Willis Towers Watson’s Pension Administration Group (PAG), which is responsible for our administration and third-party administration (TPA) services, is a dedicated unit within our Retirement business — the largest single part of our Human Capital and Benefits segment. Our growth rate of new administration client appointments is the highest in the industry. Globally and in Canada, we strongly believe in the future of the business and continue to invest heavily in our people and technology.
The role of the Retirement Implementation Specialist is to serve as the vital link between the client, the Retirement Consulting team and the Pension Administration Group to ensure that pension administration processes and software for the client plans (new implementations, upgrades and ongoing maintenance) accurately reflect the plan design features and comply with current pension legislation. Specifically, this individual interprets pension plan designs and legislative changes, identifies and documents associated system requirements, works with development staff to ensure that requirements are understood, and defines and manages the testing phase of the implementation project. The role involves significant interaction and coordination with the client, members of the Retirement Consulting team, developers, outsourcing project managers and others. It requires significant knowledge of pension plan design and administration, as well as associated technology solutions. It affords the opportunity to grow one’s consultative, problem solving, project management, technology and communication skills.
Performance Objectives:
Excellence
- Ensure that pension administration implementations, system upgrades, on-going maintenance, etc. accurately reflect plan design
- Work with Retirement consultants and outsourcing staff to create systems requirement documents and data mapping for developers
- Create test plans and conduct quality assurance checks including regression testing
- Proactively advise pension administration team of changes in pension law and ensure that pension administration processes/systems and approaches are updated to reflect such changes
- Contribute to the development of new tools, processes and solutions to create efficiencies and meet clients’ outsourcing needs
People
- Serve as the primary contact for the Retirement business on the pension administration team during implementation as well as on-going support and maintenance
- Ensure that Retirement priorities are shared with pension administration outsourcing project managers and incorporated into project plans, and pension administration issues and approaches are shared with Retirement consultants and the project members
- Identify potential conflicts and work to keep open and clear communications between the project team members
- Train client resources and administration team on use of systems and serve as ongoing resource for same
Clients
- Contribute to the delivery of superior project management for assigned projects
- Work with the project manager to translate business needs into comprehensive project plans/ statements of work including objectives, timeline, deliverables, budget and quality standards
- Work with the project manager to monitor progress of team against established goals; communicate status to the project manager, the lead consultant or the client, as appropriate
- Manage client expectations and raise appropriate issues to project managers and consultants
- Develop a trusted advisor relationship with internal and external clients through effective communication and efficient, quality execution of projects
- Attend meetings as appropriate to launch new implementations or report project status
- Train client team in use of system; serve as resource for client and administration team after implementation
Financial
- During sales process for new pension administration services or changes in current services, analyze plan documents, valuation reports, etc. to determine cost and “complexity” impact for systems changes
- Participate in sales presentations or finalist meetings
- Develop budget, timing and resources for quality assurance testing and system change specifications, and provide forecasts against same
- Meet revenue and billable hour goals as defined by your manager
- Work within prescribed budget for project plans
The Requirements:
- A minimum of 5 years work experience in a pension consulting, administration or implementation environment
- Strong knowledge of defined benefit plans, pension benefits administration processes and systems, software delivery, and/or process reengineering
- Experience with pension administration projects and/or systems, including interaction of data, software, administration outputs, and processes
- Strong project management skills and experience successfully leading a project team
- Demonstrated time management and organizational skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills including ability to interpret and document plan provisions. Should also be comfortable communicating with associates at all levels and building strong relationships within and across business lines
- Effective listening skills
- Experience in Microsoft Office products, including Project, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, experience with SQL and database manipulation a plus
- Ability to work well under tight project deadlines
- Ability to travel and work extended hours as needed
- Bachelor’s degree in Math, Statistics, Actuarial Science or other major with significant quantitative course work and a strong academic record
Equal opportunity employer
