Death Benefits Manager

About TRS
Since 1917, the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS) has been securing better futures for NYC educators. With a pension fund valued at approximately $123 billion, TRS serves over 274,000 members, providing them with retirement, disability, and death benefit services.

TRS' Qualified Pension Plan (QPP) is a defined benefit plan that provides members with a monthly retirement allowance upon meeting certain eligibility requirements. TRS members can also enhance their benefits with a Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) Program, which offers multiple investment options and tax-deferred earnings.

At TRS, we seek dedicated professionals who are passionate about their work and committed to excellence. We pride ourselves on our member-centric culture, focused on delivering outstanding service and support to our members.

Position Summary

The Benefits Administration Department seeks a strategic, member-focused Manager to lead the Death Benefits Unit. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Benefits Administration, this leader will oversee a high-performing operational team responsible for delivering timely, accurate, and compassionate services to beneficiaries and pension plan participants’ families. The Manager will ensure operational excellence, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement across all death benefit processes.

Essential/Primary Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

- Direct daily operations of the Death Benefits Unit to ensure accurate and timely processing of all death benefit claims Monitor and manage key performance indicators (KPIs), service level agreements (SLAs)), and workload distribution to maintain high service standards.
- Establish performance targets, evaluate outcomes, and implement improvements to meet monthly, quarterly, and annual goals.

Compliance & Process Improvement

- Develop, maintain, and enforce procedures that ensure compliance with pension plan provisions, legal requirements, and internal policies.
- Identify operational bottlenecks and lead process redesign efforts to improve accuracy, efficiency, and member experience.
- Ensure staff remain current on all regulatory updates, policy changes, and procedural enhancements.

Team Leadership & Staff Development

- Communicate unit goals, expectations, and service standards clearly and consistently.
- Oversee training and development to ensure staff understand and apply death benefit rules, policies, and system requirements.
- Provide guidance on complex or escalated cases, ensuring empathetic, accurate, and timely resolutions.

Workload Management & Performance Monitoring

- Prioritize and manage a high-volume caseload, adjusting resources and workflows to meet service commitments
- Track performance trends and provide regular reporting on claim status, challenges, and operational risks.
- Recommend improvements to systems, policies and procedures based on data and operational insights.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Contribute to the development and implementation of new tools, technologies and process enhancements.
- Promote a collaborative, knowledge-sharing environment to drive continuous improvement and ensure best practices.
- Partner with Legal, IT, Actuary, and other stakeholders to resolve system issues, enhance workflows, and support policy and system changes.

Customer Service Excellence

- Ensure team members provide exceptional customer service to beneficiaries, addressing inquiries, resolving concerns, and assisting with the claims process.
- Handle escalated issues with sensitivity and professionalism
- Reinforce a member-centric culture that prioritizes accuracy, empathy and service quality.

Reporting & Strategic Planning

- Prepare and present reports to senior leadership on unit performance, operational challenges, and improvement opportunities.
- Provide forecasting on budget issues, staffing performance, and anticipated SLA/OLA deficiencies, and recommend corrective actions.
- Recommend long-term strategies to strengthen unit performance.

ADMINISTRATIVE RETIREMENT BENE - 82986