Program Specialist VII

About the role

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) seeks highly qualified candidates to fill the Program Specialist VII position within the Access & Eligibility Services (AES) Department Eligibility Operations Integrity Support Services (ISS).

Responsibilities

• Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.
• Oversees the development and management of highly complex projects.
• Facilitates or participates in intra-department and cross-agency workgroups, sets goals and objectives, and oversees progress toward these goals.
• Maintains effective and professional interpersonal relationships, including the ability to work with people under pressure, negotiate among multiple parties, resolve conflicts, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with various levels of personnel in governmental entities, external entities, and with program stakeholders.
• Develops procedures and processes, analyzes data, and makes recommendations for appropriate changes.
• Serves as area liaison to pertinent advisory committees and external workgroups.
• Participates in strategic planning and business continuity activities.
• Initiates and oversees the implementation of special projects and complex program initiatives.
• May train, lead, assign and/or prioritize the work of others.
• Manages and oversees processes and projects related to fraud detection and prevention for Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, at the precertification stage.
• Negotiates and coordinates complex program changes with outside stakeholders.
• Interprets complex federal and state statutes, regulations, and guidelines.
• Examines individual SNAP, TANF, CHIP and Medicaid cases to identify potential fraudulent or erroneous cases.
• Ensures programs are in compliance with federal regulations.
• Ensures policy information is disseminated appropriately across all AES areas.
• Develops and implements senior-level work plans and timelines.
• Prepares and presents briefings for ISS Director and when necessary, Executive level staff including the Associate Commissioner.
• Leads the response to and implementation of special requests and assignments from the Director and/or members of executive and senior leadership teams;
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders.
• Works with the Integrity Support Services Director and Senior Leadership Team in developing plans and specific activities to achieve the vision and goals of Access & Eligibility Services.
• Advises the AES Senior Leadership Team of potential issues and works collaboratively to Identify solutions.
• Works with Access & Eligibility Services Senior Leadership Team members and Community Support staff to identify and resolve risks and issues.
• Performs or oversees studies and analyses of operations and problems and the preparation of reports of findings and recommendations; assists management with developing policies, procedures, standards, and manuals for the team and planning activities in accordance with unit objectives and goals.
• Identifies performance metrics and provides key information related to ISS performance to division leadership to support sound decision making and to ensure strategic utilization of division resources.
• Provides coaching, guidance, and mentorship to others on the team.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in a field relevant to the position (such as data analytics, statistics of psychology) is preferred.
• Experience communicating verbally and in writing required.
• Experience making presentations to small and large groups required.
• Experience developing policies and procedures required.
• Experience supervising eligibility staff and/or investigators preferred.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting data required.
• Experience leading and mentoring staff preferred.
• Current experience in SNAP, Medicaid policy and procedures.
• Current experience in TANF program preferred.
• Demonstrated strong experience in successful project management as a result of collaborative partnership.
• Experience in making decisions required.
• Experience performing multiple tasks in a timely manner required.

Skills

• A keen attention to detail and the ability to implement creative solutions to problems.
• Able to balance team and individual responsibilities.
• Knowledge of government administration, program management, and project management techniques.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws governing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid for Children and Families, and Medicaid for the Elderly and for Disabled Adults.
• Knowledge of policy development and research methods.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.
• Ability to perform work with a high degree of independence and attention to detail within established guidelines and timeframes.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products.
• Skill in project management and the ability to lead project teams and work with multiple stakeholders.
• Skill in written and oral communication, including the ability to make public presentations, write technical information in an understandable format, and produce sophisticated reports.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more.