Certification Specialist I

Seattle Housing Authority; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid leave and holidays

Public Employees’ Retirement System (P

Job summary

The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is seeking a Certification Specialist I to join our team at 101 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA. This role supports applicants and participants in navigating program rules to obtain and retain housing resources.

Ideal candidates have a year of related work experience and a high school diploma with additional college coursework in social services or related fields. SHA offers competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, with opportunities for professional growth

Qualifications

• One year work experience in social services, data entry, government administration, housing, or as a Customer Service Specialist or equivalent.
• High School diploma or equivalent, and two years of college-level course work in social services, bookkeeping, business, or related field.
• May substitute an additional two years of relevant work experience for the college-level course work.

Responsibilities

• Interpret and apply housing rules, regulations, and procedures; explain requirements to applicants and participants.
• Interview clients, assess eligibility, and guide applicants through the voucher and leasing process.
• Complete and process documentation, verifications, and forms; issue vouchers; maintain accurate and audit-ready files.
• Partner with families, landlords, caseworkers, and other agencies to ensure timely and accurate program processing.
• Counsel participants on subsidy calculations, affordability, reporting requirements, and program obligations.
• Verify income and household changes, adjust subsidies, and notify families and landlords of updated rent portions.
• Coordinate with landlords and property managers to confirm unit compliance, negotiate rents when needed, and generate housing contracts.
• Support portability by exchanging required records with other housing authorities.
• Ensure timely and accurate landlord payments; process adjustments, holds, and rent increase requests.
• Provide high-quality customer service, including prompt communication and in-person support.
• Maintain safety practices, attend required trainings, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Social services

Data entry

Customer service

Housing programs

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Two years of college-level coursework in social services or related field

Job description

Job Summary

We offer competitive salary, great benefits, and work that matters to our community.
The Organization: The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is a mission-driven leader in affordable housing, headquartered on Elliott Avenue West with sweeping views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. With additional field offices across Seattle, we’re committed to expanding housing opportunities, strengthening communities, and supporting a workplace where people grow and thrive.

Job Summary We offer competitive salary, great benefits, and work that matters to our community.
The Organization: The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is a mission-driven leader in affordable housing, headquartered on Elliott Avenue West with sweeping views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. With additional field offices across Seattle, we’re committed to expanding housing opportunities, strengthening communities, and supporting a workplace where people grow and thrive.
The position: We’re looking for a Certification Specialist I to join our team! This role is perfect for someone who can support applicants and participants in successfully navigating program rules and regulations of the housing program to obtain and retain housing resources.
The Location: 101 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119
The Ideal Candidate Will Have

• One year work experience in social services, data entry, government administration, housing, or as a Customer Service Specialist or equivalent.
• High School diploma or equivalent, and two years of college-level course work in social services, bookkeeping, business, or related field
• May substitute an additional two years of relevant work experience for the college-level course work.
  

What will you do?

• Interpret and apply housing rules, regulations, and procedures; explain requirements to applicants and participants.
• Interview clients, assess eligibility, and guide applicants through the voucher and leasing process.
• Complete and process documentation, verifications, and forms; issue vouchers; maintain accurate and audit-ready files.
• Partner with families, landlords, caseworkers, and other agencies to ensure timely and accurate program processing.
• Counsel participants on subsidy calculations, affordability, reporting requirements, and program obligations.
• Verify income and household changes, adjust subsidies, and notify families and landlords of updated rent portions.
• Coordinate with landlords and property managers to confirm unit compliance, negotiate rents when needed, and generate housing contracts.
• Support portability by exchanging required records with other housing authorities.
• Ensure timely and accurate landlord payments; process adjustments, holds, and rent increase requests.
• Provide high-quality customer service, including prompt communication and in-person support.
• Maintain safety practices, attend required trainings, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
  

For additional information on the job, please see the full job description.
Application Tips

• Update the Work Experience and Education sections with your most current information. Note: SHA does not accept external attachments such as resumes or cover letters.
• Complete the Agency-Wide questions. Even if you’ve applied to SHA before, please review and update your responses.
• Respond to any Supplemental Questions, if applicable.
  

Why Should You Apply?

