BENEFITS & PENSION SPECIALIST

AZ State Jobs; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 52,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation and sick days

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Thrift/retirement plan

Job summary

Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADCRR) seeks a Pension Specialist to manage daily state benefits, CORP, and ASRS administration for 9,000+ members. You will ensure compliance with policies and process benefit and retirement applications.

The role requires strong HR knowledge, attention to detail, and the ability to present information clearly during seminars and meetings. This full-time position is based in Phoenix, offering comprehensive state benefits.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Federal and State HR/Benefits laws.
• Familiarity with ADOA Personnel Rules and ADCRR policies.
• Experience with CORP/ASRS benefits administration.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operation of state benefits and retirement plans.
• Coordinate CORP and ASRS benefits for 9,000+ members.
• Process leave of absence and QLE enrollments.
• Support CORP Board meetings and elections.
• Ensure compliance with statutes and procedures.

Skills

HR policies

Data analysis

Verbal communications

Written communications

Time management

Problem solving

Interpersonal relationships

Multi-tasking

Judgement & decision making

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

HR Certification

Tools

AZ360 system

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,

REHABILIATION & REENTRY

Our mission is to enhance public safety across Arizona through modern, effective correctional practices and meaningful engagements.

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) is committed to creating a safe, secure, and humane correctional system. With public safety top of mind, ADCRR and its more than 8,000 officers and professional staff are driven by a heart for public service and a commitment to deliver perfect effort each day. ADCRR is redefining itself as an agency whose daily work centers on transparency, accountability, and fairness.

BENEFITS & PENSION SPECIALIST

(HR ANALYST INTERMEDIATE)

Job Location:

Address:

Training & Personnel Division
701 East Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
https://corrections.az.gov/

Posting Details:

Salary: $57,600.00

Grade: 20

Closing Date: October 7th, 2026

Job Summary:

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADCRR) is seeking a talented and professional PENSION SPECIALIST responsible for the daily operation of State Benefits, the ADCRR Corrections Officers Retirement Plan (CORP), and the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). This position also coordinates benefits for over 9,000 active members and retired members, and ensures the administration of the CORP Board statutory provision mandates as well as ensuring compliance with internal, policy, and procedures.

This is your opportunity to grow with a great team at the Department of Corrections,

Job Duties:

• Assists employees out of work on an extended leave of absence, including preparation of leave without pay (LWOP) billing, application of payment, payment processing, monitoring, and tracking appropriate leave and payments ensuring compliance with the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) Personnel Rules
• Processes Donated Annual Leave requests
• Reviews all incoming Qualified Life Event (QLE) enrollment forms ensuring documents are in compliance in accordance with the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) Personnel Rules and mandated time frames
• Contacts the appropriate institution or division Human Resources Liaison upon finding issues as needed
• Submits to the ADOA Benefits Services Division for entry
• Participates as administrative support at all Local CORP Board meetings
• Provides managerial and technical program expertise in the administration of the CORP on behalf of the Local CORP Board interacting with management staff of the retirement fund on statutory and procedural issues
• Processes normal, disability and survivor retirement applications for statutory and option eligibility
• Procures and evaluates related documents for completeness and accuracy, audits contribution histories, processes benefit applications, determines payment amounts, provides estimates for seminar attendees and others
• Processes completed documents in accordance with statutes and within time constraints
• Participates in the agency’s annual Open Enrollment (OE) meeting with staff, and responds to OE questions as needed
• Reviews and processes incoming OE enrollment forms ensuring compliance with OE mandates and expediting the complete forms to the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) for processing
• Participates, promotes, and provides staff with information about employees benefits and ComPsych Health Impact programs during weekly new hire sign-ins and benefit
• Participates and/or presents retirement and benefit seminars
• Validates benefit end dates on terminated employees to ensure data entry was keyed correctly and active benefits were terminated timely
  Conducts and oversees CORP Board elections
• Drives on State business
• Performs other duties appropriate to the assignment

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of:

• Federal and State laws impacting Personnel HR/Benefits activities
• ADOA Personnel Rules
• ADCRR policies and procedures
• AZ360 system
• Personnel action processing
• HR practices and procedures in a governmental capacity
• Retirement systems
• Microsoft Office Software and Google office Suite/Email

Skill in:

• Reviewing medical documents and interpreting medical terminology
• Screening and interviewing
• Organizing and presenting facts
• Problem solving
• Organization and training
• Verbal and written communications
• Time management
• Conflict management
• Data analysis
• Business mathematics
• English usage
• Grammar and spelling
• Thinking independently, using good judgement and making decisions
• Establishing and maintaining effective interpersonal relationships at all levels

Ability to:

• Decipher medical documents and work independently and make sound decisions based on factual information
• Read, interpret and apply the federal, state and agency policies and procedures pertaining to retirement and benefit programs
• Multi-task
• Demonstrate empathy
• Sufficiently answer a wide variety of complex personnel inquires
• Travel statewide and conduct retirement seminars
• Speak publicly
• Explain technical information to individuals of all education level
• Exercise tact, diplomacy, and independent judgment
• Work effectively under deadlines, and maintain confidentiality of applicant data

Selective Preference(s):

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources or closely related field and two years experience as a Human Resources Analyst or equivalent experience
• Relevant HR Certification
• Expertise using complex spreadsheets and databases for analysis and reporting. Experience in project management and process improvement

Pre-Employment Requirements:

Employment is contingent on the selected applicant passing a background investigation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

We offer an excellent and affordable comprehensive benefits package to meet the needs of our employees:

• Vacation and sick days with 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• Robust and affordable insurance plan to include medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability options
• Exceptional retirement program
• Optional employee benefits such as deferred compensation plans, credit union membership, and a wellness program
• An incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Retirement:

• Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)
• Enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment
  • Current ADCRR Employees: Consult with your respective Human Resources Liaison if you are in a different retirement plan than the one indicated above.

Contact Us:

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling [phone]. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.