Who We Are

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) supports Ohioans and their families through the following programs:

• Cash and Food Assistance
• Employment Services and Workforce Development
• Unemployment Insurance
• Adult Protective Services
• Child Support

Public service is an honorable way to serve the community in a hands-on dedicated way. You can make a difference in someone’s world!

Guiding Principles

• We will be a leader in customer satisfaction.
• We will have a reputation that attracts and retains talented, diverse, and dedicated employees.
• We get better at what we do every day.

Office of Family Assistance

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) provides policy, operational, technical assistance and training support for safety net programs that assist low-income Ohioans. This includes: ​​​​​Cash assistance programs funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant, including Ohio Works First (OWF) and the Prevention Retention and Contingency programs; Food assistance programs including, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Summer EBT Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); Program Integrity; and Adult Protective Services. Learn more about the office by visiting the Office of Family Assistance webpage​

What You Will Do

In this role, you will be responsible for researching, analyzing, and revising policies and procedures to ensure the compliance of Ohio's SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Cash Assistance programs with federal regulations and state laws.

Day-to-Day You Will

• Research and analyze federal regulations, state laws, and existing policies to ensure compliance with SNAP, Cash Assistance, and other state programs.

• Draft, revise, and update policies and procedures to reflect changes in legislation and best practices.

• Collaborate with internal teams, stakeholders, and external partners to gather input and provide expert policy recommendations.

• Consult with and provide guidance to stakeholders, including program managers, state teams, and community organizations, on program rules and regulations.

• Work closely with program managers to provide clarity on new and existing policies, ensuring they are implemented successfully.

Preferred Skills

• Define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

• Ability to research and analyze large amounts of information.

• Demonstrate strong follow‑through, attention to detail, and reliable organization.

• Independently manage multiple assignments with overlapping deadlines.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Schedule: Full time.

Hours: Standard workdays are Monday through Friday. Hours are between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Location: Positions will be headquartered at the James A. Rhodes State Officer Tower - 30 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215.

Travel: Occasional travel within the state of Ohio.

Position Numbers: This reposting is for two positions (PN 20033729 & PN 20044252). Please apply using this job posting; one application will be used to consider you for both roles.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems ( such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation ( Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

The candidate, at minimum, must have the following:

Option 1:

• Completion of undergraduate core program in social or behavioral science, health services public administration, public policy management or comparable field;
• AND 36 mos. exp. in researching, developing or implementing policies related to social services, health services, public policy or comparable field;
• AND 12 mos. trg. or 12 mos. exp. in research methodology, measurement & testing, analysis of variance & survey sampling;
• AND 6 mos. trg. or 6 mos. exp. in use of computer hardware & software used for spreadsheets, statistical analysis, graphics presentation & word processing.

Option 2:

• Completion of graduate course coursework in social or behavioral science, health services public administration, public policy management or comparable field;
• AND 24 mos. exp. in researching, developing or implementing policies related to social services, health services, public policy or comparable field;
• AND 6 mos. trg. or 6 mos. exp. in use of computer hardware & software used for spreadsheets, statistical analysis, graphics presentation & word processing.

Option 3:

• 24 mos. exp. as Human Services Specialist 2, 69452, with experience commensurate with duties to be assigned per posting of job opportunity (e.g., if assignment is in area of policy development for aid to dependent children, education, training &/or experience must have been in area of aid to dependent children).

Option 4:

• Equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.

Tips For Your Application

When completing the different sections of this application, be sure to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications outlined in this job posting. We cannot give you credit for your Work Experience and Education & Certifications if you do not provide that information in your online application. Information in attached resumes or cover letters must be entered into your application in the appropriate Work Experience or Education & Certification sections to be considered.

Pay Information

This position is in the State of Ohio’s SEIU/1199 Pay Schedule, Pay Range 13. Unless required by legislation or union contract, starting salary will be the minimum salary of that pay range (step 1, currently $36.01 per hour). These ranges provide a standardized pathway for pay increases. With continued employment, new hires move to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. Cost of Living Adjustments increase wages in these ranges each fiscal year. The current step progression wages are in the table below.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

$36.01

$37.75

$39.64

$41.53

$43.56

$45.72

$47.95

$50.37

$74,901

$78,520

$82,451

$86,382

$90,605

$95,098

$99,736

$104,770

At Hire

6 Months

18 Months

30 Months

42 Months

54 Months

66 Months

78 Months

Selection Priority Notice

Current employees of ODJFS in the SEIU/1199 union have selection rights before all other applicants. Applications from all other candidates will only be considered if an internal SEIU/1199 applicant is not selected for this position.

ADA Notice

If you require an accommodation based on a disability for any step of the selection process, please contact ada_public@jfs.ohio.gov.

Background check information

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Some positions may require drug testing and/or fingerprinting. Criminal convictions do not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.