Arizona Department of Education

The Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents.

HEALTH AND NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM PROJECT SPECIALIST I

Job Location:

Health and Nutrition Services Division

Phoenix Location

Posting Details:

Salary: $46,000 - $48,000 

Grade: 18

Closing Date: 02/11/2025

Job Summary:

• The Federal government has created a new summer program to assist families with providing nutritious foods while children are not in school. The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program will provide payments to eligible students for food during the summer using school enrollment data and eligibility data captured by ADE. This position will be responsible for providing support to HNS leadership, specialists, external customer support and working with our partnering agency, the Department of Economic Security (DES), to ensure eligible participants receive S-EBT benefits.
• Occasional in-state travel is required for this position.

Job Duties:

• Provides exceptional customer service related to the S-EBT program to parents/guardians of students enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
• Distributes outgoing correspondence to parents/guardians and the general public when applicable
• Coordinates mailings, files departmental correspondence, attends staff meetings
• Maintains timely and accurate spreadsheets as needed for the tracking of S-EBT benefits and other responsibilities of the Fiscal Operations, Data Strategy, and Systems (FODSS) team
• Verifies legal and regulatory compliance and accuracy of required forms
• Uses basic accounting, word processing, internet, application software, and databases to maintain information, analyze data and prepare operational reports
• Provides technical assistance and responds timely to customer and leadership requests for information, reports, and basic statistics
• Responds to phone and electronic inquiries on application status, examines information, and forwards to program specialist for program assistance as necessary
• Coordinates, schedules, and organizes documentation for appeal hearings as requested by parents/guardians

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge in:
• Communication techniques
• Complex office and administrative procedures
• Candidates must have previous work experience with administrative level assistance

Skills in:
• Verbal and written communication
• Business writing
• Analytical
• Organizational
• Time management
• Decision-making
• Problem solving
• Computer techniques and software (word processing, spreadsheets, and database management)
• Intermediate to advanced skill in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel

Ability to:
• Design statistical, program reports using various software programs
• Develop procedures and design effective plans for improvement

Selective Preference(s):

Preference will be given to those applicants with:
• Knowledge of federal regulations and policies for Child Nutrition Programs
• Customer service experience
• Previous employment with a government agency, school district, or charter school
• Experience with Child Nutrition Programs

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vaca