Divisions


Executive Office

The Executive Office primarily serves as an extension of the ERS Board of Trustees and is responsible for identifying and developing agency goals, recommending policies to the Board in order to achieve those goals, and implementing policy decisions once approved.

Enterprise Planning Office

  • Enterprise Planning is responsible for the coordination of enterprise-wide activities, including strategic planning, project management, enterprise risk management, and oversight of agency operational planning and budgeting.

Governmental Affairs

  • The Governmental Affairs division is the central point of contact for key stakeholders interested in ERS, including elected state officials, oversight agencies, employee and retiree associations, policy, research and trade groups, and the media. The staff maintains positive working relationships, provides education, information and research data, and serves as a resource for everything from preparing legislation to individual constituent concerns.

Office of Strategic Initiatives

  • The Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) oversees special projects that improve the agency’s achievement of strategic goals, enhance business operations, and support legislative and external stakeholder interactions, deliberations, and communications.

Group Benefits

Group Benefits manages the vendors and providers who administer ERS benefits programs (Insurance, Deferred Compensation, Flexible Benefits, etc.). Responsibilities include all contract areas, from issuing Requests for Proposal (RFP) to awarding contracts. Once a contract is awarded, Group Benefits is responsible for monitoring vendor performance, contract compliance and contract enforcement. Group Benefits also administers of the Social Security program for all public entities in the State of Texas.

Benefits Communications

The Benefits Communications Division provides tactical communications for ERS benefits—focusing primarily on outreach and education to ERS members, retirees, and benefits coordinators. The division manages the ERS website and provides editorial, social media, creative design, digital media production and event support for ERS' internal and external communications.

Customer Benefits

Customer Benefits is the single point of contact for ERS members, participants and benefits coordinators at state agency and higher education institutions. The division provides information and account services for all State of Texas benefits programs.

Finance

The Finance Division is responsible for developing and operating an effective system of accounting, budgeting and financial controls for ERS. The division provides Operating Budget Preparation, General Accounting, Financial Reporting and Investment Accounting, Client Reconciliation and Revenue Processing services.

Human Resources

The Human Resources Division provides salary administration, benefits administration, recruitment and hiring, employee relations, mandatory training, professional development and other employee-oriented functions for ERS. The division also provides strategic planning support for agency employee initiatives.

Information Systems

Information Systems maintains ERS’ computer network, managing all aspects of the software development lifecycle for automated applications and systems, including ERP and web-based technologies. The division ensures integration with current and future systems, developing strategic and tactical plans to meet business demands using innovative technologies.

Internal Audit

Internal Audit provides independent and objective assurance on the effectiveness of controls and operations to meet ERS’ strategic direction.

Investments

The ERS Investments Division’s mission is to achieve optimal investment returns at a prudent level of risk, using a long-term perspective and a commitment to continuous improvement in knowledge and skills. The division manages the assets of the ERS Trust Fund (retirement fund) and the group insurance fund. Investments’ goal is to earn a return on fund investments that ensures payments due to members on the plan at a reasonable cost and within the guidelines of the Investment Policy established by the Board of Trustees.

Office of the General Counsel

The Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice and direction to ERS trustees and staff to enable them to perform their duties more effectively and efficiently. The team works with ERS members, retirees and their representatives to address claims quickly, fairly and accurately, and to respond to questions and concerns in a prompt, professional manner.

Office of Procurement and Contract Oversight 

The Office Procurement and Contract Oversight includes procurement specialists and Contract Oversight. The Procurement team works with other divisions to develop solicitations and manage the evaluation and selection of ERS vendors. The Contract Oversight team oversees the business divisions’ management of contracts—from initial planning through termination or completion—to ensure consistent, standardized contract management across the divisions.

Operations Support

Operations Support provides building services, printing and distribution of publications, mail services, security, risk management and records management for ERS.