Retirement Technician

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

APPLICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ONLINE.

THE AGENCY:

The Alameda County Employees Retirement Association (ACERA) is the retirement pension plan for public employees in Alameda County California who work for Alameda County and other agencies. ACERA was established in 1948 by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to provide retirement disability and death benefits to Alameda County and member district employees.

The ACERA retirement plan provides lifetime benefits to members of the retirement system who meet the minimum age and length-of-service requirements or are eligible for disability retirement. The plan is a significant and fundamental part of the comprehensive benefits package that participating employers offer to eligible employees allowing employees to collectively invest their deferred wages to receive a secure income after retirement. ACERA also administers retiree health care and supplemental cost-of-living benefits.

MISSION:

To provide ACERA members and employers with flexible cost-effective participant-oriented benefits through prudent investment management and superior member services.

For more detailed information about the agency visit: Alameda County Employees Retirement Association (ACERA).

THE POSITION:

Under close supervision and direction from the Senior Retirement Technician this class of Retirement Technician conducts enrollment processes retirement benefits and provides on-going assistance to eligible members of the Alameda County Employee Retirement Association (ACERA) participating members with Pension Death Disability Health and Dental Plans and performs other related duties as assigned.

EITHER I:

Experience:

The equivalent of one year full-time experience in the class of Employee Benefits Tech I with experience processing and explaining employee health related benefits in the Alameda County classified service.

OR Pattern II:

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience processing and explaining pension or health related benefits program in a department of a private or public organization. One year of payroll experience may be substituted for one year of benefits experience.

A Bachelors degree with major course work in Business or Public Administration Accounting Economics Human Services or related field or possession of the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist certificate may be substituted for two years of the required experience.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Effective customer service techniques.
• Team-based work environment.
• Information gathering and interviewing techniques.
• Research methods.
• Basic mathematical functions and computations including calculating percentages and prorated benefit amounts.
• 1937 Act County Employees Retirement Law.
• Word processing and spreadsheet applications and data entry skills.
• Calculators and their functions.
• Correct usage of English including punctuation spelling and grammar.

Ability to:

• Listen attentively in order to discern members needs.
• Demonstrate sensitivity and interpersonal skills when interviewing and counseling members.
• Be diplomatic and tactful when dealing with a variety of people of diverse backgrounds.
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with ACERA members ACERA staff personnel in other departments and agencies members of the Board of Retirement and with representatives from legal medical or consultant firms.
• Work independently and in a team-based environment.
• Communicate effectively in oral and written form.
• Independently draft correspondence and procedures.
• Research and prepare clear concise and comprehensive reports.
• Read comprehend interpret and apply laws rules regulations policies and procedures.
• Maintain information system database through accurate input of data.
• Perform a variety of mathematical computations using a calculator.
• Use and/or design spreadsheet applications to automate work processes.
• Function proficiently in an automated office environment.
• Multi-task and prioritize work projects.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1. A review of applicants applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. A review of candidates supplemental questionnaires to determine the best qualified.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating of each portion of this examination.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position in which case the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance Critical Illness Long-Term Care Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness Incentive Based Programs Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks cell phone etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1stUnited Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @ @ and as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the My applications button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes and are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.