Eligibility Specialist Senior

Ramsey County•(Ramsey County Government Center) Saint Paul, MN

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Eligibility Specialist Senior leads and/or provides specialized or comprehensive program support for public assistance programs. The role provides work guidance and assistance to staff, trains staff on current and updated practices, resolves complex problems for internal and external customers, conducts quality control, determines eligibility for public assistance benefits, and performs related duties as assigned. Depending on the assigned unit, employees may perform some or all of the listed functions. The position performs eligibility specialist duties, including determining residents’ eligibility for public assistance programs, processing complex cases, and preparing special reports. It communicates program time limits, expectations, and requirements to residents and service providers; helps residents connect with community resources that support independence from public assistance; guides, trains, and reviews the work of eligibility specialists; and reviews cases for accuracy under Department of Human Services and federal requirements. The role also researches and resolves eligibility, benefit, and resource-access issues; interprets regulations and advises coworkers on problematic cases; prepares appeals cases and attends hearings; and works with the County Attorney’s office on investigations involving possible disqualification. This posting is limited to current or former Eligibility Specialists with at least 30 months of experience determining eligibility for public assistance benefits. Minnesota experience within the past two years and recent experience with MAXIS, METS, or MEC2 are preferred. The position is flex-work eligible: employees may choose to work in-office full-time or use a flex schedule with at least two days per week in the office and remaining days in a remote-first environment. On-site responsibilities and schedule flexibility beyond the county’s minimum flexible-workplace expectations apply. The minimum qualifications include high school graduation or equivalent and five years of clerical, customer-service, or client-service experience, including 2.5 years as an Eligibility Specialist. An equivalent combination of education and related experience may be substituted. No certification or licensure is required. Selection includes a training and experience rating based on a supplemental questionnaire.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent.
Five years of clerical, customer-service, or client-service experience, including 2.5 years (30 months) of experience as an Eligibility Specialist.
Current or former Eligibility Specialist with at least 30 months of experience determining eligibility for public assistance benefits.
Equivalent combination of education and related experience may substitute for the stated education and experience requirements.
No certifications or licensure required.

Nice To Haves

Eligibility experience in Minnesota within the past two years.
Experience with MAXIS, METS, or MEC2 within the last three years.

Responsibilities

Determine residents’ eligibility for various public assistance programs and process complex cases.
Prepare special reports.
Communicate program time limits, expectations, and requirements to residents, social services providers, and community resources.
Connect residents with community resources that support independence from public assistance and provide services outside public assistance programs.
Provide direction, guidance, and training to other eligibility specialists on procedures, policies, and programs.
Review work by current and new employees and review cases for accuracy according to Department of Human Services and federal requirements.
Serve as a central resource for internal and external customers and research and resolve problems involving eligibility, benefit amounts, or access to community resources.
Interpret regulations and advise unit workers on handling problematic case situations.
Prepare cases for appeals and attend appeal hearings.
Work with the County Attorney’s office to investigate cases referred for disqualification, including gathering evidence and identifying witnesses.
Maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with applicable standards and the management-approved work schedule.