Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.
Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.
The Third-Party Payments Specialist is responsible for understanding, set up and execution of payment structures for all lines of retirement services business. Responsibilities include reviewing contracts, fee schedules and payment request forms; setting up one-time, ongoing, and specialized manual payments; provide data and direction to internal partners for fee set up and plan expense account reallocations; respond to inquiries from both internal partners and external customers. This is a client facing position with all activity having direct client and financial impact as well as regulatory and participant/plan reporting.
What You Will Do
- Review and interpret contracts, fee schedules, legal agreements, plan directives, and payment request forms to validate third-party payment setup and change requests across retirement plan types and business segments.
- Triage, process, and perform quality control (QC) on one-time, recurring, and specialized manual payments in the Empower Recordkeeping System.
- Identify and resolve discrepancies, unsupported payment instructions, and nonstandard requests before processing.
- Administer special allowance payment programs and calculate manual payment adjustments, corrections, and gain/loss amounts.
- Coordinate with internal teams to facilitate Third-Party Administrator (TPA) fee setup, plan expense account reallocations, and payment corrections.
- Research and resolve payment-related inquiries at the plan and participant levels, providing timely, accurate written and verbal responses to internal partners and external customers.
- Maintain payment processing accuracy and timeliness to minimize financial, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks.
- Collaborate with Relationship Management, Client Service, Fees & Billing, Implementation, Deconversions, Money In, Money Out, Plan Change, Fund and Fee Change Setup, Technology, and senior leadership.
- Support external stakeholders, including brokers, broker-dealers, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), advisory firms, TPAs, plan sponsors, and other third-party service providers.
- Use Microsoft Excel formulas and functions to calculate payments, reconcile discrepancies, and perform quality reviews of high-volume payment activity.
- Consult with Sales, Implementation, and external customers on payment setup scenarios supporting retirement plan pricing.
- Use operational platforms, including EASY, SAP, WEBI, PRISM, OnBase, CIRRUS, BlackLine, PSC, and Avaya One-X, to research and process payment activities.
- Participate in departmental projects and process improvements affecting payment operations.
What You Will Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- At least three years of experience in mutual fund operations, broker-dealer back-office operations, accounts payable, or accounting.
- FINRA fingerprinting required. No EFSI registrations required.
- Ability to interpret contracts, fee schedules, legal agreements, and payment instructions to support accurate processing.
- Knowledge of payment processing, financial calculations, reconciliations, and discrepancy resolution.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas and functions used for financial calculations and data analysis. ⚠ Suggested – please confirm or edit: Clarify whether intermediate Excel proficiency is required or preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills to address inquiries from internal business partners and external customers.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, meet processing deadlines, and resolve operational issues with appropriate guidance.
- Ability to work independently within established procedures and escalate complex matters to senior specialists.
What Will Set You Apart
- Experience using EASY, CIRRUS, and SAP in financial services or retirement plan operations.
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word and Access.
- Experience supporting retirement plan recordkeeping, TPA compensation, or plan-level fee administration.
- Familiarity with financial controls, payment reconciliation, and regulatory reporting in retirement services.
- Experience collaborating across financial operations, implementation, and client service teams to resolve complex payment issues.
We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.
