Senior Retirement Specialist

A government contract requires that this position be restricted to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.You must provide documentation that you are a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident to qualify.

Cherokee Accelerated Solutions (CAS) is seeking a Senior Retirement Specialist to support the Human Capital Office’s (HCO) retirement counseling responsibilities. The Senior Retirement Specialist will assist with counseling employees on retirement coverage, developments that affect federal retirement, and ensuring compliance to policies, regulations, and procedures. 

Compensation & Benefits:

Estimated Starting Salary Range for Senior Retirement Specialist: $55 - $65 per hour 

Pay commensurate with experience.

Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, and other possible benefits as provided.  Benefits are subject to change with or without notice.

Senior Retirement Specialist Responsibilities Include: 

• Keep abreast of new guidance and developments that affect federal retirement and benefits programs

• Research and interpret policies, regulations, including the 5 CFR, and OPM guidance, as well as GAO internal policies/orders and procedures

• Follow SOPS, desk guides, and job aids ensuring every step is completed and uniform processing

• Prepare annuity estimates, process retirement applications, and meet one-on-one with headquarters staff in person and field staff via telephone or video

• Prepare service histories and estimate request for GAO staff for attendance at pre-retirement seminars or upon employee request

• Process and counsel employees with retirement coverage error corrections (Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act, FERCCA)

• Following either direct contact from the employee or referral from HCO, contact each GAO employee seeking retirement counseling services by the end of the next business day on which the retirement specialist is working to determine the scope of services the employee wants and to schedule a counseling session

• Properly prepare for counseling sessions, including preparing requested estimated annuity calculations using a retirement benefits calculator provided by GAO and the employees OPF and research answers to staff members’ questions

• Conduct one-on-one counseling sessions with each employee referred by GAO within two (2) workdays of referral (unless employee prefers a later date) and conduct a follow up counseling session as appropriate

• Process retirement applications, following OPM, NFC, and GAO requirements on logging into tracking system, sending e-mail notifications, assembling retirement packages, submission to NFC, and conducting final retirement counseling sessions 

• At GAO’s direction, contact the appropriate family member(s) or other designee(s) in the event of a GAO employee’s death by the end of the next business day on which the retirement specialist is working and process all necessary survivor benefits forms in connection with the event 

• Performs other job-related duties as assigned

Senior Retirement Specialist Experience, Education, Skills, Abilities requested: 

• U.S. Citizenship

• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in calculating annuities and the use of the proposed retirement calculator

• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in guiding employees through the preparation of retirement applications for submission to OPM

• Knowledge of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), the Thrift Savings Plan (TS), the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Plan (FEGLI), Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, and special Federal retirement systems (e.g Law Enforcement Officer or LEO)

• Experience in providing death benefits counseling, retirement counseling (determining retirement eligibility including preparing final retirement estimates), processing retirement applications, retirement code reviews, making retirement error corrections, and completing survivor benefits forms for Federal Government employees

• Knowledge of deposits, re-deposits, and military deposits

• Knowledge of all benefits payable upon death of an employee or retiree

• Knowledge of spousal annuities

• Ability to exercise good judgement, discretion, tact, and diplomacy

• Sound business ethics including the protection of highly proprietary and confidential information

• Ability to work with all levels of staff

• Superior Interpersonal skills including courtesy, professionalism, and cooperative attitude.

• Proficient in the Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) 

• Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal