Retirement Benefits Specialist

THE POSITION

POSITION PURPOSE 

This position performs specialized professional and technical work in the non-routine and manual calculation of retirement benefits.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

This opportunity has been posted to both the internal job postings page for commonwealth employees and the external job postings page for all job seekers.  If you are a current or former commonwealth employee, we encourage you to apply to both the internal posting (bid) and external posting (merit system employment list).

About SERS: Established in 1923, SERS is one of the nation’s oldest retirement plans for public employees and manages the pension benefits of more than 246,000 employees and retirees for 96 public sector employers.  In 2025, SERS paid more than $4.0 billion in benefits and managed nearly $50 billion in assets.  Additional information is available at www.SERS.pa.gov.

Our mission is to prepare our members and participants to achieve financial security in retirement.  We achieve this through focusing on our mission, acting ethically and with integrity, empowering our members, embracing innovation, fostering life work balance, modeling an inclusive and respectful workplace, valuing and developing team members, collaborating, and finding joy in our work. 

SERS is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified individuals to our team.  We are committed to an inclusive and respectful work environment that fosters personal and professional growth, embraces the contributions of all team members, and leverages diversity in people, ideas, and experiences to achieve our highest potential.

Work Hours:  7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. with a one-hour unpaid meal period; OR  
                         8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. with a half-hour unpaid meal period.  

Full-time employment, 37.5-hour work week, Monday through Friday.

Supervisor:  Nitasha Mease, Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisor

Telework eligibility:  You may have the opportunity to work from home part-time (hybrid telework schedule), up to three days per week, depending on operational needs and progress in learning assigned tasks.  In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania.  If you are unable to telework, you must work on-site at the work location specified in this job posting.  Telework arrangements are subject to change.  Additional details may be provided during the interview.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

RESPONSIBILITIES 

- Maintenance of active member accounts (in excess of 100,000 members):  Responsible for analyzing complex member financial data as well as demographic data posted to member accounts as well as those of prior members of the system who have elected to become a multiple service member. Daily-run reports as well as the Discoverer tool are used to facilitate research criteria.  In addition, research is performed on accounts at the direction of others within the Office of Member and Participant Services.

- These positions are responsible for adjustments/verifying of member accounts to include service credit, earnings, contributions, interest, and any other demographic changes necessary.

- Restructuring of member accounts:  Responsible for the creation/adjustment of member accounts, including, but not limited to, return to service of an annuitant or the settlement of an arbitration/grievance. This requires the proper adjustment to service class and category as well as the appropriate breakdown of member monies by tax type. In addition, interpretation of the State Employees’ Retirement Code, Rules and Regulations, Court Orders and / or legal opinion as they apply is required.

- Divorce proceedings:  Responsible for the calculation of member contributions, interest and service for members from the effective date of membership through specified date. This information is provided to Retirement Counselors to incorporate into retirement calculations. Accuracy of this data is vital should the member proceed with divorce proceedings, as this information determines the extent to which a member is responsible financially for a former spouse in the event the member retires.

- Member statements/inquiries:  Responsible for the research of member inquiries concerning incorrect financial and/or demographic information contained therein. This research could result in the adjustment of a member record and the subsequent written notification to the member, as well as the issuance of a corrected member statement.

- Pre-retirement service verification:  Research all member accounts prior to retirement/furloughs to ensure the accuracy of class, category, and coverage, as well as the correct calculation of service credits by class and category.  Also provide the same type of research on accounts as warranted by legislative changes/downsizing by employers, etc.

- Communications:  Prepare original correspondence and/or verbal responses to legislators, attorneys, agency personnel, internal agency personnel, and members regarding routine and non-routine questions and issues as they pertain to the State Employees’ Retirement System.

- Assist in other work within the Division during times of significant backlog or special projects or during process redesigns, reconciliation, or legislative proposals.

- Performs other, related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS 

 1.    Learn and apply the retirement codes for SERS and/or PSERS to complex, non-routine retirement benefit calculations.
 2.    Learn and apply the complex mathematical formulas utilized in the development, maintenance, and calculation of member benefits.
 3.    Learn and apply the policies and procedures governing the processing of benefits from SERS, PSERS or the third-party Administrator.
 4.    Interpret online and manual policies and procedures for the processing on non routine and manual retirement benefits.
 5.    Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
 6.    Utilize online systems for retirement benefit processing.
 7.    Communicate effectively.
 8.    Adapt to fluctuating workloads and priorities.
 9.    Use standard office equipment and job-specific websites and internal applications.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

You must meet the minimum experience and training for the job title:

• One year as a Retirement Technician; OR
  
  

• One year as a Fiscal Technician performing work within a public pension or retirement system or related area, such as a Comptroller's Office;  OR
  
  
• Two years as a Human Resource Assistant 2 performing work in the areas of benefits or systems processing;  OR
  
  

• An Associate's degree and two years of experience in the processing of benefit payments;  OR
  
  

• Four years of experience in the processing of benefit accounts or payments within a public pension or retirement system or related area, such as medical insurance or other insurance or pension benefits;  OR
  
  

• An equivalent combination of experience or training.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• You must meet the PA residency requirement.  Information on ways to meet PA residency requirements is available here.

