Contact Center Representative - Member Services

INTRODUCTION
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) provides death, disability, and pension retirement benefits to employees of local governments and school districts in Illinois (with the exception of the City of Chicago and Cook County). As is the second largest-and best funded-statewide public pension system in Illinois, IMRF serves approximately 2,900 municipal employers in the State. We are an award-winning organization, located in Oak Brook.
SUMMARY
The primary responsibility of the Member Contact Center Representative is to act as liaison between IMRF and its customers (members, annuitants, and beneficiaries) to foster interactive, informed, and collaborative working relationships by providing excellent customer service. The customer service representative is primarily responsible for responding to incoming telephone calls and may also be responsible for responding to emails, online chat, and other omnichannel Contact Center services as assigned. The representative with generalist training and skills in IMRF retirement and disability benefit policies, procedures, and laws will assist customers by providing answers and guidance regarding (member and retirement eligibility, status on transactions in process, information related to applying for benefits, etc., and other employee status information). These services must be delivered in an empathetic, courteous, professional, and expedient manner.
The Contact Center Representative will be assigned to a specific office location for specific daily hours.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Respond to member telephone inquiries and analyze and respond to customer requests primarily regarding: Regular, SLEP, and Voluntary Additional plan questions, and process and produce system generated pension estimates in accordance with Article 7 and Article 20 of the Illinois Pension code and IMRF's administrative policies.
• Investigate and follow-up on questions and issues related to fund claims, purchase of service applications, basic disability claims, retirement claims, voluntary additional claims, and death and survivor claims. Assist members with resolutions regarding address, direct deposit, tax withholding, financial verification requests, member statement and account inquiries, requests for forms and publications, Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) questions, and other website functionality assistance.
• Identify caller's needs and respond in an accurate and timely manner. When necessary, research and resolve problems; investigate and assist in the correction of errors.
• Communicate effectively and efficiently. Provide excellent, high quality, customer service to members.
• Maintain awareness of numbers of callers or other users in queues in various delivery channels. When necessary, notify supervisors, modify call processing, IVR support, online chat or other delivery channels to provide the highest level of service to all callers and other channels.
• Provide assistance for all public and secure areas of IMRF's website and self-service portals. Troubleshoot and assist members with issues regarding various incompatible browsers. Gather pertinent ISP or other relevant identifying information necessary to respond to members having technological issues.
• Maintain records and document call information as requested.
• Exercise and maintain current knowledge of benefit, legislative, and administrative changes, as well as current events including issues that impact IMRF members.
• Maintain current knowledge of the operation of all other departments at IMRF.
• Correspond appropriately to routine written inquiries and requests received via various electronic channels and respond on the appropriate IMRF messaging channel.
• Enroll members in workshops, webinars and Time Tap as requested.
• Maintain a work progress that meets the service goals established by the Member Services Manager.
• Communicate areas of difficulty and problems with supervisor and manager; communicate pending problems to appropriate IMRF staff.
• Adhere strictly to "Log - On" schedules
• Special projects and other related duties when assigned

• Support achievement of the organization's Journey of Excellence, Vision and Strategic Objectives.
• Demonstrate willingness and agility to learn and utilize new tools for Contact Center technologies as they are implemented.

Administrative

• Provide administrative support to Member Services Department as needed.
• Work with the Contact Center Analysts as needed for continuous process improvements.
• Assist in clerical duties.
• Other duties may be assigned.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
Associates Degree plus 1 years of customer service or pension plan administration experience. (Preferred)
OR
Three years customer service experience.
IMRF Benefits:

• Generous insurance benefits, including medical and dental
• 35-hour base work week, Monday - Friday; Ability to work 6 remote days per month, after 6 months of employment
• Death, disability, and pension retirement benefits as a member of IMRF
• Paid vacation, 12 paid holidays and 2 personal days
• Business casual attire
• Award-winning organizational approach to performance excellence