Benefits Access Specialist

POSITION TITLE: Benefits Access Specialist 

LOCATION: HFNYC’s Bronx Offices and Community Partner Agencies across NYC 

DESCRIPTION:  

Hunger Free New York City (HFNYC), a division of Hunger Free America, strives to build a nonpartisan, grassroots movement to enact the policies and programs needed to end hunger in New York City and ensure that all New Yorkers have sufficient access to nutritious food.  

A significant aspect of HFNYC’s work is connecting eligible residents to Federal, State, and City Benefits Programs. HFNYC aims to expand its services through a Call Center designed to assist potentially eligible clients throughout the application process for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), Cash Assistance, and Fair Fares. By helping individuals and families access these benefits, the financial strain on households is reduced, allowing them to allocate income toward other pressing needs.  

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The Benefits Specialist (“the Specialist”) will provide in-person and remote SNAP and Fair Farees eligibility screenings and application assistance. The Specialist will also provide eligibility screenings for CA and WIC screening. They will be primarily working fromour satellite office in the Bronx or community partner agencies across NYC.  

The ideal candidate will also assist in connecting clients to other nutrition programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC),Fair Fares, home meal delivery programs, and referrals to food pantries and soup kitchens. In addition, the Specialist will attend community events to perform outreach and screenings, as well as conduct presentations on SNAP and other nutrition benefits.   

The Specialist must also conduct follow-up to ensure that applicants receive the correct amount of monthly benefits in a timely manner and help to resolve cases in which this has not occurred. All work must be entered into a database to track client progress. 

• Experience in anti-hunger/nutrition benefits screening (esp. for SNAP); working in low-income communities.   
• High-energy self-starter with strong communications, problem solving, organizing, and inter-personal skills, and a demonstrated commitment to fighting poverty and hunger.   
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is preferred, although people with significant, relevant, work experience will be considered.   
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint  
• Knowledge of Salesforce and Airtable is preferred but not required.  
• Bilingual Candidates a plus, but not required (Spanish, Bengali, Chinese – Mandarin & Cantonese, Bengali, Haitian-Creole, or Arabic are preferred).  

Submit a resume and cover letter. Applications not containing both a resume and a cover letter will not be reviewed.  

HFNYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of diverse races, sexual orientations, ages, faiths, economic and social backgrounds, genders, physical abilities, and national origins are strongly encouraged to apply.