Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association

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Benefits Counselor I (Finance)



Summary of Job Responsibilities

PERA's Member Services Division provides the administration and related member services of PERA's defined benefit program. This position prepares and presents information regarding the PERA defined benefit retirement plan, PERA's healthcare plans, and other PERA information to members in virtual, phone, or in-person individual counseling sessions. This position is also responsible for verifying, calculating, and auditing member account information for processing benefits according to legal and regulatory compliance standards. This position will be stationed at our Westminster location with part of the onboarding training being at our Denver office.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Individuals must be able to perform these duties with or without reasonable accommodations.

  • Drives member engagement by delivering an exceptional, personalized member service experience through one-on-one sessions

  • Determines benefit program eligibility through member data-driven decision making and ensures compliance with state and federal regulatory frameworks governing PERA

  • Calculates and evaluates estimated monthly benefit payments while developing a strong base knowledge of other programs and provisions such as: service credit purchase agreements, PERA's disability program, survivor benefits, divorce (DRO), PERACare, PERAPlus, and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

  • Demonstrates expertise and communicates about PERA's benefit plans, insurance programs, and retirement readiness to members on an individual basis

  • Ability to explain complex PERA specific calculations, such as the Highest Average Salary (HAS), service credit purchase break-even/recovery cost, and service credit available in a clear and concise manner

  • Motivates members to actively plan for retirement while ensuring they understand and utilize the resources available via PERA's public facing website and member portal to help establish and achieve their financial goals

  • Conveys member specific and general PERA information in a professional, clear, concise, and compelling manner to members of diverse social, economic, and educational backgrounds

  • Utilizes best practices in the development and facilitation of virtual, phone, and in-person meeting content

  • Integrates adult learning theories and methodologies, behavioral finance concepts, and technical expertise into the development and evaluation of materials and content presented to members

  • Proactively investigates and resolves member account related issues while adhering to federal and/or state statute, PERA Rules, internal procedures, and escalating as needed

  • Engages in continuous training and educational opportunities for ongoing professional development and enhanced personal skills

  • Responsible for accurate data entry, information retrieval, and outgoing correspondence

  • Consistently achieves or exceeds defined performance benchmarks, and division-level service metrics as set forth by management

  • Operates with a strong sense of ownership, urgency and accountability to meet assigned deadlines and member expectations

  • Demonstrates dependability by maintaining regular and prompt attendance in the workplace and at meeting locations

  • Embraces a growth mindset by taking on projects, cross-functional initiatives, and other duties as assigned to support organizational objectives

  • Performs other duties as assigned

Job Qualifications

  • A combination of education and experience equivalent to 2 years of benefit administration; a bachelor's degree is preferred

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

  • Ability to learn, interpret, and clearly communicate state statutes, rules, and procedures in a manner easily understood by persons not familiar with the subject

  • High level of professionalism and ability to handle sensitive information confidentially

  • Detail-oriented with an aptitude for math

  • Ability to prioritize, organize, and work with minimal supervision

  • Demonstrated ability to establish rapport and build trust quickly in initial interactions

  • Capable of working successfully both independently and within a team-focused environment

  • Knowledge of databases, personal computer applications, and related business software

  • Ability to travel as necessary within the Denver Metro area

  • Professional business demeanor

Working Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Standard office environment with frequent telephone communication, computer operation, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy and printer machine.

  • Occasional moving and positioning supplies in excess of 20 pounds

  • All employees are expected to present themselves in a professional manner in alignment with the financial services industry

  • Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time

  • Ability to operate standard PC equipment

  • Ability to handle stress associated with frequent deadline and tight schedules

Hybrid Work Option

  • Opportunity to work from home up to two days per week. Eligibility dependent upon factors detailed in PERA's Work from Home Policy.

Interested Candidates:
Complete the employment application online at https://www.copera.org/careers. Please have copies of your resume and cover letter available to upload. Please review the following questions. You will be asked for a response to these as part of your application:

  1. Describe a situation where you had to verbally explain a difficult concept to someone not versed in the subject matter.
  2. Describe a time when you realized the person you were speaking with didn't understand your message. How did you recognize the issue and what did you do to adjust?
  3. Describe a time you had to deal with an upset client or customer. How did you handle it?

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of an employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned with or without notice.

Unfortunately, at this time, PERA cannot consider candidates that require sponsorship (now or in the future), or are located outside of the US.

All Colorado PERA employees are subject to PERA's Ethics Policy and some employees are subject to the Personal Trading Policy. These policies include restrictions on outside business activities and employment and have certain requirements on personal trading.  You may request copies of these policies from PERA's talent acquisition team and any questions can be answered by PERA's Investment Administration team.

 

 About Colorado PERA

Looking for a career where you can make a difference? Colorado PERA offers benefit services to public employees across Colorado, including teachers, state troopers, snowplow drivers, correctional officers and many others who provide valuable services. As Colorado's largest pension plan, we serve and educate over 700,000 members who are former and current public employees. 

At PERA you will earn more than a paycheck. PERA is a culture where you can grow your potential and work in an inclusive environment, where diverse perspectives are valued. We hire exceptional employees and recognize that our people are our best asset. Not only do we make sound investments for our members, PERA invests in our employees' growth through training and leadership opportunities.

To promote wellbeing, we offer hybrid or flexible working options for most roles and a total rewards and benefit program including health, dental and vision coverage - eligibility starts the first day of the month following the date of hire for most plans; generous paid time off and volunteer hours; pension and retirement plans, including PERA's defined benefit plan, 457 defined contribution plan, and 401(k) employer match, as applicable; tuition assistance; free, convenient on-site parking or RTD subsidy; free on-site fitness center to stay active; employee assistance program; training, leadership and mentoring programs and more. PERA is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualifying employer.

To learn more about life at PERA, watch this video or visit www.copera.org/careers.

 

Position Title: Benefits Counselor
Division: Benefit Services
Reports to: Member Service Manager
Job Status: Non-Exempt
Salary: $27.50 to $34.00 Hourly, Commensurate with experience
Posting Dates: 08/15/2025 to 09/1/2025

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