• You must be able to perform the essential job functions.

• You must pass a background investigation.

RECRUITMENT METHODS 

You must be eligible for selection in accordance with merit system employment regulations. 

Applicants must meet the criteria for one of the following recruitment methods to be considered for this vacancy: 

• Transfer
  • Only current civil service employees who hold the same job title will qualify for transfer to another agency.
  • You must meet meritorious service criteria defined as (a) the absence of any discipline above the level of written reprimand during the 12 months preceding the closing date of this posting, and (b) the last regular or probationary performance evaluation showing an overall rating of satisfactory or higher.
• Reassignment 
  • Only current civil service employees in the same agency who hold the same or a similar job title with the same maximum salary within the same occupational group (or where there is a logical career movement) will qualify for reassignment.
  • You must meet meritorious service criteria defined as (a) the absence of any discipline above the level of written reprimand during the 12 months preceding the closing date of this posting, and (b) the last regular or probationary performance evaluation showing an overall rating of satisfactory or higher.
• Voluntary Demotion 
  • Employees who hold regular or probationary civil service status may request to voluntarily demote to a job title with a lower maximum hourly salary.
• Reinstatement
  • Former civil service employees may only be reinstated to the job title from which they resigned.  Current civil service employees are not eligible through reinstatement.
• Promotion Without Exam (PWOE)
  • Promotion provisions are not subject to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. 
  • You must have or have held regular civil service status in one of the following classifications:
    • Retirement Technician 
    • Administrative Assistant 1 
    • Human Resource Assistant 2 
    • Fiscal Technician 
  • You must meet meritorious service criteria defined as (a) the absence of any discipline above the level of written reprimand during the 12 months preceding the closing date of this posting, and (b) the last regular or probationary performance evaluation showing an overall rating of satisfactory or higher.
  • You must meet seniority criteria defined as a minimum of one year in the next lower class(es) by the posting close date with no break in service.
  • Employees who previously held regular civil service status in the job title of the position being filled are also eligible for promotion without examination.
  • Promotion without examination requirements are issued in accordance with merit system employment regulations.  
    
    

APPLY 

Apply online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pabureau/promotionaljobs.

The following materials must be submitted with the online application by the posting closing date:

• Most recent regular or probationary Employee Performance Review (Promotion Without Exam, Transfer, and Reassignment applicants only).  
  • If you do not have an EPR, you must provide a statement to this effect with your application.  Please note that if you are selected for this position, this information will be confirmed with your supervisor.  
  • An electronic copy of your EPR can be obtained through ESS (www.myworkplace.pa.gov) in the “Personal” section by clicking on “Official Personnel File.”
• Letter (voluntary demotion applicants only) indicating you will accept the appropriate reduction in pay.
• Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).  Do not submit résumés, cover letters, or similar documents.  These documents will not be reviewed for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position.

Failure to comply with the above application requirements will eliminate you from consideration for this position.  Late applications and attachments will not be accepted.  Only the most recent application submitted will be considered.   

Use of Generative AI in the Hiring Process:  All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work.  Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only.  Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information. 

If you are contacted for an interview and need to request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please use the contact information provided above to discuss your request with the Human Resources Office in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce.  The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania.  The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law.  All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

Benefits

Learn more about our Total Rewards by watching this short video!

See the total value of your benefits package by exploring our benefits calculator.

Health & Wellness

We offer multiple health plans so our employees can choose what works best for themselves and their families. Our comprehensive benefits package includes health coverage, vision, dental, and wellness programs.*

Compensation & Financial Planning
We invest in our employees by providing competitive wages and encouraging financial wellness by offering multiple ways to save money and ensure peace of mind including multiple retirement and investment plan options. 

Work/Life Balance
We know there’s more to life than just work! Our generous paid leave benefits include paid vacation, paid sick leave, eight weeks of paid parental leave, military leave, and paid time off for most major U.S. holidays, as well as flexible work schedules and work-from-home opportunities.* 

Values and Culture
We believe in the work we do and provide continual opportunities for our employees to grow and contribute to the greater good. As one of the largest employers in the state, we provide opportunities for internal mobility, professional development, and the opportunity to give back by participating in workplace charitable giving.

Employee Perks
Sometimes, it is the little “extras” that make a big difference. Our employees receive special employee-only discounts and rates on a variety of services and memberships.

For more information on all of these Total Rewards benefits, please visit www.employment.pa.gov and click on the benefits box.

*Eligibility rules apply.

Agency Information

EmployerCommonwealth of PennsylvaniaAddress 613 North Street

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17120 Website http://www.employment.pa.gov