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Position Information

Retirement Program Administrator
City of Phoenix Employees' Retirement System | COPERS
Phoenix, Arizona

Retirement Program Administrator
Annual salary: Up to $207,979
The city offers an attractive benefit package.
Application deadline: Friday, May 29, 2026.

The City of Phoenix Employees' Retirement System (COPERS) is a single-employer, defined benefit pension plan established by the City Charter. Its purpose is to provide retirement, disability retirement and survivor benefits for its members. COPERS is a $4.3 billion public retirement system for non-uniformed City of Phoenix employees. COPERS has an active membership of approximately 9,600 employees and retired membership of approximately 9,000.

The Retirement Office serves several vital roles within the City, including COPERS, a robust Defined Contribution/Deferred Compensation Plans (DCP), a Post Employment Health Plan (a VEBA Trust) (PEHP), and performs administrative duties on behalf of the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. Due to an upcoming retirement, the City of Phoenix is looking for their next Retirement Program Administrator.

This position has overall responsibility for the leadership, administration, and financial stewardship of COPERS and the DCP/PEHP Plans and oversees all aspects of retirement system operations, including office administration and budgeting, comprehensive plan administration, and the design, interpretation, and communication of retirement benefits to members and stakeholders. Operating under the general direction of the City Manager, the Administrator serves as the primary staff advisor to the board listed above. This role will oversee an annual budget of $2.5 million and 22 hardworking and dedicated employees.

The Retirement Program Administrator will collaborate closely with retirement board members, department directors, City Council members, financial advisors, paying agents, and peer government retirement organizations to advance sound governance, informed decision-making, and exceptional service to plan members.

Candidates shall have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in business administration, accounting, finance or related field, along with a minimum of six (6) years of experience in an administrative level role, including three years' experience in a supervisory capacity. It is preferred that candidates have prior experience in public or private retirement or benefit program administration. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.

To be considered for this exceptional career opportunity, please submit your résumé, cover letter and a list of six work-related references (who will not be contacted without prior notice) online at: https://cpshr.us/recruitment/2598

For questions, please contact:

Kylie Wilson
CPS HR Consulting
kwilson@cpshr.us

To view an online brochure for this position visit: https://executivesearch.cpshr.us/flyer?file=APPROVEDPhoenixRetirementProgramAdministrator.PDF&_gl=1*1qegkc1*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTE1MDgzMDYyNi4xNzc3NjU3NTg2*_ga_MN2DV2YXGR*czE3Nzc2NTc1ODYkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzc2NTc1ODYkajYwJGwwJGgxOTc4Mjc3Njk3JGRWUlRTN04yVlllZDdOb0V2M3gyVWJ6T3FvaVQ0M0NUalRR
City of Phoenix website: https://www.phoenix.gov



The City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer.
Position: Retirement Program Administrator
Organization: City of Phoenix Employees' Retirement System | COPERS
Location: Phoenix,  AZ 
United States
Salary: Annual salary: Up to $207,979
Posting Start Date: 5/1/2026
Date Posted: 5/1/2026
Requirements See job description.
Status: This listing expires on: 6/30/2026
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Organization Information
Name:
City of Phoenix Employees' Retirement System | COPERS
Address:
200 W. Washington St.
10th Floor
Phoenix,  AZ 85003
United States
Email:
Phone:
Fax:
Contact:
Kylie Wilson
Become A Member

Becoming a member of NASRA offers a unique opportunity to join a community committed to the sound, efficient, and innovative stewardship of public retirement systems. Membership connects you with a network of professionals and experts, providing valuable insights into managing public retirement systems with a focus on sustainability and risk-averse strategies.

By joining NASRA, you gain the tools and resources to enhance the management of public retirement systems, ensuring their long-term success and reliability for generations to come.

What's New at NASRA: Government Spending Issue Brief

NASRA’s March 2026 update on government spending makes a basic but important point: public pension benefits are not paid out of a government’s day-to-day operating budget. They are paid from trust funds that employees and employers contribute to during an employee’s working years. Those trusts distribute more than $400 billion each year to retirees and beneficiaries in communities across the country. On a national basis, employer contributions to pension trusts in FY 2023 equaled 5.16 percent of direct general spending by state and local governments, which shows that pension contributions remain a limited share of overall public spending even though the level varies from one state to another. 
The brief also shows that pension costs should be viewed in the context of the changes governments have made over the past 15 years to strengthen plan funding. Following the 2008–09 market decline, nearly every state and many local governments adjusted contributions, benefits, or both to improve pension sustainability. More recent data show that employer contributions increased from FY 2022 to FY 2023, but pension spending as a share of total government spending remained broadly stable. The updated brief provides FY 2023 figures and also projects the aggregate pension spending rate for FY 2024, offering a useful snapshot of both current costs and the longer funding trend.