BENEFITS AND ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST SENIOR (ELIGIBILITY INTERVIEWER SPECIALIST)

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 SENIOR (ELIGIBILITY INTERVIEWER SPECIALIST)

Family Assistance Administration (FAA)
DES on the Spot (DOTS)
6010 North 57th Drive, Glendale, Arizona 85301 (Post of Duty)
320 West Watkins Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85003 (Ozanam Manor - Tuesday)
3301 East Pinchot Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85018 (Lifewell Behavior Wellness - Wednesday)
1001 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 (Justa Center - Thursday)

Posting Details:

Salary: $21.4308 / hourly

Grade: 19

Closing Date: October 23, 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 Eligibility Interviewer Specialist will have to travel to the Ozman Manor, Lifewell Behavior Wellness and Justa Center locations on the designated dates listed above as well as other DOTS locations as needed in the Phoenix downtown area.

In this role, the individual will work autonomously, physically on site, with little or no supervision. Supervisor support will always be available virtually. Please note that while this is a Benefits Eligibility Specialist Senior, this is not a lead role.

The person selected for this role must be able to quickly adjust to changes in tasks or assignments. At these locations, the Eligibility Interviewer Specialist will be meeting with extremely vulnerable clients; therefore, patience and strong interpersonal skills are required.

Based on the immediate needs of the Administration, local travel may be required. Senior-level subject matter expertise (SME) is required in policies and procedures for complex CA, NA, and MA cases, and the individual must be highly adaptable to a variety of caseload demographic types (migrant seasonal farmworkers, self-employed, unsheltered population, etc.), along with typical benefit cases. Client Eligibility for Medical Assistance (MA), Nutrition Assistance (NA), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Cash Assistant programs must be determined through interviews and determinations.

Job Duties:

• Performs senior-level tasks and serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in policy and procedures for complex and routine CA, NA, and MA cases at various sites.
• Carries out determinations in accordance with federal regulations, state regulations, program regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Ensures accurate and timely completion of workload to ensure program compliance.
• Reviews records for quality assurance and compliance. Identifies and refers questionable cases for investigation.
• Reviews and evaluates information to resolve issues and complaints from clients regarding program services.
• Assist customers with disabilities, interact directly with angry or hostile customers, and offer conflict de-escalation when handling emotional or irate customers

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge in:

• Federal and State laws, statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to public assistance programs, computer programs/systems utilized for eligibility determinations
• Computer programs utilized by FAA for eligibility determinations; AZTECS, HEAplus, OnBase, FAA online policy manual, etc.
• Public assistance eligibility determination processes at the expert level, with excellent communication, conflict resolution, mediation, and collaboration techniques
• Google, Microsoft Word, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint

Skilled in:

• Active listening to obtain accurate information, detailed work, accuracy, and promptness with data entry and keyboarding
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills to convey a wide variety of information.
• Time management and organizational skills, prioritizing multiple tasks and following up on unresolved issues.
• Work with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment, critical thinking, analytical and detail-oriented.

Ability to:

• Transition quickly to work processes and procedures in non-stationary environments, while maintaining a good attendance record.
• Make accurate determinations while working with individuals from various educational, cultural, and skill backgrounds.
• Adhere to strict state and federal time frames; meet and/or exceed performance measures and meet competing priorities
• Work independently while functioning as an integral part of the unit's structure and establish and maintain professional working relationships with staff and outside entities

Selective Preference(s):

The ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Two (2) or more years of experience performing all Family Assistance Administration eligibility determinations and being bilingual is a plus.

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• This position requires driving, and the use of a vehicle is an essential function of the job to conduct State business, 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 the agency’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:

• 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

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot 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 about this career opportunity, please contact Angelina Clerry at View phone number on click.appcast.io or at View email address on click.appcast.io. 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 Angelina Clerry at View phone number on click.appcast.io or at View email address on click.appcast.io. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.