Engagement Lead​/Lead Consultant

Position: Engagement Lead /Lead Consultant
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 work streams: 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 work streams 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…