Retirement Benefits Manager II/III Print (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ventura/jobs/newprint/4819992) Apply  Retirement Benefits Manager II/III Salary $94,952.16 - $142,613.65 Annually Location Ventura, CA Job Type Full-Time Regular Job Number 1710RET-25AA (YM) Department Ventura County Employees' Retirement Association Opening Date 02/18/2025 Closing Date 3/4/2025 5:00 PM Pacific + Description + Benefits + Questions Description WHAT WE OFFER The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. In addition to the salary of approximately $94,952.16 - $142,613.65 annually an employee within this position will also be eligible for the following: + Flexible/Hybrid Schedule - Possible flexible and hybrid telecommuting work schedule. + A general salary increase - 3.5% effective December 22, 2024. + Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree. + Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills. + *Credit for prior public service may be considered (Management Resolution, § 1202A) + Annual Leave Redemption - The ability to “cash in” or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours of annual leave within the previous 12 months (Management Resolution, § 1205). + Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions. Eligible employees meeting the criteria in Sec. 1907 of the Management Resolution will receive two percent (2%) of their annualized compensation contribution towards their 401(k) account. + Health Insurance Plans – Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your dependents. A flexible credit allowance of up to $23,530 annually. + Flexible Spending Accounts - Increase your spending power by reimbursement with pre-taxed dollars for IRS-approved dependent care and health care expenses. + Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday. + Pension Plan - Both you and the County contribute to the County’s Retirement Plan. If you are eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems, such as PERS. + Additional Benefits - Professional Memberships, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Wellness Program. POSITION Under general direction of the Chief Operations Officer (COO), supervises and manages professional-level specialized Retirement operations staff. Provides training and cross-training opportunities to all Retirement operations staff. Ensures departmental compliance with state, federal, and county regulations and policies. Assists the COO and Administrator in the planning and developing of VCERA's goals and objectives, regarding the quality and efficiency of Retirement services. Evaluates employee performance and addresses personnel issues as required. IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate will have considerable experience which demonstrates knowledge of employee retirement benefit plans. He/she must have ability to plan, organize and direct subordinate staff and build strong teams who maintain effective working relationships with others. This candidate must also have a high level of experience operating automated benefits systems and calculating complex benefits. PAYROLL TITLE: Staff/Services Manager II/III APPROXIMATELY SALARIES: Staff/Services Manager II: $3,652.01 - $5,113.31 biweekly Staff/Services Manager III: $3,917.57 - $5,485.14 biweekly AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: Ventura County Employees' Retirement Association (VCERA) The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary, Fixed-Term) vacancies for this position or similar positions only. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy. The vacancy may be filled at either the Staff/Services Manager II or Staff/Services Manager III level. The qualifications of the selected candidate will determine the placement level. NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbents may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department. Staff/Services Manager II and III are Management classifications and are not eligible for overtime compensation. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: OPENING DATE: February 18, 2025 CLOSING DATE: March 4, 2025 ORAL BOARD EXAMINATION: An oral board exam is anticipated to take place sometime during the week of March 17, 2025. Examples Of Duties Duties may include but are not limited to the following: + Ensures the accuracy of calculations within the Pension Administration System (PAS) and Member Self Service (MSS) systems, including troubleshooting, data analysis, system testing, querying, and reporting. Determines necessary system enhancements/requirements and recommends defect remediations. + Directs, trains, leads, and supervises professional level and clerical staff within operations. Establishes performance standards and evaluates work, Makes hiring and promotional decisions and disciplinary actions within assigned units. + Plans, organizes, and directs the Retiree Payroll unit, including processing of new retirement applications, new retiree benefit calculations, monthly benefit disbursements, including deductions and vendor payments and benefit recipient statement issuance. + Plans, organizes, and directs the Death Services unit, including assisting beneficiaries and survivors through processing of death benefits and survivor benefit eligibility and calculations. + Plans, organizes, and directs the Clerical Support unit, some of which includes assisting the public and members with inquiries by phone or walk-ins, scanning of documents in the pension system, creating system workflows, supporting benefits staff, supply ordering and inventory. + Confers with managers on policy matters and work problems. + Assists in establishing and implementing policies and procedures. Anticipates and analyzes operational issues, considers alternatives, and recommends sound solutions. + Interprets and applies retirement law as related to the administration of pension benefits. + Plans, organizes, and directs administration of member education and retirement and death benefits to over 8,000 retirees and payees annually. + Performs other related duties as required. Typical Qualifications These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE: To qualify for this classification, an individual must possess considerable administrative support, supervision or management, or specific operations or technical experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. An example of qualifying experience is: + At least five (5) years of administrative support, supervisory/management, operations, or technical experience administering a major employee benefits program or large-scale complex payroll operation. NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: + Some to considerable experience in benefits administration. DESIRED: + Supervision or lead experience. + Experience with and understanding of County Employees Retirement Law (CERL) + Experience working with a large-scale complex benefits or payroll management system. + Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) Designation Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Thorough knowledge of: + Administrative principles and practices, including establishing objectives, program development, analysis, policies, and operational needs. + Principles of benefits administration of pension plan. + Principles of leadership and personnel management including supervision practices and principles. + Principles, development, and operation of a large and complex retirement benefits system including applicable federal and state rules and regulations; evaluation and implementation of retirement benefits programs. Working knowledge of: + Plan Sponsor personnel and payroll rules, practices, and procedures as it relates to a qualified pension plan, CERL, and applicable laws and regulations. + Legal documents related to Powers of Attorney, Wills, Trusts and Estates, Conservatorships, and CA Probate Code. Ability to: + Effectively plan, organize, lead, and manage the administration of retirement benefits and the work of professional and clerical staff. + Make calculations and ensure accuracy of calculations. + Administer complex retirement plan operations and services in an independent and cooperative manner. + Evaluate, determine, and develop system requirements for processes and enhancements through to implementation, as well as troubleshoot system application issues. + Comprehend system data at a high level to create meaningful reports and queries. + Analyze, plan, assign, review, and evaluate the work of staff, ensuring optimal customer service. + Understand, interpret, summarize, explain, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations. + Research, analyze, evaluate, and develop new service delivery methods and procedures. + Advise executive management regarding strategic planning and ongoing evaluation of operations; develop and implement policies and procedures to address operational compliance and consistency in accordance with legal mandates. + Establish and maintain effective working relationships in all aspects of business and model effective leadership behavior. + Use sound judgment and make well-informed decisions. + Communicate clearly and effectively in writing and orally. Recruitment Process FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by the County of Ventura Human Resources, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. To apply on-line, please refer to our website at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit your application to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009. NOTE TO APPLICANTS: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application. NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here (http://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/HR/docs/Lateral\_Transfer.pdf) (Download PDF reader) for additional information. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration. APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process. TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process. NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related oral examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance on the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. NOTE: If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list. Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record may be required for this position. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. For further information about this recruitment, please contact Yvonne Martinez by e-mail at Yvonne.Martinez@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-3051. YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below. + Benefits website (https://hr.ventura.org/benefits) or you may call (805) 654-2570. + Retirement FAQ's (https://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/benefits/docs/RETIREMENT%20-%20FAQs.pdf) + Memorandum of Agreement Union Codes: MB3, MB4, MS, MT, MCC, MU 01 Please describe your administrative support, supervisory/management, operations or technical experience administrating a major employee benefits program or a complex large-scale payroll operation. Include the employer, number of employees supervised, dates of employment, and your specific responsibilities. Note: Stated experience must be supported by duties listed in work experience section of the job application. Additionally, any amount of time worked less than 40 hours per week must be pro-rated. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." 02 Please describe your experience which demonstrates your ability to understand and interpret federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies and labor contracts, including California Employee's Retirement Law. Note: Stated experience must be supported by duties listed in work experience section of the job application. Additionally, any amount of time worked less than 40 hours per week must be pro-rated. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." 03 Please describe your experience with problem resolution. In your response, be sure to illustrate the following: A.) Brief summary of the issue, B.) Steps you took to resolve the issue, C.) The outcome and if you would have done anything differently. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." 04 Please describe your experience working with a large-scale complex benefits or payroll management system and describe your knowledge of its impacts on benefits. Include any experience you may have with any large-scale benefits or payroll management system. Note: Stated experience must be supported by duties listed in work experience section of the job application. Additionally, any amount of time worked less than 40 hours per week must be pro-rated. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." 05 Please provide examples of complex calculations you have performed. Include the nature of the calculations, what it was used for, and the benefit/outcome for the employee or the organization. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." 06 Please describe your experience supervising or leading staff. In your response, be sure to include the following: A) The number of staff members you were responsible for supervising, B) The job titles and functions for which your staff were responsible, C) Whether you have administered performance evaluations, and D) The employer(s) at which you acquired the experience. Note: Stated experience must be supported by duties listed in work experience section of the job application. Additionally, any amount of time worked less than 40 hours per week must be pro-rated. If you do not have any supervisory experience, please type "No experience." 07 Please describe your knowledge of and experience with querying data and your ability to compile and analyze data to improve operations. If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience." Required Question Employer Ventura County Address 800 S. Victoria Avenue LOC. #1970 Ventura, California, 93009 Phone (805) 654-5129 Website http://hr.ventura.org Apply Please verify your email address Verify Email