The 401(k) Associate supports the firm's role as 3(38) Investment Manager and fiduciary partner to plan sponsor clients. This role owns day-to-day management of the investment menu, plan governance and compliance coordination, and client outreach, with a primary mandate of driving measurable growth in employee participation, deferral rates, and overall plan health across an assigned book of client plans.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Plan Management & Governance
- Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for plan design, operational issues, and the plan's compliance calendar.
- Prepare materials and minutes for plan committee / fiduciary meetings.
- Coordinate compliance testing (ADP/ACP, top-heavy, 410(b)) with TPAs and recordkeepers.
- Track completion of Form 5500, Summary Annual Report, and required participant notices (QDIA, safe harbor, 404(a)(5) fee disclosures).
- Maintain each plan's fiduciary file (IPS, meeting minutes, benchmarking reports, notices) in audit-ready condition.
- Monitor plan document restatements, amendments, and required regulatory updates (e.g., SECURE 2.0 provisions).
Participation & Engagement Growth
- Design and execute campaigns to increase enrollment, deferral rates, and overall participation for each client plan.
- Partner with recordkeepers on auto-enrollment, auto-escalation, and re-enrollment strategies.
- Deliver employee education seminars, webinars, and one-on-one enrollment meetings.
- Track plan health metrics (participation rate, average deferral rate, average balance) and report trends to clients and internal leadership.
- Identify under-saving or under-enrolled employee segments and build targeted outreach campaigns.
Client Outreach & Relationship Management
- Conduct regular check-ins and lead annual plan review meetings with plan sponsors.
- Respond to client questions regarding plan performance, compliance status, and participant issues.
- Prepare client-facing reports: fiduciary review decks, benchmarking summaries, and participation dashboards.
- Support new client onboarding and plan-to-plan transitions/conversions.
- Assist with RFP responses and finalist presentations for prospective plan sponsor clients.
- 2-5 years of experience in retirement plan services, recordkeeping, TPA operations, or an RIA/advisory environment
- Series 65 license required (or must be obtained within 6 months); Sponsorship is provided
- Working knowledge of ERISA, DOL regulations, and fiduciary responsibilities under 3(38)/3(21) arrangements
- Strong presentation and communication skills for participant-facing education
- Experience with CRM systems (Juniper Square, Salesforce, or HubSpot)
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and CRM platforms
- Analytical mindset with the ability to track and interpret sales data