Manager, Benefits Navigation, Health Equity

Job Description

Job Description

Position: Manager, Benefits Navigation, Health Equity (Fixed Term)

Reports to:  Director, 1115 Medicaid Waiver Initiative, Health Equity

Department:  Health Equity

Organization Summary:

United Way of New York City (UWNYC) works with a coalition of trusted partners to unite community power with citywide possibility. Together, we meet today’s most urgent needs while building transformative solutions for tomorrow — striving for health, opportunity, and prosperity for every New Yorker in every neighborhood. Part of the United Way Worldwide system, one of the world’s most recognized charitable brands, we believe that New Yorkers deserve to thrive where they live and envision a future where all New Yorkers have the resources they need to live long, healthy lives in flourishing and resilient neighborhoods. We strive to model our values in all our relationships, both internal and external: Collaboration, Compassion, Integrity, Accountability, and Superior Performance.

UWNYC’s Health Equity work is grounded in a place-based approach, collaborating with community organizations, government partners, and policymakers to advance policies and public investments informed by local knowledge, community priorities, and the lived experiences of New Yorkers.

Position Overview: 

Reporting to the Director, 1115 Medicaid Waiver Initiative, the Manager, Benefits Navigation (Manager) will support a portfolio of community-based organizations (CBOs) in building capacity for healthcare coverage and benefits navigation through UWNYC’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver Initiative and United for Benefits Access (UBA) program. The Manager will conduct needs assessments and provide hands-on training and technical assistance to strengthen CBO capacity for Medicaid and public benefits screening, enrollment, recertification, and navigation. This role will help ensure partners are prepared to support community members through evolving Medicaid and public benefits requirements and integrate these functions into their existing services and workflows.

The Manager will also bring strong working knowledge of Medicaid to support UWNYC’s broader 1115 Waiver strategy, policy analysis, and sustainability planning. This includes monitoring and translating relevant federal and New York State Medicaid policy developments, assessing implications for CBO partners and communities, and supporting planning for the future of UWNYC’s community-based social care and benefits access infrastructure beyond the current 1115 demonstration period.

This position is grant-funded through March 31, 2027.

Primary Responsibilities:

Capacity Building, Training, and Technical Assistance 

• Conduct structured needs assessments across CBO partners to identify gaps in benefits navigation, enrollment capacity, and workflow integration. 
• Research and stay current on Medicaid and SNAP policies and Social Care Network (SCN) requirements and participate in relevant trainings to translate updates into practical guidance for CBO partners. 
• Develop and deliver train-the-trainer curricula and practical tools to build CBO staff expertise in benefits screening, enrollment, recertification, and navigation workflows. 
• Provide hands-on technical assistance through 1:1 coaching, site visits, and small-group training to support real-time implementation of benefits navigation and enrollment practices. 
• Support CBOs in integrating benefits navigation into existing service delivery workflows, including alignment with case management and referral platforms. 
• Prioritize capacity-building efforts to ensure partner readiness ahead of key policy milestones, including anticipated benefits enrollment and implementation of Medicaid work requirements. 
• Support CBOs interested in becoming Medicaid enrollment assistor agencies by helping them understand agency designation and staff certification pathways assess organization readiness, and coordinate with appropriate training and oversight. 
• Support CBOs in tracking key performance indicators (e.g., screenings, enrollments, recertifications, and referrals) and using data to improve service delivery and outcomes. 
• Support onboarding of new CBO partners as needed, with a focus on preparing them for benefits navigation and service delivery requirements. 
• Guide CBO partners in accessing and effectively utilizing available capacity-building resources (e.g., staffing, technology, training funds) to support benefits navigation and enrollment functions. 
• Collaborate with UWNYC’s internal teams (e.g., Health Equity, Food Benefits Access) to align benefits navigation strategies, identify systemic gaps, and implement cross-portfolio improvements that strengthen service delivery and access. 

• Assumes other responsibilities as assigned to meet business and operational needs.

Medicaid Policy, Strategy, and Sustainability 

• Monitor and synthesize federal and New York State Medicaid policy developments relevant to UWNYC’s programs and community partners, including changes related to eligibility, enrollment and recertification, coverage requirements, the Medicaid 1115 Waiver, Social Care Networks, and Health-Related Social Needs services.
• Assess the operational implications of Medicaid policy changes for CBO partners and the communities they serve and help translate those implications into programmatic recommendations, implementation guidance, and capacity-building priorities.
• Support the Director and Health Equity leadership in developing strategies for the sustainability and evolution of UWNYC’s 1115 Waiver work, including planning for potential changes to or extension of the current demonstration.
• Conduct research and analysis to identify opportunities for sustaining community-based social care, benefits navigation, and Medicaid access infrastructure through Medicaid financing, State initiatives, philanthropic investment, or other funding mechanisms.
• Support development of policy briefs, internal analyses, presentations, funding proposals, and other materials that articulate the role and value of CBOs in Medicaid access, social care delivery, and coverage continuity.
• Collaborate with UWNYC’s Government Relations & Advocacy and program teams to identify emerging Medicaid policy issues, implementation challenges, and opportunities to inform policy and systems-level solutions.
• Support analysis of program data, partner feedback, and implementation lessons to inform UWNYC’s Medicaid strategy and demonstrate the value of community-based infrastructure in improving access to coverage, care, and social supports.

Partnership Management 

• Build and maintain strong, working relationships with CBO partners as a trusted advisor on Medicaid and public benefits navigation, capacity-building and implementation. 
• Facilitate peer learning across CBOs to share effective practices in enrollment, recertification, and workflow integration. 
• Engage, as appropriate, with healthcare, Social Care Network, and other external partners to support effective implementation and strengthen connections between community-based organizations and the broader Medicaid delivery system.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, social work, or a related field required. 
• A minimum of three years of relevant work experience in community-based health, human services, or public sector programs. 
• Master’s degree in public health, public administration, social work, or a related field with a minimum of two years’ work experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Medicaid policy and programs, including eligibility, enrollment, recertification, coverage, and access to care, required.
• Experience applying Medicaid knowledge in a programmatic, policy, enrollment/navigation, healthcare delivery, or community-based setting.
• Familiarity with New York State Medicaid eligibility and enrollment processes and infrastructure, including Medicaid Assistors, Certified Application Counselors (CACs), Navigators, or other enrollment-assistance models, strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of New York’s Medicaid 1115 Waiver, Social Care Networks, Health-Related Social Needs services, and the role of community-based organizations within Medicaid delivery and social care infrastructure strongly preferred.
• Ability to monitor, interpret, and synthesize complex federal and state Medicaid policy developments and translate them into clear operational and strategic implications for diverse audiences.
• Experience with policy analysis, program strategy, sustainability planning, or healthcare financing preferred.
• Experience with SNAP or other public benefits programs and an understanding of how healthcare coverage and public benefits intersect for low-income New Yorkers preferred.
• Experience delivering hands-on training and technical assistance to community-based organizations or frontline staff, with a focus on building practical, sustainable skills and workflows.
• Strong ability to translate complex policy changes—including Medicaid waiver requirements, eligibility and enrollment changes, and work or community engagement requirements—into clear, actionable guidance for frontline teams.
• Experience supporting service delivery integration, including incorporating benefits navigation into existing programs, case management systems, or referral platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including community-based organizations, government partners, healthcare providers, and other health and social service organizations.
• Excellent research, writing, communication, and facilitation skills, including the ability to synthesize complex policy and program information for frontline staff, organizational leadership, funders, and external stakeholders.
• Strong project management and execution skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, prioritize effectively, and drive progress in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment.
• Knowledge of health equity principles, social determinants of health, and the New York City health and social care landscape.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with case management or referral platforms (e.g., FindHelp, Unite Us) a plus.
• Willingness to travel regularly across the five boroughs to support on-site training and partner engagement.

Key Competencies :

• Effective and Engaging Communicator
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Strategic Relationship Building and Collaboration 
• Cultural Competency 
• Network Oriented

Salary Range:

• Manager Salary Range

• The final determination of salary, within this range, will depend on the candidate’s education, skills and experience required for the position.

Additional Requirements:

• UWNYC is presently on a Hybrid/In-Person work schedule.

United Way of NYC Core Competencies for All Staff

• Mission Focused: Catalyze others’ commitment to the mission to create real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities. This drives their performance and professional motivations.
• Relationship-Oriented : Understands that people come before processes and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
• Collaborator : Understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial and human) through meaningful engagement.
• Results Driven: Dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good: creating, resourcing, scaling and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact.
• Brand Steward : Steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network .

United Way of New York City is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer