Benefits Access Director

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

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What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) provides leadership on issues of economic justice by advancing racial equity and inclusive growth to ensure that all Philadelphians share in the city’s prosperous future and by alleviating the immediate impact of poverty on individuals, families and communities.  CEO is Philadelphia’s Community Action Agency (CAA); CAAs are private or public agencies created by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act and federally designated to receive Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding.

Guiding Principles (We believe…)

• The people of Philadelphia deserve the opportunity to live happy, healthy, full lives. 
• City Government should both recognize its culpability in creating and sustaining inequity and aspire to its responsibility to provide opportunities, represent the best interests, and promote the well-being of all residents. 
• People can offer meaningful insights into both personal experiences and how systems around them function. 
• Poverty is a deliberately created systemic issue and city government can lead in calling for justice and dismantling the barriers that often prevent opportunities. 

Values (How we work)

• Dignity: We actively respect our individual colleagues and people in the community.
• Inclusivity: Our work is more beneficial, valuable, and valid when our full range of experiences, knowledge, and skills can contribute.
• Persistence: We recognize the challenges inherent in this work, and when we get discouraged, we find ways to be resilient, lift each other up, and push forward.
• Accountability: We are transparent and honest about our plans, our actions, and our results.
• Honesty: We create a space to have healthy, honest dialogues about systems, people, and misconceptions and then communicate truthfully.

Job Description

The Benefits Access Director is a dynamic, seasoned, and innovative leader. This position will oversee the BenePhilly program, which maximizes the number of Philadelphians that receive the public benefits they are eligible for, including medical care, food assistance, utility assistance programs, property tax relief.  CEO launched the BenePhilly program in 2013, and with our partners, submitted 6,300 applications for public benefits in 2024, and enrolled households in benefits valued at more than $8 million.  This program is housed in the Policy & Programs unit at CEO and works collaboratively with other units to reach Philly households.  The Benefits Access Director is an integral part of the City’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO), an agency within the Office of the Mayor of Philadelphia that directly supports the Mayor’s goal of economic opportunity for all.  CEO’s mission is to advance economic justice through racial equity, to increase mobility out of poverty and to ensure that all Philadelphians can share in the benefits of economic growth. CEO invests federal Community Services Block Grant funding and other resources to support this work. The Executive Director of CEO oversees the development and implementation of CEO’s economic justice and racial equity agenda.

CEO’s Strategic Framework and Policy Agenda 
The Benefits Access Director advances CEO’s strategy to support and lead programs that provide opportunities for household stability and economic mobility, as well as helps advance CEO’s Policy Agenda that calls for solutions to poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity.

Essential Functions:

• Strategic Planning and Implementation:  Develop a strategic vision for how the BenePhilly program will evolve and grow to provide opportunities for household stability, economic mobility, and prosperity for clients, and implement that strategic vision.
• Partner Development and Management:  Manage relationships with existing BenePhilly partner organizations, including contracting and budgeting and performance review, and establish new relationships to grow the program’s reach.   
• Marketing and Outreach: Promote the BenePhilly program to ensure that Philadelphians are aware of the program and how they can benefit. 
• Client Referral Management: Manage flow of client referrals between sites to ensure capacity is well utilized and clients are served promptly.
• Data, Systems, and Reporting:  Ensure that BenePhilly sites are reporting activities correctly and promptly, manage systems used to collect and analyze data, collaborate with other CEO data staff to produce reports on program activities and outputs. 
• Training and Technical Assistance:  Develop and maintain a training manual for BenePhilly benefits specialists, train new specialists as hired, and offer ongoing technical assistance to partners to ensure they have the skills and resources to excel in serving clients.
• Policy & Advocacy: Monitor changes to public benefits policies, and advocate for policy and program changes that would improve enrollment and access to public benefits for Philadelphians.
• Resource Development: Assist with identification of potential new resources from the public and private sector, and completion of major grant/proposal fundraising and similar.
• Other duties as assigned 

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Benefits Access Director will supervise the Benefits Access Project Manager, and two Benefits Specialists.  

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep familiarity with local, state, and federal public benefits including eligibility, how to apply, and barriers applicants face. 
• A commitment to advancing a more equitable, just Philadelphia.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple responsibilities at the same time and meet deadlines. 
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.  
• Leadership skills, and ability to be a great team member and to work independently
• Strong interpersonal relationship skills, and ability to work with a diverse set of stakeholders, both internal and external  
• Values and encourages diversity of thought, background, and perspective  
• Ability to use basic office technology and programs like Microsoft Office suite, and other tools that manage data.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience working in the non-profit or public sector at federal, state, and/or local level 
• Experience managing complex policy and/or organizational change efforts 
• A Degree in social services, public administration, or related field. Equivalent experience can be substituted for this qualification 

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary Range:

$90,000 - $96,000

Commensurate with education and experience

Interested candidates should apply through Smart Recruiters

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to the Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx