SNAP Quality Assurance (QA) Data Specialist

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The Office of Economic Security (OES) shares the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) vision to serve Coloradans through bold and innovative health and human services. In collaboration with our partners, OES's mission is to provide income, nutritional, and support services to those in need.

The Operational Support Team (OST) serves as the internal operational support unit for the OES on financial management, CBMS, and research, evaluation, and data activities. This position is located within OST’s Data, Analytics, and Strategy unit on the Research, Evaluation and Data team.

The Data, Analytics and Strategy (DAS) Unit exists to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reporting, data analysis and interpretation, program evaluation and process improvement to ensure the accurate and time delivery of benefits, program equity and integrity. Additionally, the team is integral in supporting and pursuing interagency and external partnerships to further cross-enrollment efforts to address food insecurity needs and access to social and healthcare services to help Coloradans achieve economic security and independence.

This is an analytical and program evaluation role, not a Database Administrator (DBA) or data engineering position. The focus is on assessing operational activities, timeliness, payment accuracy and supporting continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives. While the candidate must be skilled in extracting data from relational databases using SQL to inform evaluations, this role has limited responsibility for database design, database maintenance, or data infrastructure integrity.

Please Note: * Hybrid Position with a minimum of 2 required in-office days @ 1575 Sherman St. *

The SNAP Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst serves as a programmatic evaluation and operational improvement expert. The position is responsible for identifying the root causes of errors and evaluating the efficacy of practice and policies changes intended to improve performance. The position is tasked with designing and implementing rigorous evaluation frameworks to understand how operational interventions impact user knowledge, behaviors and performance outcomes. This position will also be responsible for translating outcomes and making recommendations to leadership that will influence program and policy decisions.

• As staff authority in SNAP Quality and Performance Data, this position’s knowledge of the content, architecture and governance regulating the various databases (CBMS, FIS, QCS) is critical for the development of reports and dashboards using TOAD, Tableau, and Microsoft Excel to support day-to-day operations and performance management for the State SNAP units and counties.

• This position provides information and support to the SNAP teams to assist in the development of SNAP federal Corrective Action Plans (CAP) and CBMS improvements. This position works closely with the other FEAD team members to identify practices contributing to poor performance at both the state and county level. Using the information gathered from this analysis, the position provides data for corrective action plans, creates measures to capture performance changes that are used to inform recommendations for additional guidance, training or CBMS improvements to prevent future errors.

• This position has been delegated as the staff authority for SNAP Quality and Performance data and has a unique level of knowledge in multiple system elements, their general architecture and processing and expertise in extracting appropriate data from multiple source systems. This position creates and maintains reports and data extracts outside of CBMS, FIS and QCS, which requires creating and maintaining a library of standard and ad-hoc report code. This position must be sufficiently skilled to extract and merge data from multiple source systems to assist with error detection and inform corrective action. This position will also be responsible for auditing code to assist with optimization and automation that supports best practices and procedures for combining multiple datasets, including SNAP information. This position will be responsible for communicating strategic performance analysis both internally and externally.

• Other duties as assigned, specific to the Department, FEAD, and SNAP Team vision and goals.
  

Important Note: Please review your application to ensure completion. For the most equitable applicant experience, CDHS' hiring teams consider only the contents of your application to determine meeting minimum qualifications and for the comparative analysis process. Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40/hrs per week). Part-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements.. Volunteer work or a related type of experience may be used to meet the qualifications, but it must be clearly documented. It is paramount that in the experience portion of the application, the applicant describes the extent to which they possess the education, experience, competencies, and background as they relate to the duties outlined in the job announcement. Your application must clearly document this experience, and the supplemental questions must be answered. Answers such as "N/A," "In Cover Letter," or "See Resume" will not be accepted.

Experience Only:

Seven (7) years of relevant experience in conducting data reporting and data analysis, including analysis of large, complex datasets, data extraction and manipulation. Experience must include at least four (4) years of the following: leading end-to-end program evaluations, establishing research questions and designing evaluation plans to improve performance and reduce operational processing errors. Must also demonstrate proficiency in extracting relational data, developing metrics to inform actionable recommendations, and effectively communicating insights to stakeholders to drive quality improvement.

A combination of related education in Economics, Evaluation, Public Health, Public Policy, Research Methods, Statistics, Sociology or in a field of study related to the work assignment and/or relevant experience in conducting data reporting and data analysis, including analysis of large, complex datasets, data extraction and manipulation, equal to seven (7) years. Experience must include at least four (4) years of the following: leading end-to-end program evaluations, establishing research questions and designing evaluation plans to improve performance and reduce operational processing errors. Must also demonstrate proficiency in extracting relational data, developing metrics to inform actionable recommendations, and effectively communicating insights to stakeholders to drive quality improvement.

• Knowledge of SNAP policy and payment error and/or quality assurance guidelines
• Knowledge of statistics and research design
• Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) eligibility system experience
• Experience with Tableau
• Excellent presentation and meeting facilitation skills

COWINS Partnership Agreement: Relevant years of State service, prorated for part-time, that contribute to a candidate's position-related knowledge, skill, ability, behavior, or other posted competency should be considered as a preferred qualification and given weight under the process.

TRANSFERS ONLY : Relevant years of State service will be considered as a preferred qualification and given the weight of at least 15% of the overall score under the process.

Relevant years of State service contribute to a candidate's position-related knowledge, skill, ability, behavior, or other posted competency

Conditions of Employment:

• Must pass a Name Check Only Background ALL CDHS employees (non-direct contact): This position will have NO direct contact with vulnerable persons. Name check only includes: CBI check (no fingerprints), Colorado Court Database check, and Medicare Fraud Database
• Motor Vehicle Record Check: This position will drive a state-owned vehicle, either in an ongoing capacity while performing their normal day-to-day job duties, OR
  on occasion for trainings/meetings/client visits/etc.

• This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application (unless otherwise identified in the posting), and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.

• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:
  - Disclose that information on the application.
  - Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
  - Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination, and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.
  
  

APPEAL RIGHTS:

You may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director if your application is eliminated. You will find the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it on the State Personnel Board website.

• You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.

• You can find the official appeal form here.

• You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:

  • By email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), or

  • Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, or

  • Hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or

  • Faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

Contact the State Personnel Board for assistance:

• At (303) 866-3300, or

• Refer to the Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.

How to Apply

The Assessment Process

For additional recruiting questions, please contact roni.schad@state.co.us

About Us:

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, join the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high-quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado. Each of us is committed to contributing to a safe and accessible CDHS. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

• 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.

Our Values:

• We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.

• Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.

• We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.

• Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.

• We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.

• Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

ADAA Accommodations:

CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment.

This includes completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to cdhs_ada@state.co.us.

~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer

We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Toll Free Applicant Technical Support

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time).

Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application 1) ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and 2) close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.