courteous manner. Maintains appropriate staffing for the quantity of telephone calls through the assessment of historical telephone call patterns, the consideration of agency mailings, and the continual evaluation of each Retirement Benefits Specialist’s use of time.

Oversees the Interactive Voice Response System (IVR) and the Navigator System, which are used to direct phone calls and provides statistics on number of telephone calls and tally codes. These two systems are components of our telephone system.

Specific Essential Job Functions for Correspondence and Counseling Supervisor:

Manages the flow of work in an ever-changing volume of work to ensure that all correspondence is answered in a timely manner through the assessment of workflow and utilization of staff.

Reviews the quality of outgoing correspondence to ensure the writer’s questions are answered both correctly in accordance with retirement law, regulations, and procedures and in a professional manner through the establishment of a quality control system.

Ensures that all channels of written communication are responded to in a timely and accurate manner, including e-mails and letters.

Monitors quality of both individual and group counseling sessions to ensure that the information presented is accurate and communicated in a helpful and courteous manner and in accordance with retirement law, regulations, and procedures through the evaluation of Specialist and program performance.

Manages the flow of work to ensure counseling unit is responsive to member’s demands and needs for information through the evaluation of the effectiveness of counseling programs.

Experience: Eight years of experience counseling employees or responding to inquiries in a call center relative to pension benefits and options available under a State, federal or local retirement and pension system.

Notes:

1.  Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and four years of experience counseling employees or responding to inquiries in a call center relative to pension benefits and options available under a State, federal or local retirement and pension system for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Maryland Retirement Coordinator certification issued by the Maryland State Retirement Agency, 120 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore MD, 21202, for one year of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master’s degree in Business Management, Business Administration or Public Administration from an accredited college or university for five years of the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Financial  Management classifications or Financial Management specialty codes in the Accounting and Budget field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

At least 2 years of leading or supervising employees.

At least 3 years of experience using a Customer Service Management system in the performance of customer service duties.

Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties shall be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Employees in this classification must possess and maintain a Notary Public certification valid in the State of Maryland.

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the eligible (employment) list for at least one year.

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all experience and education that is related to this position.

As an employee of the State of Maryland, you will have access to outstanding benefits, including: health insurance, dental, and vision plans offered at a low cost. CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR MORE DETAILS: STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS.

• 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 twelve (12) holidays per year.  
• Pension - State employees earn credit towards a retirement pension.
• Positions may be eligible for telework.

Online applications are highly recommended. However, if you are unable to apply online, the paper application and supplemental questionnaire may be submitted to: Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and Examination Division, 301 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Paper application materials must be received in our office by the closing date for the recruitment. No postmarks will be accepted.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact the DBM Recruitment and Examination Division at Application.Help@maryland.gov or 410-767-4850, MD TTY Relay Service 1-800-735-2258.

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country.

People with disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruitment, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity.