Retirement Services Manager - Full-time

About the Department

This is highly responsible professional work involved in administering the City of Lakeland’s employee retirement programs, consisting of defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, deferred compensation programs, FICA Alternative plan, and the Health Reimbursement Plan. The position interacts and coordinates with the contracted Third Party Administrator for the Firefighters’ and Police Officers’ pension plans.   

Serves as Secretary of the City of Lakeland Employee Pension Plan Board of Trustees (“Pension Board”). Duties are performed in conformance with pension and retirement laws, City Charter provisions, and City administrative policies, including detailed financial and participant reporting to the Pension  Board and City management.  The incumbent is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment in developing and administering a multi-faceted public retirement system.   Work is subject to review through discussion and analysis of program accomplishments and is performed with decision-making under the general direction of the Pension Board and Finance Director. Incumbent interacts continuously with employees, department directors, and city management in a consultative capacity.   

Position Duties

• Plans, organizes, and directs all functions of the City’s retirement programs, excluding Police and Fire pensions.
• Implements directives and policies of the  Pension Board for general employees.
• Secures and provides the   Pension Board with interpretations of the pension-related statutes, rules, and policies.   Specific emphasis on Florida Statutes Chapters 112and federal pension laws and regulations.
• Directs and/or facilitates the preparation and/or submission of all reports, including state-mandated actuarial evaluations, and audits of the various pension plans sponsored by the City. 
• Develops requests for proposals for the procurement of Investment Managers, Financial Services, Custodial Services, Actuarial Services, and other services in support of the multifaceted Retirement System.
• Works in coordination with the Operations and Budget Committee to develop recommended policies implementing the specific provisions of the City pension plans and in the preparation and administration of the agency budget.   
• Ensures accountability of expenditures and conformance to benchmarks established by the Pension Board.  
• Works with legal counsel to provide input in the drafting of ordinances to effect necessary changes to the City’s pension plans and retirement programsand, when required, directs the preparation of actuarial impact statements and submission to the appropriate State of Florida agencies.
• Reviews investment reports, investment management ADVs, monitors security trading activity, conducts due diligence reviews of investment-related service providers, and reports to the Pension Board as necessary.
• Develops and supervises financial planning, retirement planning, and health care savings employee education programs.
• Plans and reviews the work of a staff of professional employees.
• May be required to participate in and/or facilitate training to support departmental or City initiatives and requirements. 
• May be required to work alternate hours as necessary for the efficient operation of the department or City.  
• Position designated as Mission Critical.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

• Performs special assignments and related work as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Finance, Accounting, Banking, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Five years of experience in progressively responsible pension plan administration and an in-depth understanding of pension investments.
• One year of supervisory experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license
• Must possess and maintain a valid telephone number.
• Must possess and maintain a certification as a Florida Public Pension Trustee within two years of appointment.

Other Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE:

• Extensive knowledge of public pension plan administration laws, regulations, principles, and practices of public pension plan administration.
• Extensive knowledge of municipal governmental functions and organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of investment principles, practices, and terminology
• Extensive knowledge of accounting procedures, actuarial concepts, and applications as applied to public pension systems.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply the provisions of Federal and State statutes related to public pension systems, including Chapter 112 of Florida Statutes.
• Thorough knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.

ABILITIES:

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Pension Board members, city management, department directors, employees, retirees, and the public.
• Ability to plan, assign, and coordinate the activities of subordinates.
• Ability to analyze and make sound and prompt judgments in the decision-making process.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing sometimes, exerting up to 10 pounds of force regularly, and routine keyboard operations.
• The job has no significant exposure to environmental hazards.
• The job requires normal visual acuity,  field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, sense of smell, depth perception, and texture perception.