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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 00072695 |
Description Activated On: 7/8/2026 8:51:48 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This OIM Policy and Program Manager is a highly responsible management position responsible for policy development, conceptual design, program implementation, testing, and monitoring of the following Federally-funded Income Maintenance Programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Summer Electronic Benefit Program (S-EBT) also known as Sun Bucks. Included in these responsibilities are the establishment of eligibility rules, outreach and enrollment strategies, and participation in efforts that ensure positive outcomes for the enrollees. The Division is comprised of four Units. Primary work in the SNAP Unit involves analyzing proposed and final Federal and state legislation and regulations, assessing their impact on the state’s program and recommending Departmental positions; directing the development and promulgation of State regulations to comply with the governing mandates; implementation and oversight of the SNAP education grant; oversight and invoicing of the SNAP outreach grants; and directing the development and issuance of operational procedures which maximize field efficiency. Primary work in the LIHEAP Unit involves creating and maintaining the regulatory base for the operation of LIHEAP and ensuring the funding base for program solvency by preparing the State Plan and its amendments and participating in audit resolution. Primary work in the LIHEAP Vendor Compliance Unit involves developing, interpreting and monitoring compliance with the LIHEAP vendor agreements for all LIHEAP vendors and maintaining and developing PROMISe system upgrades and design. Primary work in the Program Management Unit involves analyzing all OIM field instructions for completeness, accuracy, program consistency, and compliance with Federal and State regulations; analyzing Federal Register and Pennsylvania Bulletin material for their impact on OIM programs; planning prospectively for and coordinating regulatory development for OIM; acting as liaison with the Offices of Legal Counsel, Policy Development, Legislative Affairs, and Budget; other Departmental Offices; and the Legislative Reference Bureau on programmatic issues regarding regulatory development and subsequent publication; coordinating all client messages and publications for OIM; providing all administrative support to the Bureau; and completing and processing all personnel actions for the Bureau. This Division develops policy guidance and state plans for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program. In addition, the Division has responsibility for assuring program consistency, integration, and coordination with other social service programs, and adherence to the program philosophy and goals of the Department of Human Services, the Commonwealth, and the community at large. The position requires leadership, independent judgment, and decision-making responsibility under the general supervision of the Director of the Bureau of Policy, who evaluates the employee’s performance through conferences, reports, and results achieved in meeting pre-established goals and objectives. Supervision is exercised over professional and technical staff: four Unit Supervisors (Human Services Program Specialist Supervisors), Human Services Program Specialists, and clerical support staff comprised of a Clerk Typist 3. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. Supervise subordinate Human Services Program Specialists Supervisors by assigning and scheduling work, reviewing work, and rating and evaluating employee performance. Provide training to staff according to their individual needs and according to the principles of effective communication and training. Establish priorities for work assignments; assign projects to staff based on expertise and workload. Resolve problems encountered by staff in the development/revision/implementation of programs by providing advice and consultation or by meeting with respective program and/or systems members and staff to resolve these issues. Identify the need for policy or program development or modification through the analysis of pertinent Federal and State legislation, use of data or other sources of information which include Federal policy transmittals, professional organizations, economic trends, the Client Information System, Internet, Intranet, focus groups, surveys, national or regional reports, policy clarification requests, field experience, topical literature, quality control data, and program evaluations. Develop policy or program design consistent with the need identified. Development occurs through a collaborative effort involving various disciplines including the Department’s Offices of Policy Development, Legal Counsel, Legislative Affairs, and Budget; other Departmental Offices; and other governmental and non-governmental entities where there is a need for coordination. Ensure the legislative base for program design and implementation by preparing State legislation, where needed; propose modifications to Federal legislation, where needed; analyze proposed Federal legislation, suggesting amending language, where needed; analyze State legislation which may have an impact on OIM programs. Analyze regulations, Income Maintenance Bulletins, Handbook transmittals, and State Plan Amendments for all OIM programs (e.g., Child Support, Employment and Training) for completeness, accuracy, program consistency, and compliance with Federal and State regulations. Develop, maintain, and ensure the regulatory base for program implementation of the SNAP and LIHEAP Programs via the promulgation of regulations by preparing Notices of Rule Change, Proposed Regulations, and Final Regulations that codify program services and requirements; prepare field instructions such as the SNAP Handbook and LIHEAP State Plan and procedures, electronic mail instructions, and policy clarifications. Ensure the funding base for program solvency by preparing the LIHEAP State Plan and its Amendments for the receipt of Federal funding; negotiate with funding source representatives; resolve problems and issues that may arise; participate in audit resolution; participate in contract development between the Department and community agencies, service providers, and other appropriate entities (including information technology providers). Manage the Project Team that is responsible for posting the policy handbooks on the Department’s Intranet. Supervision includes development and coordination of work plans for the various phases of the project’s implementation, maintenance, and enhancement. General participation functions include design, development, implementation, maintenance, and enhancement of the initiative. