APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE

Family Independence Administration provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency via essential and diverse programs/services, such as: temporary cash assistance, SNAP, childcare, eviction prevention services, adult protective services, job training, employment plans/support, domestic violence assistance, child support enforcement, etc.

The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency via essential and diverse programs/services, such as: temporary cash assistance, supplemental nutrition assistance (also known as SNAP), child care, eviction prevention services, adult protective services, job training, employment plans/support, domestic violence assistance, child support enforcement, etc. The employees of the Family Independence Administration (FIA) help provide unique individual services to eligible New Yorkers aimed toward the achievement of long-term self-sufficiency.

The Family Independence Administration (FIA) is recruiting for one (1) Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist III, to function as Regional/Administrative Office Liaison, who will:

Under general supervision of the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager, with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative, represent and assist the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager in the day to day administration of FIA Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp operations.

- Represent the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager at
FIA Center Operations meetings sharing the outcomes verbally and in written form; assist in the
daily functions and operations of several Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp sites,
monitoring the conduct and follow-up of application interviews to ensure that financially eligible
individuals receive public assistance in a timely manner as mandated by legal regulatory
requirements.

- Respond to inquiries from Legal Services, Council Members and Advocates, obtaining information
and providing information on Welfare Reforms initiatives.

- Review and control written complaints from various sources including the Commissioner, Deputy
Commissioner, and the Correspondence Complaint Unit; edit responses to complaints received
from various Benefit Access Centers.

- Monitor Fair Hearing compliance activities; prepare weekly updates of fair hearing compliance;
follow up on outstanding cases; scan Welfare Management System (WMS) inquiries and Fair
Hearing Information System (FHIS) for completion of Fair Hearing decisions; identify errors and
advice the Benefit Access Centers of corrective action.

- Make frequent and regular visits to the Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp sites to conduct
studies in every area of activity to determine whether the activities are conducts efficiently and
effectively and in accordance with established policy and procedure; conduct audits designed
to measure target areas; inform the Regional Manager and participates in the development of
corrective action plans and follow-up studies to ensure that the problem has been corrected.

- Provide technical support to the Center Managers in order to help improve performance and
productivity in the Benefit Access Centers, with emphasis on Quality Control and Error Reduction;
ensure that mandated re-determinations of financial eligibility are completed within the
appropriate timeframes.

- Participate in the training of staff in the proper interpretation and application of agency policies
and procedures; maintain necessary controls and records to assure that public assistance
determinations are consistent with applicable laws, regulations and policies.


Hours/Shift:
Monday - Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of
full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a
related setting, providing either:
a) client services.
b) employment planning/counseling services which involves job development,
skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic
opportunity programming.
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or
3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
experience as described in one (1) above.
4. College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience
on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described
above. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-time
satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing
social/human services work as described in one (1) above

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.