Federal Survivor Benefits Program Administrator

State of Colorado•Denver, CO

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position serves as the statewide program administrator and subject matter expert responsible for implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of Federal Benefits for Youth in Foster Care. The position develops rules, statewide guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training to ensure counties comply with statutory screening, representative payee, conservation, non-supplantation, notice, and release requirements. This role ensures consistent and lawful administration of federal survivor benefits across Colorado’s 64 counties. The position develops statewide rules, policy guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training infrastructure to ensure federal survivor benefits are individually conserved and protected for the direct benefit of children and youth in foster care in accordance with statute and federal regulations. This position serves as the primary statewide liaison and subject matter expert coordinating with the Social Security Administration (SSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), Colorado ABLE within the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and other state and federal partners to establish implementation processes and fiscal safeguards related to federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care. The position ensures statewide implementation does not create unintended impacts on Medicaid eligibility, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility, federal tax reporting requirements, or protected asset and resource limitations associated with federal and state benefit programs.

Requirements

Eight (8) years of professional experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.
OR A combination of related education and/or professional experience equal to eight (8) years.
Related education includes a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in Public Administration, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Human Development, Public Policy, Criminal Justice, or another closely related field.
Related experience includes administering, implementing, analyzing, or overseeing public programs, fiscal operations, public benefits, regulatory compliance, policy development, child welfare, human services, grants management, or other governmental programs.
Appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis in accordance with State Personnel rules.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within Colorado or other state-administered human services programs.
Experience in child welfare, foster care, or related family services programs.
Experience administering or working with Social Security Administration programs, representative payee requirements, or other federal benefit programs.
Knowledge of trust accounting, fiduciary responsibilities, benefit conservation, or financial safeguarding practices.
Experience with Colorado ABLE accounts or other protected asset or special needs savings programs.
Experience interpreting and applying federal statutes, state statutes, administrative rules, or regulatory guidance.
Experience developing policies, procedures, operational guidance, or implementation plans.
Experience conducting compliance monitoring, audits, corrective actions, or program evaluations.
Experience developing and delivering training, technical assistance, or stakeholder guidance.
Demonstrated project management experience leading complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with federal agencies, state agencies, county departments, community partners, and executive leadership.
Experience analyzing data, identifying trends, and using performance measures to improve program outcomes, compliance, or fiscal accountability.

Responsibilities

Serves as the statewide expert in federal survivor benefits and the lead policy developer responsible for drafting and revising administrative rules and standards required under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections.
Leads development and implementation of statewide policies, rules, procedures, and operational guidance to ensure compliance with statutory requirements governing federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care.
Drafts policy manuals, procedural guidance, templates, and training materials.
Ensures alignment between state statute, federal regulations, fiscal constraints, and county operational practices.
Coordinates and consults with SSA, IRS, HCPF, Colorado ABLE within CDHE, and other governmental entities to develop statewide implementation standards, fiscal safeguards, representative payee procedures, account establishment processes, and eligibility protection protocols associated with federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care.
Designs and implements statewide transition protocols for federal survivor benefits, including procedures for benefit initiation upon entry into foster care, reassessment during placement changes, continuity of representative payee services, coordination of interagency transfers, and final benefit release and account closure when youth exit care or reach eligibility milestones.
Develops statewide screening protocols and monitoring systems to ensure counties consistently identify eligible youth and pursue federal survivor benefits as required by statute.
Designs and implements statewide oversight mechanisms to monitor county compliance with screening timelines, eligibility determinations, appeals processes, benefit conservation requirements, notice obligations, and fund release procedures.
Conducts desk audits, compliance reviews, and risk assessments.
Develops and oversees fiscal accountability systems, ensuring counties do not use federal survivor benefits to offset foster care maintenance or cost-of-care expenditures, consistent with statutory prohibition under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections.
Develops fiscal tracking standards to ensure benefits are conserved in youth-specific accounts and properly released at required milestones.
Reviews accounting structures, ledgers, and interest accrual practices.
Ensures compliance with asset and resource limitations.
Tracks statewide accumulation and release of funds.
Collaborates with HCPF, Colorado ABLE, SSA, and IRS representatives to ensure statewide fiscal conservation practices and account structures do not negatively affect Medicaid eligibility, public assistance eligibility, tax compliance requirements, or federally protected resource limitations.
Provides ongoing technical assistance and training to county departments regarding screening processes, benefit applications, appeals, representative payee determinations, conservation requirements, and youth notification standards.
Travels across the state to provide technical assistance and training to county departments.
Coordinates stakeholder engagement and facilitates implementation workgroups.
Responds to complex case inquiries and escalated issues.
Designs interagency coordination practices that will govern how these benefits are administered across Colorado’s child welfare system.
Develops data tracking tools and prepares reports regarding eligibility determinations, applications submitted, appeals filed, benefit amounts conserved, and funds released to youth.
Provides subject matter expertise to CDHS executive leadership, JBC staff, and legislative stakeholders regarding implementation status, fiscal impacts, compliance findings, and recommended statutory refinements.

Benefits

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Medical and dental health plans
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
Employee Wellness program
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program