Senior Program Associate

Dakota County • West St. Paul, MN

18h • Hybrid

About The Position

Senior Program Associates assist a wide variety of public assistance programs and provide a variety of highly skilled administrative functions and tasks under limited supervision. The position assists all levels of community program services and staff through skilled administrative and program functions. There are three full-time positions: two positions with the Employment and Economic Assistance (EEA) Adult Assistance Unit and one position with the Public Assistance Support (PAS) team (call center and METS assistance).

Requirements

• Associate degree AND One year of administrative experience in an office environment.
• High School Diploma AND Three years of administrative experience in an office environment.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience total three years.
• Candidate must be proficient at keyboard skills including typing at least 35 WPM.
• Knowledge of State, Federal and County guidelines for appropriate programs.
• Ability to deal effectively with multiple and sometimes conflicting demands while maintaining composure and professionalism.
• Ability to work effectively with clients and staff from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to recognize and comply with HIPAA and other data privacy regulations.
• Ability to handle confidential client information with integrity and in compliance with legal regulations.
• Ability to audit and reconcile various financial records for accuracy related to program services.
• Knowledge of productivity application software (Microsoft Office, etc.).
• Understanding of mission and vision of department and program operational guidelines, business practices, staff needs, and client service outcomes.
• Considerable ability to conduct research, analyze, prioritize and coordinate work according to client and agency needs.
• Ability to utilize County electronic data management system to organize and manage confidential documents in a centralized method.
• Ability to make problem solve while demonstrating good judgment.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• To be eligible for hire, an applicant must meet the criminal history background criteria required to access certain networks/systems necessary to perform the essential functions of the position.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual skills
• High level of skill with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience in electronic databases and records management systems
• Experience in working with diverse populations and clients with limited English proficiency

Responsibilities

• Initial eligibility review of public assistance program renewal documents for completeness, send requests for information, create Income Calendars, process returned mail, and support other casework.
• Document identification, upload and indexing into electronic data management systems
• Initiate outgoing phone calls to advise clients on public assistance case questions, renewal processes, what month client renewals are due, documentation needed for renewal, and to complete applications by phone.
• Other tasks to support public assistance casework.
• Manages a large volume of phone calls daily.
• Initial eligibility review of Medical Assistance (MA) renewal documents for completeness, send requests for information, create Income Calendars, process returned mail, and support other casework.
• Answer incoming and initiate outgoing phone calls to advise clients on public assistance case questions, renewal processes, what month client renewals are due, documentation needed for renewal, and to complete applications by phone.
• Research client data in multiple state and county systems to assist customers for program support.
• Receive and make phone calls to respond to requests from customers and clientele.
• Respond to requests for program or client-specific information.
• Serve as a floater/trainer, covering support staff positions and training new staff in the unit as necessary.
• Receive incoming phone calls and provide specific program information to callers which may involve gathering information from computer systems.
• Prescreen clients in person or over the phone for services according to program criteria to provide program information and make appropriate referrals.
• Assess applicant needs against available community resources and assist with program application completion and submittal.
• Send requests for information and schedule interviews.
• Serves as program or department liaison for community partners, customers, and clients in order to respond to inquiries or resolve service issues.
• Recommends and develops internal work methods and assists with establishing new procedures and processes to accommodate administrative and program activities.
• Performs special projects in support of department programs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, vision, and other benefits insurances.
• Excellent work-life balance.
• Generous paid time off
• Eleven paid holidays each year and one floating holiday.
• Pension with a generous employer contribution.
• Ability to work from home some of the time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree