Public Benefits Specialist 5 (PBS5) - Mount Vernon

State of Washington; Mount Vernon (WA); Remote; USD 61,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Washington, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, seeks a Public Benefits Specialist 5 (PBS5) in Mount Vernon to supervise a team of Public Benefit Specialists and oversee eligibility determinations for Child Care Subsidy programs. The role blends on-site and telework duties, with reporting to the office when required and occasional in-person meetings.

You will set workloads, coach staff, review performance, coordinate training, and ensure service standards.

Qualifications

• Equivalent combination of education and experience determining eligibility for financial, medical, food, long-term services and support programs.
• One year of experience as a Public Benefits Specialist 3 or 4, with six months in a Call Center and knowledge of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) or related rules.
• Bachelor's degree and three years of experience examining/processing medical insurance, unemployment insurance claims, or staff support in public assistance eligibility determination.
• Ability to learn and grow; ability to meet the needs of others.

Responsibilities

• Establish unit workloads and quality standards, review complaints and eligibility determinations.
• Control overall flow of work processed by the unit.
• Arrange for timely technical and professional training for staff, including Core Training for Public Benefits Specialists.
• Conduct regular monthly unit and 1:1 meetings with staff.
• Explain policies and procedures regarding eligibility for Child Care Subsidy for staff.
• Coordinate training for staff and coach employees on customer service and CCSP eligibility.
• Analyze, monitor and assign unit tasks to ensure smooth workflow.
• Complete employee performance appraisals and development plans.
• Assist customers with applying for Apple Healthcare via HPF system.

Skills

Coaching and development

Supervisory experience

Public benefits eligibility

Team leadership

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Our vision is to ensure that Washington state's children and youth grow up safe and healthy, thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community.

Job Title: Public Benefits Specialist 5 (PBS5)

Location: 900 E College Way Ste 200, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 - This position is currently designated as a telework position. Telework arrangements are subject to business needs and may change. You must be willing and able to report to the office when required, including for in-person meetings, equipment or IT support, or if the position is transitioned to an in office work arrangement.

Closes: Friday, November 13th, 2026

Salary: $61,332 - $82,440 Annually

The Early Learning Child Care Subsidy Programs is seeking a public-service-oriented leader to supervise a team of Public Benefit Specialists who determine eligibility for Child Care Programs. Our ideal candidate is flexible, enjoys supporting and developing others, and thrives in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and deadlines. If you have a passion for helping families succeed and want to contribute to a program that strengthens opportunities and stability for Washington's children and families, we encourage you to apply.

The Opportunity:

As a Public Benefits Specialist 5 (PBS5), you will oversee the work of Public Benefit Specialists 1–4 in an on-site and virtual financial unit setting. In this role, you will hire, supervise, and support your team to ensure accuracy, timeliness, professionalism, and adherence to agency expectations for attendance, training, and performance. This position requires a strong ability to provide coaching and development opportunities that support staff growth in their current roles as well as their long-term career goals.

The PBS5 is responsible for reviewing and understanding the Workforce Optimization (WFO) program to ensure work is distributed fairly and consistently across the team based on workload needs. You will also provide direction when the WFO system is not functioning, ensuring continuity of operations and maintaining service standards. By leading your team and supporting the delivery of Child Care eligibility services, this position plays a critical role in helping DCYF fulfill its mission of fostering safety, stability, and better outcomes for Washington's vulnerable children, youth, and families.

Some of what you'll get to do:

• Establish unit workloads and quality standards, review complaints and eligibility determinations.
• Control overall flow of work processed by the unit.
• Arrange for timely technical and professional training for staff, including the agency’s Core Training for Public Benefits Specialists.
• Conducts regular (monthly) unit and 1:1 meetings with staff.
• Explain policies and procedures regarding eligibility for Child Care Subsidy for staff.
• Conduct or arrange for timely technical and job development training for staff and coach employees on effective customer service, community referrals and CCSP eligibility.
• Analyze, monitor and assign unit tasks, workload and performance standards to ensure smooth flow of work.
• Complete employee performance appraisals and annual performance evaluations to review. Develop, implement and track employee improvement plans to address poor performance.
• Assists customers with the process of applying for Apple Healthcare by entering information into the Health Plan Finder (HPF) system on behalf of the clients.
• Hire new staff and ensure they receive appropriate and timely training.
• Submits periodic reports to management team regarding unit operations.
• Effectively builds, manages and maintains partnership relations with community partners.
• Reviews and analyzes electronic and paper records and reports (auditing) and directly observes work to evaluate unit and individual performance and ensure accurate and timely completion of assigned work in accordance with published rules and laws.
• Records results of work audits in the automated audit system and employee records in accordance with statewide audit standards, collective bargaining agreements and personnel rules.
• Responds to various community requests for information and addresses client complaints regarding Department actions.

Required qualifications:

• Equivalent combination of education and experience determining eligibility for financial, medical, food, long-term services and support programs, childcare and equal access benefits totaling four (4) years.

OR

• One (1) year of experience as a Public Benefits Specialist 3 or 4. Six (6) months of the required experience must be in a Call Center environment AND previous experience reading and interpreting Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and other procedural and policy manuals, OR knowledge of departmental rules and requirements governing the administration of Working Connections Child Care.

OR

• Bachelor's degree AND three (3) years of experience examining/processing medical insurance or rehabilitation claims, unemployment insurance claims, or a job providing staff support in public assistance eligibility determination, or in a job analyzing, verifying, and evaluating financial data and information.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Prior experience and understanding of the department and division, to include understanding of policies and procedures.
• Previous experience performing supervisory tasks such as: Interviewing, hiring, training, assigning and/or directing work and evaluating staff.
• Previous experience managing and/or administrating large programs with significant monetary impact in a professional office environment.
• Previous experience leading or managing projects.
• Previous experience using a personal computer and applicable software to successfully monitor performance expectations.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington's children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our goal to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

The incumbent must successfully complete formal training courses as required by law, policy, and regional requirements within one year of their appointment.

Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.org. Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/

If you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, if you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at [phone] or email [e-mail]. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22, or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, the individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD Form 214, NGB Form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please blackout (redact)the social security number before attaching any documents. For additional information on Veterans’ Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.