Program Manager; Overstrength – Office of Retirement Services

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation’s best managed cities and one of the top 10 cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values:
Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration.

The Office of Retirement Services (ORS) oversees the investments of assets and administers the benefits of the two Defined Benefit Retirement Plans for the City of San José employees. One plan is for the sworn police and fire employees called the Police and Fire Department Retirement Plan. The other plan is for all other eligible City employees called Federated City Employees’ Retirement System.

The assets of the two plans total over $8.0 billion. As of June 30, 2024, there were 7,308 retirees and beneficiaries, and 5,941 active employees in the two retirement plans. Each of the retirement plans has a Board of Administration that has fiduciary responsibility over their respective retirement plan. The ORS staff has accountability to them as well as City Administration.

ORS has a total of about 45 positions spread among five different work groups within the department:
Investments, Benefits, Accounting, Information Technology, and Administration. ORS utilizes the City’s Financial Management System for all general ledger activities. In addition, ORS has its own pension administration system called Pension Gold that holds all pension/contribution information for active members and retirees and is used in almost all of the functions for the Benefits Group staff.

• Program Manager: $ – $ annually

This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. This is a temporary (Over strength) position that is anticipated to be funded through June 30, 2026, subject to further extension as appropriate. If this position is not extended through the budget process, the City may seek to place you in other internal job opportunities based on your previous work experience.

The Pension Benefits Division is seeking an Over strength Program Manager to oversee disability retirement and customer service operations for the City’s pension systems. This position plays a critical role in ensuring accurate, timely, and legally compliant administration of retirement, disability, and death benefits while advancing business-led technology solutions and service improvements. The Over strength Program Manager reports to the Division Manager and supervises multiple teams responsible for high-volume, complex pension benefit programs serving both sworn and non-sworn members.

This position is working on a hybrid schedule, with 4 days in office, and 1 day remote. Selection of days are to be discussed upon being selected.

• Supervise Disability Retirement, Retirement/Death Intake & Customer Service, and Business Systems functions (6.0 FTE).
• Manage Disability Retirement Programs for Police & Fire and FCERS.
• Present disability retirement cases to Pension Boards and Disability Committees.
• Manage contracts with disability retirement legal counsel and medical vendors.
• Oversee high-volume intake and customer service operations supporting thousands of member contacts annually.
• Lead business-driven technology initiatives and self-service improvements.
• Review and approve pension benefit setups, payroll adjustments, benefit calculations, and other complex pension transactions.
• Provide analytical and strategic support to division leadership to ensure compliance with the San José Municipal Code.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in pension or public-sector benefits administration, demonstrated team leadership, and a strong ability to manage complex, legally sensitive programs. Success in this role requires excellent judgment, analytical skill, communication ability, and a proactive approach to operational and technological. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this,…