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TEST ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 2006-711 ISSUED MARCH 17, 2006 REVISED OCTOBER 31, 2012 |
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
State Civil Service Commission
Examinations
for
RETIREMENT BENEFITS SPECIALIST AND SUPERVISOR
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Exam No. |
Job Titles |
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Job Codes |
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Pay Schedule and Range |
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1. |
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Retirement Benefits Specialist |
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09555 |
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MA06 |
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2. |
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Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisor |
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09556 |
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MA07 |
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When completing your application, please make sure you apply for all job titles for which you want to be tested. You will NOT be permitted to add job titles after you test.
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
VETERANS: Pennsylvania law (51 Pa.C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences and opportunities for veterans, visit the Commission’s website www.scsc.state.pa.us; visit one of our offices; or call our veterans information line, (717) 787-6039.
NATURE OF WORK
You will perform highly complex non-routine and manual calculations on accounts for the payment of benefits. Work includes interpreting the provisions of the State Employees’ or Public School Employees’ Retirement codes, rules, regulations, board policies, court orders, and legal opinions as they apply to benefit payments. You will have responsibility for processing annuitant payments and maintenance of actuarial data and member records. Work also involves interaction with members, annuitants, school officials, and attorneys in order to gather necessary information for benefit resolution and to provide interpretation of retirement related calculations, reviews and approvals. This includes analyzing complex member financial and demographic data; creating or adjusting member accounts; researching member accounts; and testifying at administrative hearings for the adjudication of appeals.
Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisors perform the duties listed above and supervise several Retirement Benefits Specialists.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
You will be tested before your qualifications are reviewed. Your test results will count only if you meet all job requirements. If after reading the requirements you are not sure you qualify, contact one of the Commission's offices listed at the end of this announcement.
You must be a Pennsylvania resident, of good moral character and able to perform the essential functions of the job.
Minimum Requirements
Retirement Benefits Specialist (09555)
One year as a Retirement Technician; OR 1 year as a Fiscal Technician performing work within a public pension or retirement system or related area, such as a Comptroller’s Office; OR 2 years as a Human Resource Assistant 2 performing work in the areas of benefits or systems processing; OR an associate’s degree and 2 years of experience in the processing of benefit payments; OR 4 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.
Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisor (09556)
One year as a Retirement Benefits Specialist; OR 1 year as a Retirement Technician Supervisor; OR a bachelor’s degree and 1 year of technical experience in the processing of benefits payments; OR an equivalent combination of experience and training, which included 1 year of technical experience in the processing of benefits payments.
Clarification of Requirements
You may substitute related education for the required experience or appropriate experience for the required education. Unrelated experience or education will not be accepted. However, there is no substitution for the required one year of technical experience in the processing of benefits payments for Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisor.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
There are currently 13 Retirement Benefits Specialists and 3 Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisors, all located in Harrisburg, Dauphin County. There are 2 anticipated Retirement Benefits Specialist vacancies and 1 anticipated Retirement Benefits Specialist Supervisor vacancy, all in Dauphin County.
Additional opportunities may occur due to normal turnover from retirements, promotions, transfers, resignations and so forth.
For the most recent information on job opportunities contact the:
Public School Employees' Retirement System, Human Resources Division, 5 North 5th Street, P. O. Box 125, Harrisburg, PA 17108; Telephone: (717) 720-4741, Internet: www.psers.state.pa.us
OR
State Employees’ Retirement System, Human Resources Division, 30 N. 3rd Street - Suite 150, Harrisburg, PA 17101; Telephone: (717) 783-8085, Internet: www.sers.state.pa.us
TESTING
The test will be administered on a computer. Information about computerized testing is available online at www.scsc.state.pa.us OR in paper form at any State Civil Service Commission Office.
You will have a maximum of 2 1/2 hours to complete the test which will cover the following subject areas:
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Subject Area |
Number of Questions by Job Title |
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Ret. Ben. Spec. |
Ret. Ben. Spec. Supv. |
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Reading Comprehension |
20 |
20 |
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Retirement Mathematics |
30 |
30 |
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Interviewing Skills |
15 |
15 |
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Effective Communications |
30 |
30 |
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Supervision |
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_20_ |
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Total |
95 |
115 |
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The test will be held in the Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Civil Service Commission Offices, Monday through Friday.
The test will also be held approximately 10 days a month at additional test centers located in Allentown, Erie, Johnstown, Lock Haven, and Scranton. For further details on test dates, contact the Commission’s Information Services Unit; Telephone (Voice) (717) 787-7811, Text Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing callers only) (717) 783-8896.
If you take the test and want to take it again, you may be retested after 6 months from the date of your test. You must submit a new application to be retested.
If your name is on an eligible list for these jobs and you take the test, your most recent examination result will be the only one counted.
TEST RESULTS
Employment and promotion lists will be established. You will be notified in writing of your test results.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online at www.scsc.state.pa.us or submit your completed paper application to:
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State Civil Service Commission ATTN: Applications P.O. Box 569 Harrisburg, PA 17108-0569 |
Applications and further information can be obtained from:
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State Civil Service Commission: |
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Harrisburg: 2nd Level, Strawberry Sq. Complex, 320 Market St., P.O. |
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Box 569, Hbg., 17108-0569; Telephone (Voice) (717) 783-3058, Text |
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Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing callers only) (717) 772-2685 |
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Philadelphia: 110 North 8th St., Suite 503, Phila., 19107; Telephone |
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(Voice) (215) 560-2253, Text Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing |
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callers only) (215) 560-4367 |
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Pittsburgh: 411 Seventh Ave., Room 410, Pgh., 15219; Telephone |
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(Voice) (412) 565-7666, Text Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing |
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callers only) (412) 565-2484 |
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Internet: www.scsc.state.pa.us |
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PA CareerLink offices |
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The Human Resources Offices listed under the "JOB OPPORTUNITIES" section of this announcement |
For further information on testing, assistance for persons with disabilities, veterans' preference and other items, refer to the instructions provided with the "Application for Employment/Promotion.”