Senior Program Specialist

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • San Antonio, TX

9d • Remote

About The Position

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Access and Eligibility Services (AES) Community Access (CA) Community Engagement (CE) department is seeking individuals to join an exciting, dynamic team in a high-performing, innovative environment. AES provides an integrated, streamlined approach to connecting individuals with services and supports, reducing institutionalization, enabling them to remain in their communities, and promoting economic and personal self-sufficiency. AES strives to achieve its goals of delivering best-in-class customer service to clients and stakeholders; strengthening oversight, integrity, and accuracy; seeking innovative ways to streamline and improve service delivery; fostering a culture of excellence; and promoting departmental efficiency and responsible stewardship of agency resources.

SNAP Outreach is dedicated to raising awareness about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) across Texas communities. The program partners with community organizations to inform low-income households about SNAP’s availability, eligibility requirements, and application procedures. Our goal is to empower individuals to access the benefits they need through self-service tools, ultimately fostering economic and personal self-sufficiency.

The Senior Program Specialist (Program Specilaist VII) leads SNAP Outreach initiatives at a senior level, providing advanced consulting services and technical assistance for their planning, development, and implementation. This role ensures alignment with agency goals while complying with state and federal guidelines. Responsibilities include representing the SNAP Outreach Program in meetings with internal and external stakeholders and participating in various committees as necessary.

Key duties include preparing accurate, high-quality documents and summaries, collaborating with staff to identify and implement continuous program improvements, and overseeing risk and compliance activities. The role also encompasses assisting with day-to-day operations, addressing escalated issues, and developing and reviewing critical reports and legislative analyses. Additionally, training team members and guiding them to prioritize their work effectively are essential.

The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision. They should be committed to enhancing community services and thrive in an environment that values innovation and new ideas. The candidate will strive for excellence by taking pride in their work, demonstrating complex problem-solving abilities, and embracing teamwork. This position may be eligible for telework. Please note, all HHS positions are subject to state and agency telework policies in addition to the discretion of the direct supervisor and business need.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in business administation, political science, public administration, social work, or related field. Experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
• A minimum of one (1) year of relevant experience with research, policy, data analysis, policy development, legislative, and strategic planning.
• A minimum of three (3) years of work experience in the administration, development, coordination, and monitoring of grants, contracts, or budgets.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience in project/portfolio management, including leading and guiding the work of business, operations, or technical teams.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to program areas.
• Knowledge of strategic planning and project management strategies and procedures.
• Knowledge of procedures used to evaluate a third-party vendor’s performance.
• Knowledge of Texas legislative process.
• Knowledge of Government organization and administration.
• Skill in establishing project goals and deliverables, managing multiple and competing priorities, and tracking and monitoring the project process.
• Skill in identifying problems, evaluating alternatives, and implementing solutions.
• Skill in communication and public speaking.
• Skill in working collaboratively and cooperatively with diverse groups.
• Skill in managing various levels of employees.
• Skill in performing research using multiple research techniques.
• Skill in analyzing and evaluating complex program and policy issues.
• Skill in developing creative and workable solutions to complex problems and policy issues.
• Ability to interpret data and develop effective operating procedures.
• Ability to organize and present information effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to think creatively and support creative thinking and others.
• Ability to establish goals and objectives.
• Ability to lead in an environment of change.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff at all levels of an organization, agency, providers, stakeholders, and in the offices of elected officials.
• Ability to make timely and effective decisions and produce results through planning and evaluation of policies and programs.
• Ability to comprehensively and accurately evaluate reports.
• Ability to develop and implement effective customer service systems and to perform effectively and produce results.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments among contracted and non-contracted staff.
• Ability to perform work with a high degree of attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and operate effectively within established guidelines and time frames.
• Ability to lead project teams, work with multiple stakeholders, and provide oversight to contracted vendors.
• Ability to write and revise standards and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate and make recommendations for program improvements.
• Ability to train others and prioritize staff work.

