TENTATIVE

Occ. Code 0131110

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS SERIES

Employees Retirement System Examiners (ERSE) process and maintain member, retiree, and employer applications and information in the New York State and Local Retirement System. Employees Retirement System Examiners are expected to demonstrate knowledge and familiarity with the laws, rules, regulations, legal opinions, and established written procedures of the New York State and Local Retirement System.  The positions prepare, understand, and interpret Retirement System written materials and benefit calculations, and communicate benefit information to System members.

The positions are only classified at the Office of the State Comptroller.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

          Employees Retirement System Examiners (ERSE) are classified based upon supervision of staff, level of specialized knowledge required, and relative difficulty of the assignment.  All ERSEs are expected to develop specialized knowledge of particular aspects of the Retirement System, and support the development, testing, and implementation of business process changes or computerized retirement information systems as subject matter experts.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 1:  entry-level; handles basic eligibility and case processing determinations and customer inquiries. 

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 2:  processes the full range of determinations and customer inquiries in the Customer Contact Center; processes requests for service credit modifications and benefit payments; and typically supervises ERSEs 1, and other clerical staff.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 3: supervises multiple ERSE 2s and/or Office Assistants as unit supervisor; handles the more complex transactions.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 4: serves as section supervisor over multiple units led by ERSE 3s; supervises multiple ERSE 2 and 3s.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 5: assistant section manager; supervises multiple units led by ERSE 4s under the general direction of Retirement Program Administrators 1 or 2.

RELATED CLASSES

Teachers Retirement Examiners provide retirement related services such as reviewing disability retirement claims, tracking and calculating outstanding loans, processing retirement payroll changes and pay death, and monitoring earnings after retirement, and other services for members of the Teachers Employees Retirement System.

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

          EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINERS 1:  review applications for member benefits and/or service credit and determine initial eligibility, and retirement tier; review, and acknowledge member requests for all creditable service; respond to basic telephone and written inquiries and generate acknowledgements to members and employers; resolve questions concerning inconsistencies, discrepancies, inclusions and/or omissions of data; request necessary employer documentation, member records, certificates, military records and other information for use in calculating benefits; register, review, and evaluate requests for previous service credit applying various sections of Retirement and Social Security Laws; prepare documentation to support the processing of mandatory, optional, withdrawn and military service credit; update the cost of available previous service based on applicability of various tier-specific sections of the Retirement and Social Security Laws; assist in testing changes to correspondence and applications; project and calculate service credit and contribution balances for retirement benefits and military service credit; and ensure all calculations are correct and in compliance with relevant laws, policies, and procedures.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINERS 2:  confirm eligibility and initial benefit payments by interpreting and applying appropriate Retirement System Law, policy and regulation; perform adjustments involving complex mathematical equations; finalize retirement benefit payments; determine benefit eligibility; answer the full range of telephone inquiries and respond to correspondence and e-mail from stakeholders; oversee the processing of transactions; develop and test modifications to existing automated correspondence and calculations due to changes in the law; review and prepare member transfers to and from other public retirement systems, terminations of membership, and accounts payable beneficiary cases; review and prepare pension payroll memorandums, custom designation of beneficiary forms, and implement Domestic Relations Orders; process retirement calculations that require application of specialized law and procedures; function as technical supervisor of Office Assistants and ERSE 1s; review calculations and work completed by staff and ensure compliance with all relevant policies, rules, regulations, and laws; ensure the prompt and accurate processing of work unit assignments; act as the units liaison with other units.  

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINERS 3: supervise a specialized retirement processing section or unit; assign work and set unit priorities to ensure proper coverage to meet workload demands; communicate changes to applicable Retirement System laws and procedures to staff, and ensure compliance; review and approve the benefit and service calculation work of staff and communicate determinations directly to members and retirees, as necessary; work with ERSE 4 to develop and maintain reports and analytical studies; answer questions and resolve problems of an unusual and difficult nature by phone or written communications; resolve the more difficult reporting problems; perform the full-range of supervisory responsibilities; and function as liaison with members, employers, pensioners, beneficiaries, other retirement systems, and any concerned individuals to share information about the New York State and Local Retirement System.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINERS 4: supervise a specialized retirement processing section , or multiple processing units; establish specific work goals and standards for the section to ensure proper coverage to meet workload demands; integrate Retirement Division policy and procedural changes into section operations; oversee the editing, correction, and updating of retirement systems database files; correspond with various internal and external officials, as well as members and their representatives, to resolve problems that may arise with retirement benefit cases; review, make determinations, and perform calculations for unusual cases, such as those that result in retirement systems hearings, or may result in municipal suits; testify at Administrative Hearings as an expert witness on issues related to assigned section assignments; identify and ensure resolution of data processing problems as they relate to retirement processing; calculate the cost of employer plan improvements; identify and resolve employer reporting and data processing problems; utilize knowledge of Retirement laws, policies and procedures to assist with the design, development, testing and implementation activities related to the maintenance and enhancement of the Retirement System; attend internal, inter-governmental, and association meetings related to retirement system programs and processes as presenter, trainer, or representative; develop and present retirement system information to local government officials to improve the quality of retirement reporting and reduce errors; review audit findings and risk assessments and work with local governments to resolve errors; and perform the full range of supervisory responsibilities.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINERS 5: supervise and coordinate the workflow of multiple retirement processing sections led by ERSE 4s; interpret rules, regulations, and laws for staff; review and interpret system-generated reports, analyzing workload and workflow for assigned sections; ensure that staff is following current retirement division policy and procedure to maintain consistent work methodology across sections; research, analyze, and resolve the most difficult or sensitive problems with retirement benefit  determinations; review and analyze pending legislation for possible impact on section operations and retirement benefit determinations; testify at Administrative Hearings as an expert witness on retirement systems policies and procedures; communicate employer reporting problems to division management, and status of resolving issues; utilize knowledge of Retirement laws, policies and procedures to supervise and support the design, development, testing and implementation activities related to Retirement System operations; implement and oversee policies, plans and procedures that will improve delivery of service to retirement information system customers; resolve questions and concerns of management, and reassign staff resources to support Retirement Division projects and initiatives; interpret feedback from retirement system members, pensioners, and employees regarding retirement system policies and procedures; perform the full range of supervisory responsibilities; and set section performance standards.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 1

Promotion: satisfactory completion of a one-year traineeship.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 2

Promotion: one year of service in a position allocated to Grade 9 or higher.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 3

Promotion: one year of service as an Employees Retirement System Examiner 2.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 4

Promotion: one year of service as an Employees Retirement System Examiner 3.

EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM EXAMINER 5

Promotion: one year of service as an Employees Retirement System Examiner 4, or Retirement System Information Representative 1 or 2.

Revised:  3/18

NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe. Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class. The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written. Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.