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following: standardizing and formatting Microsoft Word documents; translating Microsoft Word documents into HTML Transit Central documents; proofreading current hard copy, Intranet hard copy, and Intranet on-line versions of the handbooks; trouble-shooting and resolving program content-, system-, project-, and posting-related problems; composing “Daily Status” reports as necessary; managing the update process; evaluating feedback from the CAOs and business partners for implementation/enhancement; updating the documentation that supports the various phases of the project; and developing and presenting training material for various audiences. Develop policy and program design, which will be used in the development, implementation, monitoring, analysis, evaluation, and modification of pilot projects, which are consistent with welfare reform initiatives and philosophy. Establish and maintain avenues for public input regarding program design and improvement by conducting public forums such as hearings, focus groups, and advisory group meetings; publish documents for comment such as Proposed and Final LIHEAP State Plans and proposed regulations. Establish and maintain avenues for dissemination of information to clients and other interested parties by preparing topical client messages and newsletters, letters to the General Assembly and other stakeholders; responds to correspondence by developing letters for signature by the Governor, the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Bureau Director, the Division Director, the Supervisor, or the Income Maintenance Program Specialist; prepare and distribute topical reports. Advocate public policy positions that support the needs of the Commonwealth regarding human service and economic programs by participating in national organizations (for example, the American Public Human Services Association); develop position papers; initiate and respond to requests for information from the Governor’s Washington Office; participate on national and regional committees regarding specific areas of concern or interest. Establish and maintain avenues for intra-agency coordination, collaboration, and problem solving by forming and participating in cross-program workgroups for issue analysis and problem solving; review and comment on position papers and regulations prepared by other Departmental Offices which may impact upon OIM programs or clients; participate in the development of programs initiated by others (in government or the larger community) to ensure consistency with OIM program goals and to avoid unintended consequences. Participate in the design and maintenance of computer support systems by developing user requirements to support changes in eligibility requirements; develop system changes and work items and meet with staff from the Division of Automation Planning and Support and the Office of Information Systems to refine the system changes and work items and to explain the Federal and State policy changes that require automation; determine data collection and analysis needs; identify the need for and design system-generated reports; test new computer programs to ensure their substantive and mathematical accuracy. Review and analyze material that appears in the Federal Register and Pennsylvania Bulletin to identify appropriate material for distribution to the Director of the Bureau of Policy and Division Directors for information or implications for other programs. Interact, on behalf of the Commonwealth, with local and national advocates, professional organizations, and Federal agencies to ensure that Pennsylvania’s interests, goals, and objectives are considered in the design and development of welfare reform and other program initiatives. Interaction in program initiatives includes two major projects: coordination with Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) regarding Pennsylvania’s Nutrition Education Plan (NEP) and Pennsylvania’s Food Stamp Program (FSP) Outreach. Pennsylvania’s NEP, which is comprised of nutrition education activities for the FSP-eligible population from participating projects, is submitted annually to FNS for approval. The Department is the conduit between FNS and the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), who administers the NEP. Ongoing responsibilities for the NEP include: preparation of correspondence; review and evaluation of the content of the NEP; maintenance of timeline records; attendance at NEP meetings and Nutrition Education Network meetings; development and execution of the grant agreement between the Department and PSU; review and management of budget expenditures; and review and submission of quarterly invoices to the Comptroller’s Office. Through the FSP Outreach initiative, the Food Stamp Unit develops and disseminates information about the FSP to educate the general public. FSP Outreach responsibilities include: co-ordination with community agencies and other State agencies to increase participation in the FSP; participation in FSP Outreach meetings with community agencies and other State agencies; development and presentation of FSP information to outside agencies; and preparation of correspondence. Also included in the FSP Outreach is the development of the Food Stamp Participation Project’s Request for Application (RFA). RFA responsibilities include: explaining the document and grant agreement to faith-based organizations and other community agencies; reviewing and evaluating the RFAs; and debriefing the agencies that submitted ineligible RFAs. Develop and participate in workshops that include stakeholders from the public and private sector in the development of new or the modification of existing Departmental policies to correct deficiencies or enhance areas of strength. Review memoranda and policy clarifications to incorporate in the Handbooks for issuance to the field on a quarterly basis. Plan prospectively for regulatory development, coordinating this initiative for the Office of Income Maintenance and collaborating with entities outside OIM as needed. Act as the liaison with the Offices of Legal Counsel, Policy Development, Legislative Affairs, other Departmental Offices, and the Legislative Reference Bureau on programmatic issues regarding regulatory development and subsequent publication. Compose, review, require concurrence, evaluate and incorporate revision requests for all client messages and informational publications disseminated to the welfare population and the public, including forms, posters, and brochures. Provide input and accountability for projects and activities that involve both interdepartmental and intradepartmental workgroups in order to implement initiatives that are consistent with Commonwealth and Departmental goals and objectives. Manage the completion and processing of all personnel transactions for the Bureau of Policy. Manage and coordinate all administrative functions for the Bureau of Policy. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. This position requires leadership, independent judgment, and decision-making responsibility under the general supervision of the Director of the Bureau of Policy, who evaluates the employee's performance through conferences, reports, and results achieved in meeting pre-established goals and objectives. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. 5. 6. |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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