Engagement Lead /Lead Consultant#26-01788

Phoenix, AZ

Onsite

Contract

Starts 4/06/2026 Job Description

Candidates Request Form

1 Job Title Engagement Lead /Lead Consultant

2 Client Company/Dept. Name Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES), AZ

3 Address 1802 West Jackson #100 City Name Phoenix State Name AZ-Arizona Zip Code 85007 If others (Address) 5 Mark up % (if any) 6 Duration of the project Undetermined Start Date Services Award date is 04/06/2026 and services will start upon fully executed work order and issuance of purchase order Project End Date Undetermined Due date for Resume submission 27th March 2026

7 No. of Openings 1 No. of Maximum Submissions 1 8 Project Overview The Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES), Division of Benefits and Medical Eligibility (DBME), is seeking consulting support to improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Payment Error Rate (PER) through targeted policy review, operational improvement, and performance optimization.

The selected vendor will provide advisory support across three key workstreams: policy and regulatory analysis, workflow and process redesign, and workshops with metrics-driven improvement. The engagement is milestone-based and requires strong governance, quality assurance, and delivery oversight.

9 Mandatory Requirement Minimum 12+ years of total professional experience with:

8+ years leading consulting, transformation, or program improvement engagements in state government or large public-sector environments

5+ years in human services, public benefits, or eligibility operations (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, or similar)

3+ years in a direct leadership role overseeing delivery, executive communication, and quality assurance

Demonstrated experience leading at least two state or quasi-government engagements involving SNAP or other public-benefit eligibility programs

Proven experience delivering policy and/or process improvement initiatives in regulated environments, including ownership of milestone-based deliverables

Strong experience with quality assurance and executive-level deliverables, including reviewing and approving reports, findings, and recommendations prior to submission

Experience managing short-duration, high-visibility engagements with formal acceptance criteria and client review cycles

Demonstrated ability to lead weekly governance meetings, stakeholder updates, and structured progress tracking

Hands-on experience managing multiple workstreams simultaneously, including policy analysis, operational improvement, and stakeholder engagement

Strong evidence of leading stakeholder sessions across executive leadership, program managers, and frontline staff

Must not be limited to IT project management, staffing coordination, or administrative PMO roles without advisory ownership

10 Job Description Serve as the overall engagement lead and primary accountable resource, responsible for delivery, quality, and client relationship management for the SNAP error rate reduction initiative

Lead and oversee execution across all three project areas:

Policy Review and Gap Analysis

Operational and Process Optimization

Mentorship and Data Collection

Provide end-to-end project leadership, ensuring all activities align with RFS objectives, timelines, and acceptance standards

Own quality assurance of all deliverables, ensuring outputs are accurate, actionable, and aligned with federal and state SNAP requirements

Act as the primary interface with ADES leadership, managing communication, expectations, and feedback cycles throughout the engagement

Conduct and lead weekly status meetings and progress reviews, ensuring transparency into project status, risks, and deliverables

Provide strategic advisory support, including guidance on policy alignment, quality control practices, and process improvements to reduce SNAP error rates

Review and challenge existing policies, workflows, and quality control approaches, ensuring recommendations support improved compliance and performance

Oversee development of all key deliverables, including:

Policy analysis findings and recommendations

As-Is and To-Be process maps

Workshop outputs and stakeholder insights

Coordinate and direct work of supporting team members, ensuring integration across policy, operations, and stakeholder engagement efforts

Identify and manage risks, issues, and dependencies, ensuring timely resolution and minimal impact to delivery

11 Skill set info Strong domain expertise in SNAP or public-benefits eligibility programs, including policy, operations, and quality control

Deep understanding of state government human services environments, including compliance requirements and operational challenges

Proven ability to lead complex consulting engagements, including stakeholder management, delivery oversight, and executive communication

Advanced capability in reviewing and producing executive-ready deliverables, including reports, presentations, and recommendation packages

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to translate data and findings into actionable operational and policy improvements

Experience aligning policy, process, and performance metrics to improve accuracy, compliance, and program integrity

Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions across multiple organizational levels

Experience with process documentation, reporting, and presentation tools such as Visio, PowerPoint, and Excel

Familiarity with structured improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or similar frameworks

Preferred credentials include PMP, PgMP, or Lean Six Sigma certification, along with prior experience supporting SNAP or similar programs in state environments

12 Education Bachelor's degree required in Public Administration, Public Policy, Business Administration, Social Work, Government, or a related field

Advanced degree such as MPA, MPP, MBA, or MSW preferred

13 Certifications (if required) N/A

14 Documentation Required for submission Resume & References

15 Work Hours General

16 17 Work authorization required US Citizen & GC 18 Relocation is accepted N/A 19 Remote work Yes 20 Additional Notes if any Hybrid By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy at Privacy Policy - Abacus.