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HEALTH & NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM PROJECT SPECIALIST I

  • 539163
  • PHOENIX
  • DEPT OF EDUCATION
  • Full-time
  • Closing at: Mar 3 2026 - 23:55 MST
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Arizona Department of Education

The Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents.

HEALTH & NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM PROJECT SPECIALIST I

Job Location:

Health and Nutrition Services Division

Phoenix Location

Posting Details:

Salary: $46,000 - $48,000 

Grade: 18

Closing Date: 03/03/2026

Job Summary:

• This position is the initial point of contact for parents and guardians with questions regarding their child's eligibility to receive Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) benefits. Communication with parents and guardians will include providing information such as receipt and status of household applications, eligibility, payment disbursements and general questions regarding S-EBT.
• Occasional in-state travel is required for this position.

The Arizona Department of Education currently utilizes a hybrid work environment, with up to two days of remote work (contingent upon business needs). Candidates should apply with an ability and willingness to work in-office up to five days per week as business needs necessitate.

Job Duties:

• Provides exceptional customer service to parents/guardians of students enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) related to the S-EBT program
• Distributes outgoing correspondence to parents/guardians and the general public when applicable
• Coordinates mailings, files departmental correspondence, attends staff meetings
• Maintains timely and accurate spreadsheets as needed for the tracking of S-EBT benefits and other responsibilities of the FODSS team
• Verifies legal and regulatory compliance and accuracy of required forms
• Use basic accounting, word processing, Internet, application software, and databases to maintain information, analyze data, and prepare operational reports
• Provides technical assistance and responds timely to customer and leadership requests for information, reports, and basic statistics
• Responds to phone and electronic inquiries on application status, examines information, and forwards to program specialist for program assistance as necessary
• Coordinates, schedules and organizes documentation for appeal hearings as requested by parent/guardians

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge in:
• Communication techniques
• Complex office and administrative procedures
• Candidates must have previous work experience with administrative
level assistance

Skills in:
• Verbal and written communication
• Business writing
• Analytical
• Organizational
• Time management
• Decision-making
• Problem solving
• Computer techniques and software (word processing, spreadsheets, and
database management)
• Intermediate to advanced skill in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel

Ability to:
• Design statistical program reports using various software programs
• Develop procedures and design effective plans for improvement

Selective Preference(s):

Preference will be given to those applicants with:
• Knowledge of federal regulations and policies for Child Nutrition Programs
• Customer service experience
• Employment with a government agency, school district or charter school
• Experience with Child Nutrition Programs

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Retirement:

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

Contact Us:

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 542-3186 or emailing Human.Resources@azed.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.

ARIZONA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (AMS)

All Arizona state employees operate within the Arizona Management System (AMS), an intentional, results-driven approach for doing the work of state government whereby every employee reflects on performance, reduces waste, and commits to continuous improvement with sustainable progress.  Through AMS, every state employee seeks to understand customer needs, identify problems, improve processes, and measure results.  
State employees are highly engaged, collaborative and embrace a culture of public service.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements