BENEFITS AND ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST ADVANCED

Internal Careers; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work within Arizona

Job summary

State of Arizona’s Department of Economic Security is seeking an experienced Benefits and Eligibility Specialist Advanced for the Family Assistance Administration (FAA) Appeals Processing Unit in Phoenix.

This role focuses on conducting pre-hearing conferences with appellants, attending fair hearings, and serving as a department witness while coordinating with FAA offices to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws.

Qualifications

• Experience reviewing eligibility determinations and benefits.
• Ability to interpret federal/state laws and agency policies.
• Strong research and analytical skills for complex cases.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Conduct pre-hearing conferences with appellants.
• Attend fair hearings and act as department witness.
• Coordinate with FAA offices to meet program requirements.
• Prepare monthly reports on unit activity.
• Lead process improvements with regional offices.

Skills

Interpreting laws & regs

Communication skills

Problem solving

Public speaking

Tools

Automated systems

Job description

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC SECURITY

Your Partner For A Stronger Arizona. DES works with families, community organizations, advocates and state and federal partners to realize our collective vision: A thriving Arizona. DES serves more than 3 million Arizonans. Our Mission is to strengthen individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life.

BENEFITS AND ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST ADVANCED

Job Location

Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility (DBME)
Family Assistance Administration (FAA)
Appeal Processing Unit (APU)
8620 North 22nd Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85021

Salary: $23.3442 Hourly ($48,555.94 Annually)

Grade: 20

Closing Date: October 30, 2026

Job Summary

Would you like to be part of an amazing team that helps Arizonans thrive? At the Department of Economic Security (DES) we strengthen individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. DES is looking for individuals who are committed to service, community, and teamwork. To learn more about DES please visit des.az.gov; or click on the link here to view ‘Our DES’ video. Come Join the DES Team!

The Department of Economic Security, Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility, is seeking an experienced, highly motivated individual to join our team as a Benefits and Eligibility Specialist Advanced in the Family Assistance Administration (FAA) Appeals Processing Unit. This position is responsible for conducting pre-hearing conferences with appellants, attending fair hearings, acting as a department witness, and completing required actions as instructed by the Office of Appeals. This position coordinates with FAA offices and Fair Hearing Liaisons to ensure that offices meet Federal and State requirements for the processing of fair hearing requests and benefits. At this level, employees serve as a resource for solving complex problems involving multiple programs, coordinating benefits across programs, reconciling benefits in programs involving both state and federal laws and regulations, and serving as an advocate in the appeals process.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Performs quality control and/or quality assurance reviews of eligibility determinations to verify and ensure accuracy of benefit determinations based on the established Federal and State rules, regulations, policies, and procedures, making corrections and/or working with the office to correct errors.
• Reads, interprets, and applies state and federal laws, internal policies, and procedures, applies legal research principles and techniques, and completes research on relevant laws, regulations, and legal articles.
• Reviews evidence, draft correspondence, and legal documents according to the principles of legal report writing, and provides feedback to management on error trends.
• Conducts pre-hearing conferences with appellants, attends fair hearings, acts as department witness, and completes required actions asinstructed by the Office of Appeals.
• Processes tasks related to the appeals process, and completes and submits monthly reports related to the work activity for the Specialist Unit.
• Provides problem-solving services to local office staff and the public.
• Reviews program compliance with applicable Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations.
• Rework cases to complete eligibility determinations as necessary.
• Attends and participates in work groups involving region and local office process improvements.
• Leads project teams to achieve milestones and objectives.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)

Knowledge in:

• Federal, State, and Agency statutes, rules, and regulations governing eligibility and grant determination for multiple public assistance programs and related case administrative techniques.
• Policies, procedures, and programs of the department applicable to the area of assignment.
• Program services used to conduct quality control reviews.
• Automated systems and software
• Interviewing and assessment techniques
• Communication, conflict resolution, mediation, and collaboration techniques
• Research processes and hearing procedure
• evidentiary rules and court procedure

Skills in:

• Written and verbal communication to explain and interpret Federal and State laws, statutes, rules, regulations, and guidelines applicable to the area of assignment.
• Independent problem solving, analyzing, and decision-making for complex issues
• Customer service, interviewing, listening, and negotiation; effective public speaking
• Preparation and review of legal documents, research techniques, and evidentiary requirements

Ability to:

• Evaluate and make appropriate decisions (or determinations).
• provide technical assistance to staff; detect and evaluate potential fraudulent situations
• Access, maintain, review, and interpret database information, compile, and present program information.
• Lead, direct, and train other eligibility staff
• Explain program benefits, requirements, procedures, and complex rules and programs so they can be understood by people of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
• Appear as a department witness in hearings to explain department actions and benefit eligibility determination

Selective Preference(s)

The ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Three (3) years of experience performing benefits and eligibility reviews and determinations.

Pre-Employment Requirements

• 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.
• Successfully pass background and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and theagency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions
• All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits

The Arizona Department of Economic Security offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child.
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Stipend Opportunities
• Infant at Work Program
• Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
• Career Advancement & Employee Development Opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Retirement

State employees are required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the State sponsored retirement contribution plan and the Long-Term Disability (LTD) program after a 27-week waiting period. The ASRS defined benefit plan provides for life-long income upon retirement. You will also have the option to participate in a voluntary deferred compensation program to take advantage of tax-deferred retirement investments.

On, or shortly after, your first day of work you will be provided with additional information about the available insurance plans, enrollment instructions, submission deadlines and effective dates.

Contact Us

For questions regarding this career opportunity, please contact Cristal Rodriguez at [e-mail].

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting 928-390-3158. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.