Senior Retirement Plan Consultant in Albany, New York at TEAL BECKER & CHIARAMONTE CPAs

The Senior Retirement Plan Consultant will work directly with the Retirement Plan Administration department and will report to the Director of Retirement Plan Services. Position objective is to be primary contact for TBC’s retirement and pension plan clients and to perform third party administration duties for qualified retirement plans. The candidate will provide high-level consulting, compliance, and relationship management services for a portfolio of defined contribution retirement plans, primarily 401(k) and profit sharing plans. The ideal candidate will possess strong technical knowledge of ERISA and Internal Revenue Code qualification requirements, excellent client communication skills, and the ability to manage complex plan administration and consulting matters with minimal supervision. This role serves as a senior technical resource to clients, advisors, recordkeepers, and internal staff while helping ensure operational compliance, timely completion of annual plan requirements, and delivery of exceptional client service.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Client Consulting & Relationship Management
• Serve as primary consultant and relationship manager for a book of defined contribution retirement plan clients, including 401(k), profit sharing, safe harbor, and new comparability/cross-tested plans.
• Provide proactive consulting regarding plan design, compliance, operational issues, fiduciary considerations, and regulatory developments.
• Conduct client meetings and communicate complex retirement plan concepts in a practical and understandable manner.
• Coordinate with financial advisors, recordkeepers, payroll providers, auditors, ERISA counsel, and other service providers.
• Assist clients with retirement plan strategy, contribution optimization, and correction of operational failures.
• Respond timely to client inquiries and provide high-quality service and technical support.
Compliance & Plan Administration
• Oversee annual administration and compliance testing for qualified retirement plans, including:
o ADP/ACP testing
o Coverage testing
o Top-heavy testy
o Nondiscrimination testing
o IRC Section 402(g), 404, 410(b), 401(a)(4), 415, and 416 compliance
• Review and analyze census data, compensation definitions, eligibility tracking, and allocation calculations.
• Review and approve annual valuation reports, participant allocations, and trust reconciliations.
• Coordinate and review Form 5500 and related annual filings.
• Monitor required minimum distributions, loan compliance, hardship distributions, and distribution processing rules.
• Assist with plan corrections under EPCRS, including SCP and VCP submissions where applicable.
• Review plan documents and amendments to ensure operation consistency and legal compliance.
• Assist with plan terminations, mergers, acquisitions, and conversion projects.
Qualifications

Required
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in retirement plan administration and consulting with a focus on defined contribution plans.
• Strong working knowledge of ERISA and Internal Revenue Code qualification requirements applicable to 401(k) and profit sharing plans.
• Experience with compliance testing, Form 5500 preparation/review, and plan operational consulting.
• Ability to independently manage a client caseload and multiple deadlines.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with retirement plan administration and case management software, namely FTWilliam, PensionPro, and Microsoft Excel.
Preferred
• ASPPA credentials such as QKA, QKC, QPA, CPC, or similar professional designation.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, economics, mathematics, or related field.
• Experience with plan corrections and consulting on complex plan design matters.
• Experience working with multiple recordkeeping platforms, namely American Funds/Capitol Group, Empower, Principal, John Hancock, & Transamerica.
Work Environment
• Professional office or hybrid work environment (remote work for the ideal candidate).
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines during peak compliance periods.
• Occasional client meetings or travel may be required.
Issues arising within the pension department that cannot be resolved within the department will be referred to shareholders of Teal, Becker and Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C. Shareholders have final authority and responsibility for all Firm policy decisions, except to the extent delegated to individual shareholders within the firm’s organization hierarchy.
As an Equal Opportunity employer, Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C. will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, creed, religion, color, citizenship, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, gender identification, genetic information, familial status, marital status, pregnancy, status as a domestic violence victim, criminal conviction, disability, military status, disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces Service Medal veteran, active duty or wartime campaign badge veteran, or other characteristic as protected by law.