• Our Culture: SHA offers a supportive, energetic workplace where collaboration and growth thrive. Our talented team has helped make us a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing and community development.
• Competitive Salary
• Comprehensive Benefits
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS)
• Generous paid leave and holidays
• Work-Life Balance
• Reasonable hours
• Opportunity for part-time remote work (dependent on the position)
• Professional Development
• On-the-job training and growth opportunities

Our Commitment to EquitySHA values your unique background and perspective - we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every listed qualification. Learn more in our diversity and application equity statement.Benefits Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is pleased to offer an excellent benefits package for Regular and Project full-time and part-time employees scheduled to work at least 80 hours per month. (Temporary and On-Call positions are not eligible for the full benefits package).
The following is a brief summary of the SHA benefit programs:
Eligibility As a new hire, your coverage begins on the first calendar day of the month if your hired date is on the first of that month. Otherwise, your coverage begins on the first of the following month.
Medical Employees may select from four medical plans – Kaiser Permanente Standard Plan, Kaiser Permanente Deductible Plan, City of Seattle Preventive Plan, and City of Seattle Traditional Plan.
The monthly cost for each of the plans are as follows:
Kaiser Permanente Standard Plan is $48.40 with or without children or $99.90 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
Kaiser Permanente Deductible Plan is $25.00 with or without children or $56.92 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
City of Seattle Preventive Plan is $48.12 with or without children or $98.50 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
City of Seattle Traditional Plan is $0 with or without children or $32.34 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
Dental Employees may select from two dental plans - Delta Dental, an incentive plan, or Dental Health Services, a managed care plan. Our dental plans include coverage for eligible dependents and are paid for by SHA.
Vision SHA offers two vision plans through VSP Vision Care. The Basic plan is fully paid for by SHA. The Vision Buy-Up plan is paid for by the employee. The Buy-Up plan provides more frequent coverage of lenses, frames, and contact lenses and includes coverage of progressive lenses.
Long Term Disability Insurance If you are disabled, the Basic Plan will be combined with other sources of income to pay you up to $400 a month after a 90-day waiting period. Employees may purchase long-term disability coverage that provides up to 60% of gross monthly salary during disability.
Group Term Life (GTL) Insurance You can select from one of two plans - Basic GTL, which is one-and-a-half times your annual earnings or Limited Basic GTL of $50,000. SHA will contribute 40% of the cost for the GTL insurance.
If you have elected Basic GTL, you may purchase supplemental term life insurance for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and your dependent children. The maximum amount of supplemental life insurance available is four times your annual income for the employee, 50% of the amount of coverage you elect for the spouse, and $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 for children.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance SHA offers an employee-paid group AD&D insurance plan. An employee may cover themself or a family member for amounts from $25,000 to $500,000 in $25,000 increments. AD&D insurance pays a death benefit if the insured person dies due to an accident or a percentage of the full insurance amount if the covered person loses a limb.
Retirement Plan Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) membership is defined by Washington State statutes and is mandatory if you are hired into an eligible position. However, if you are retired from or have been a member of the City of Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma Employee's Retirement System, your PERS enrollment must be verified and approved by the Washington State Department of Retirement System.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Employees have the option of making pre-tax contributions to pay for IRS eligible expenses. There are two accounts: a Health Care Flexible Spending Account and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. Employees can sign up for one or both accounts.
Leave Benefits Annual Leave is provided for vacation and personal time off. First year employees earn up to 3.84 hours per bi-weekly pay period (100 hours annually), increasing incrementally due to service years - up to 7.69 per hours per pay period at 25 years of service (200 hours annually). Leave hours for part time staff are pro-rated. There is a 240-hour annual carryover limit for annual leave.
Sick leave is provided for health care and related appointments. Employees earn 3.69 hours per pay period. Hours for part time staff are pro-rated. There is no maximum or carryover limit for sick leave.
Seattle Housing Authority observes twelve legal holidays, as detailed below.
New Year's Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Indigenous People's Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
The day following Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
Additionally, up to three personal holidays are granted to regular employees each calendar year. They are available to be scheduled in advance by the employee with supervisor approval.
Unless specified otherwise in a collective bargaining agreement, regular employees hired between January 1 and May 31 are granted three personal holidays. If hired from June 1 until November 10, two personal holidays are granted. If hired beginning November 11 or later, no personal holidays are granted until January 1.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) As an SHA employee, you may be eligible for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This federal program was created to assist full-time public service professionals in reducing their federal student loan debt burden.
Employee Transportation Program A fully subsidized commuter ORCA Passport is offered for use on Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap