Job Description:

Arizona Department of Education

The Arizona Department of Education is a service organization

committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents.

Health and Nutrition Services Specialist

Job Location:

Health and Nutrition Services Division

Phoenix Location

Posting Details:

Salary: $64,000 - $70,000

 Grade: 21

 Closing Date: 09/07/2025

Job Summary:

This position:

• Supports the advancement of software and applications used for child nutrition programs within the Health and Nutrition Services (HNS) Division;
• Works collaboratively with HNS and ADE Information Technology (IT) teams acting as a subject matter expert to assist in testing new or modified software programs;
• Performs acceptance testing to validate that HNS requirements are met; and
• Assists customers with system questions and issues

·         Occasional in-state and out-of-state travel is required for this position.

The Arizona Department of Education currently utilizes a hybrid work environment, with up to two days of remote work (contingent upon business needs).  Candidates should apply with an ability and willingness to work in-office up to five days per week as business needs necessitate.

Job Duties:

• Responsible for maintaining basic knowledge of business rules and monitoring performance of in-house and vendor supported technology systems. This includes understanding/monitoring of data sets from internal and external systems relating to Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs)
• Assists with the design and development of new and established child nutrition systems, conduct user acceptance testing, and developing system processes

·         Communicates business area workflows and processes as determined by supervisor

·         Serves as HNS systems liaison between ADE IT staff, external technology vendors, and other ADE divisions

·         Requires representation at applicable meetings related to the advancement of technology projects

·         Responds to and troubleshoots complex technological problems experienced in CNP systems

·         Coordinates resolutions with ADE IT and provides support to internal and external customers

·         Serves as content expert on information technology systems; intentionally leverages technology currently in place and technology under development to recommend enhancements that will support the advancement of CNP systems

·         Contributes to development of internal staff's knowledge of systems and processes

·         Assists supervisor with developing standard operating procedures related to the Fiscal Operations, Data Strategy, and Systems (FODSS) team

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge in:

• Federal regulations, state laws, and policies pertaining to all Child Nutrition Programs
• Technology specifications and system business rules
• Software development life cycles
• Quality assurance and user acceptance testing
• Data gathering and cleaning techniques
• A Bachelor’s degree in computer systems, Business, or other related field, or equivalent experience to substitute for the degree, is required

Skills in:

• Strong written and verbal communication, including social perception and adaptability, to be able to successfully interface with internal and external stakeholders and audiences
• Customer service
• Problem-solving 
• Analytic skills to evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, consolidate details and extract to functional requirements
• Organizational
• Time management
• Multiple project/task management 
• Intermediate skill in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams

Ability to:

• Research, review, and draw interpretations from public laws and rules
• Establish and maintain interpersonal relationships
• Balance, prioritize, and organize multiple tasks
• Complete software testing using established procedures
• Think critically and make objective determinations
• Effectively communicate complex system-level details and technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Absorb highly technical, specialized knowledge related to federal and state regulations and conceptualize complex system interactions
•  Collaborate successfully in a team environment and across the division

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.
• If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job, then the following requirements apply. Driver’s License Requirements.
• All employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Retirement:

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

Benefits:

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

·         Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans

·         Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans

·         10 paid holidays per year

·         Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years

·         Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly

·         Deferred compensation plan

·         Wellness plans

For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Contact Us:

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 542-3186 or emailing Human.Resources@azed.gov.  Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation. 

Job ID: 535651 - Job Closing Date - 9/07/25 - o Visit https://state-of-arizona.career-pages.com/home o Click on Current Openings o Select Department of Education from the Department drop down list o Click on desired position o Click Apply Now - Salary Range - $64,000 - $70,000