University of Southern California

Research university in Los Angeles, CA

Retirement Administration Lead

Compensation & BenefitsPosted on Nov 12

Full-timeLos Angeles, CA, USA$120k - $129kIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in a related field is required, although combined experience and education may substitute for the minimum education.
Eight years of job-related experience or transferable skills are required.
Experience performing daily plan administration, including processing contributions, distributions, hardship withdrawals, and qualified domestic relations orders, is required.
Experience performing nondiscrimination and other testing, developing strategic alternatives to correct failures, and presenting options to improve future nondiscrimination tests is required.
Demonstrated excellence in providing personalized customer service is required.
Demonstrated project management experience providing effective oversight from inception to delivery is required.
Strong research, analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills are required.
Ability to work proactively and independently or as part of a team while prioritizing competing assignments is required.
Ability to exercise discretion with confidential information is required.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with management to plan, develop, and enhance retirement program objectives and services.
Oversee delivery of retirement services, ensuring consistent, high-quality support for employees and other program participants.
Support development and improvement of electronic systems to streamline retirement operations and improve program efficiency.
Serve as a primary resource for employees navigating or preparing for retirement, and guide and refer them to financial wellness offerings.
Develop, implement, and interpret policies to ensure compliance with federal regulations and university requirements.
Ensure standard operating procedures are documented for all key processes, conduct quality assurance reviews, identify opportunities to improve retirement services, recommend process enhancements, and ensure ongoing compliance with retirement plan documents, applicable regulations, and university policies.
Participate in scheduled meetings with vendors and third-party partners to support collaboration and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities.
Attend project meetings for new and ongoing initiatives, document key discussions, and communicate action items to the retirement team and vendors.
Stay informed of regulatory changes and industry trends to provide accurate, current information about retirement benefits and available options.
Promote a workplace culture where employees feel valued, respect others, and can contribute ideas and actions in alignment with the USC Code of Ethics.
Develop and deliver training sessions, workshops, and presentations on retirement topics, and create and distribute educational materials about employee retirement benefits and options.
Maintain communication and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, and stay current on industry practices through participation and leadership in professional associations and committees.
Analyze demographic data and emerging trends affecting retirement plans and policies, and provide data-driven insights and recommendations to management.
Maintain accurate records of retirement plan participants and beneficiaries, and monitor legislative changes and their potential impact on retirement programs.
Advise management on necessary program and policy updates, ensuring policies are consistently communicated, interpreted, and applied.

Desired Qualifications

Ten years of job-related experience or transferable skills is preferred.
A master's degree in a related field is preferred.
Experience in a benefits administration position in higher education is preferred.
Experience with human resources information system software and case management systems is preferred.
Conflict resolution skills are preferred.
ASPPA Service Provider Certification or a similar certification is preferred.
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist certification is preferred.
Certified Compensation Professional certification is preferred.
Certified Plan Sponsor Professional certification is preferred.
Qualified 401(k) Administrator certification is preferred.
Qualified 401(k) Consultant certification is preferred.
Qualified Pension Administrator certification is preferred.
Certified Pension Consultant certification is preferred.

The Retirement Administration Lead serves as a subject-matter expert, providing guidance on complex, high-stakes retirement cases while ensuring operational consistency and alignment with university policies and practices. The role leads key leave-related initiatives, drives cross-functional process improvements, and partners with senior leadership to support strategic retirement decisions. The Retirement Administration Lead also develops tools, resources, and training to strengthen retirement benefits and financial wellness expertise across HR and campus units. Through effective escalation management, regulatory compliance, and ongoing retirement benefits and financial wellness program development, the role drives continuous improvement and promotes consistent, high-quality service delivery across the university.

Job Responsibilities:

The candidate for the position of Retirement Administration Lead will be responsible for:

Collaborates with management to plan, develop, and enhance retirement program objectives and services. Oversees the delivery of retirement services, ensuring consistent, high-quality support for employees and other program participants. The role also supports the development and improvement of electronic systems to streamline retirement operations and enhance overall program efficiency.
Serves as a primary resource for employees navigating retirement, preparing for retirement, and is a guide and referral source for financial wellness offerings.
Develops, implements, and interprets policies to ensure compliance with federal regulations and university requirements. Ensures standard operating procedures are documented for all key processes and conducts quality assurance reviews to identify opportunities for improving retirement services. Recommends process enhancements and ensures ongoing compliance with retirement plan documents, applicable regulations, and university policies.
Participates in scheduled meetings with vendors and third-party partners to support collaboration and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities. Attends regular project meetings for new and ongoing initiatives, documenting key discussions and communicating action items to the retirement team and vendors. Stays informed of regulatory changes and industry trends to ensure clients receive accurate, up-to-date information regarding retirement benefits and available options. Promotes a workplace culture where all employees feel valued, respect others, and have opportunities to contribute through their ideas, words, and actions, in alignment with the USC Code of Ethics.
Develops and delivers training sessions, workshops, and presentations on retirement-related topics to educate employees and staff. Creates and distributes educational materials to ensure employees are well-informed about their retirement benefits and available options. Maintains effective communication and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders while staying current on industry practices through active participation and leadership in professional associations and committees.
Analyzes demographic data and emerging trends impacting retirement plans and policies, providing data-driven insights and recommendations to management. Maintains accurate records of retirement plan participants and beneficiaries while staying informed of legislative changes and their potential impact on retirement programs. Advises management on necessary updates to existing programs and policies, ensuring policies are consistently and effectively communicated, interpreted, and applied.

Minimum Qualifications:

The candidate for the position of Retirement Administration Lead must meet the following qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in related field(s); Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.
8 years of job-related experience or transferable skills
Experience performing daily plan administration (e.g., processing of contributions, distributions, hardship withdrawals, QDROs).
Experience performing non-discrimination and other testing, providing strategic alternatives for correction of failures, and presenting options to improve future non-discrimination tests.
Demonstrated excellence in providing personalized customer service.
Demonstrated project management experience, providing effective oversight from inception to delivery.
Strong research, analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Ability to work proactively, independently, or as part of a team, prioritizing competing assignments.
Ability to exercise discretion with confidential information.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for the position of Retirement Administration Lead has the following qualifications:

10 years of job-related experience or transferable skills
Master's degree in related field(s)
Experience in a benefits administration position in higher education.
Excellent conflict resolution skills.
Experience with HRIS software and case management systems.
Certifications:
ASPPA Service Provider Certification (or other similar certification)
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP
Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA)
Qualified 401(k) Consultant (QKC)
Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA)
Certified Pension Consultant (CPC)

The budgeted salary range for this position is $120,000 - $129,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Addtional Education Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Addtional Experience Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum work experience

Preferred Certifications: ASPPA Service Provider Certification (or other similar certification) Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) Qualified 401(k) Consultant (QKC) Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) Certified Pension Consultant (CPC)

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to theBackground Screening Policy Appendix Dfor specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$156803.htmld

About the Company

University of Southern California

Research university in Los Angeles, CA

The University of Southern California is a private research university with academic programs across the arts, sciences, business, engineering, law, health, and other professional fields.

Company size: Not listed
Company stage: Not listed
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