Responsibilities

• Provides support for the development and implementation of awarded projects, ensuring effective collaboration among project partners, sub-recipients, and contractors.
• Participates actively in program-related committees and workgroups, leading discussions and documenting outcomes by creating formal meeting agendas and minutes for distribution to attendees as needed.
• Represents the SNAP Outreach team in project-specific activities, advocating for program needs and objectives.
• Serves as a team lead, supporting and mentoring other program team members to enhance overall team effectiveness and cohesion.
• Plans, prioritizes, and leads a variety of technical tasks, training sessions, research initiatives, and program assessments for assigned programs, overseeing service delivery and providing high-level technical assistance.
• Identifies opportunities to improve program operations and implement improvements where applicable.
• Compiles and distributes essential project documents, including charters, status reports, value stream maps, memoranda, analyses, presentations, control plans, and role and responsibility documents, ensuring clear communication among stakeholders.
• Coordinates the development and updates of the SNAP Outreach operational manual, ensuring it reflects current practices and procedures.
• Completes and monitors required administrative tasks, performance reports, studies, and specialized projects to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
• Supports, guides, and motivates team members to achieve shared programmatic goals, fostering a collaborative team environment.
• Leads the onboarding process for new team members, providing essential training and resources.
• Consults with public and private agencies involved in the programs to resolve issues, identify training needs, and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Oversee the administrative aspects of the federal award, ensuring compliance with all requirements.
• Provides quality assurance and technical assistance to grantees, thereby enhancing the program's overall impact.
• Assists management in developing program policies, procedures, standards, and planning activities in alignment with overarching program objectives and goals.
• Coordinates legislative analysis and duties related to legislative sessions.
• Analyzes legislation concerning the implementation, improvement, or modification of program funding.
• Assists in responding to legislative inquiries and external requests.
• Supports data entry and program evaluation projects as directed by management.
• Develops policy documents, including federal waivers, amendments, policy reports, and audits.
• Responsible for the timely development and submission of the SNAP Outreach State Plan, annual reports, and amendments.
• Prepares high-quality briefing documents, issue papers, correspondence, bill analyses, and memoranda for review and decision-making by senior and executive management.
• Ensures compliance with program policies, procedures, statutes, and regulations, and takes corrective action as needed.
• Communicates or presents information to stakeholders, management, and legislative staff upon request.
• Represents the program at FNS meetings.
• Creates and maintains the program’s operations manual in collaboration with agency stakeholders.
• Monitors grantee’s compliance with contracted activities and deliverables in partnership with internal stakeholders.
• Acts as the primary liaison and subject matter expert (SME) for the program within the Community Access Division of AES.
• Supports the effective implementation of program design, goals, and initiatives.
• Offers guidance and support to both internal and external stakeholders on activities and services for the populations served by this program, including overseeing data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Responsible for interpreting and applying policies and providing consultative services to potential stakeholders regarding programming operations.
• Engage with community and professional groups to coordinate efforts, enhance program visibility, and secure support.
• Applies continuous improvement methodologies and tools to proactively identify issues that hinder operational efficiency.
• Develops innovative solutions to improve efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and streamline daily operations.
• Acts as an analyst and project lead for process improvement projects that involve complex business workflows and multiple stakeholders.
• Leads the implementation and ongoing management of complex program initiatives.
• Conducts or supervises studies and analyses of operational issues and prepares reports with findings and recommendations.
• May also coordinate and implement risk and compliance activities.
• Develops and implements effective techniques to evaluate agency programs, identifying the need for new or revised programs.
• Guides the team in developing and integrating process improvement activities, with an emphasis on enhancing program performance, efficiency, and outcomes.
• Cultivates partnerships with community organizations, employers, educational institutions, and government agencies to increase program reach and effectiveness.
• Represents the program in interagency collaborations, conferences, and public forums.
• Leads special projects, including legislative initiatives, pilot programs, and cross-functional workgroups.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees
• defined benefit pension plan
• generous time off benefits
• numerous opportunities for career advancement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees