SERS Retirement Counselor Trainee (Bensalem)

Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania; Trevose (PA); Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is seeking a SERS Retirement Counselor Trainee in the Bensalem Regional Counseling Center. You will provide retirement counseling, prepare estimates, and assist members with forms.

The twelve-month training program develops expertise in laws and benefit calculations while serving residents of the Bucks County region. Equal opportunity employer; hybrid telework options may be available.

Qualifications

• Four years of staff support experience in pension/retirement or similar areas.
• Bachelor's Degree in Communications, HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• Equivalent combo of experience and training with 3 years in pension/retirement plus 18 credit hours in related subjects.
• Certifications: CEBS acceptable for one year of experience.
• Certifications: CFP acceptable for two years of experience.
• Educational requirements may be met within 3 months of graduation.

Responsibilities

• Provide retirement counseling by explaining benefits, options and forms.
• Calculate retirement benefit estimates for SERS members.
• Plan and conduct visits within the service region.
• Help members complete disability, vesting and other retirement forms and review for accuracy.
• Coordinate and deliver counseling programs including seminars and Q&A sessions.

Skills

Experience in pension/retirement staff

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Human Resources, Business Administration, Business Management, Psychology, or related area

Job description

Salary

$53,008.00 - $80,646.00 Annually

Location

Bucks County, PA

Job Type

Civil Service Permanent Full-Time

Job Number

CS-2026-56046-09501

Department

State Employees' Retirement System

Division

SR Ben Rgnl Cnslng Ctr

Opening Date

09/17/2026

Closing Date

10/1/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Job Code

09501

Position Number

00130436

Union

Non-Union

Bargaining Unit

A3

Pay Group

ST06

Bureau / Division Code

00702250

Bureau / Division

Bensalem Regional Counseling Center

Worksite Address

Greenwood Square, Suite 420, Building 2

3331 Street Road

City

Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Zip Code

19020

Contact Name

DJ Korlewitz

Contact Phone

717.237.0395

Contact Email

[e-mail]

Position

The Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) is seeking a responsible, detail-oriented individual to join its Bensalem Regional Counseling Center as a SERS Retirement Counselor Trainee. If you possess strong analytical and interpersonal skills and enjoy working with numbers and people, do not miss out on this opportunity.

Description of Work

This position provides retirement counseling services for SERS members residing in the area of the assigned regional office. An employee in this job participates in a twelve-month, on-the-job training program designed to develop understanding and competence in preparing estimates and calculations and applying Retirement System laws.

Key responsibilities as a SERS Retirement Counselor Trainee include:

• Member Counseling: Provide guidance to members by explaining retirement benefits, options, and related forms
• Benefit Estimates: Calculate retirement benefit estimates for members of the State Employees Retirement System
• Program Visits: Plan and conduct visits with members or agencies within the service region to deliver counseling services
• Form Assistance: Help members complete disability, vesting, and other retirement forms and review them for accuracy
• Information Sessions: Coordinate and deliver counseling programs including seminars, briefings, as well as question and answer sessions

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

About SERS: Established in 1923, SERS is one of the nation's oldest retirement plans for public employees and manages the pension benefits of more than 246,000 employees and retirees for 96 public sector employers. In 2025, SERS paid more than $4.0 billion in benefits and managed nearly $50 billion in assets. Additional information is available at www.SERS.pa.gov.

Our mission is to prepare our members and participants to achieve financial security in retirement. We achieve this through focusing on our mission, acting ethically and with integrity, empowering our members, embracing innovation, fostering life work balance, modeling an inclusive and respectful workplace, valuing and developing team members, collaborating, and finding joy in our work.

SERS is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified individuals to our team. We are committed to an inclusive and respectful work environment that fosters personal and professional growth, embraces the contributions of all team members, and leverages diversity in people, ideas, and experiences to achieve our highest potential.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 37.5-hour work week, Monday through Friday.
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM unpaid meal period.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time (hybrid telework schedule), depending on operational needs and progress in learning assigned tasks. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you must work on-site at the work location specified in this job posting. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

Required Experience, Training & Eligibility

QUALIFICATIONS

• Four years of experience in a staff support position assisting with personnel administration, financial management or public relations work in a pension or retirement system or related occupational area; or
• A Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Human Resources, Business Administration, Business Management, Psychology, Labor Relations or a related area; or
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training which includes at least three years of experience in a staff support position assisting with personnel administration, financial management or public relations work in a pension or retirement system or related occupational area, supplemented by 18 credit hours in communications, human resources, business administration, psychology, labor relations or related course work.
• Certification as a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist such as issued by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is acceptable for one year of the required experience.
• Certification as a Certified Financial Planner such as issued by the Central PA Society, Institute of Certified Financial Planners is acceptable for two years of the required experience.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within 3 months of graduating with a qualifying degree.

Other Requirements:

• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• You must pass a background investigation.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

Examination Information

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.