About this role
It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing! We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.
SMI is a leading provider in government payment solutions, developing state-of-the-art solutions and running complex human services operations. We are focused on serving our government clients and their end-customers: some of the most in-need families and individuals in the United States. Our mission is to “Go the Extra Mile with a Passion to Serve”. With over 50 years in operation as a family-owned and operated business, SMI has grown to over 700 employees across the country. SMI considers its employees and customers as part of our extended family. We are truly a family, serving families.
The VP, SNAP EBT is a strategic operations leader responsible for the day-to-day performance of SMI's SNAP EBT product, with direct accountability for vendor governance, service delivery, and the cardholder experience across every live state program. Reporting to the General Manager, Card Services, this role owns the vendor relationships, service levels, and operational issues that determine whether SNAP EBT programs run smoothly for state partners and the cardholders they serve. The role also serves as the subject-matter expert supporting new-state proposal development, ensuring that solution requirements reflect what SMI can deliver operationally.
This is a product and operations ownership role, not a technical role: the VP directs SMI's technical teams and vendor partners toward compliant, well-run service delivery, and is accountable for outcomes rather than for performing the underlying technical work directly. Other duties as assigned.
Vendor & Partner Management
• Organize, plan, and supervise all aspects of relationships with key vendors supporting SNAP EBT, including executing the strategy for new enhancements.
• Review vendor reporting on a regular cadence to confirm compliance with contract SLAs, and escalate performance gaps to resolution.
• Own relationships with processing and card program management partners, holding them to defined service levels and performance standards.
Operations & Cardholder Experience
• Perform critical business analysis of issues identified by agents or state partners, including identifying root cause(s) and value-added opportunities for improvement in a timely manner.
• Lead and support special projects, reporting, and initiatives related to enhancing the cardholder experience wherever a vendor is involved, in order to achieve departmental objectives.
• Troubleshoot issues related to critical vendors promptly to mitigate impact to cardholders or state partners.
• Serve as executive owner of state agency relationships after contract award, holding primary accountability for implementation and ongoing operations.
Program Compliance & Certification
• Own Food Nutrition Administration (FNA) certification outcomes for each new state, coordinating with technical teams on system design accuracy and federal reporting compliance ahead of FNA review.
• Own the operational risk and compliance posture for live programs, ensuring general adherence to USDA/FNA requirements along with applicable PCI DSS and state-specific requirements.
Proposal & Solution Support
• Serve as subject matter expert supporting SNAP EBT proposal development, partnering with Proposal Management on system design documents, RFP response sections, and solution narratives.
• Help define and build out solution requirements for new SNAP EBT state pursuits, ensuring proposed capabilities reflect what can actually be delivered and supported operationally.
• Translate lessons from live-state vendor and cardholder operations into proposal content, so future commitments are grounded in operational reality. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process
• Work with the Documentation team to ensure all new processes are fully documented, and that any necessary announcements are made to inform stakeholders of upcoming changes.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of company processes and policy requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with various SMI departments and entities. Required Qualifications
• 10+ years of experience in SNAP EBT program operations, spanning vendor management, state agency relationships, and day-to-day service delivery.
• Direct experience managing SNAP EBT vendor relationships and SLAs, including EBT processors, card program managers, and network partners.
• Working knowledge of SNAP EBT program mechanics, including eligibility system interfaces, EBT switch integration, and retailer/merchant network operations.
• Experience driving root cause analysis and operational issue resolution within a SNAP EBT or comparable benefits-disbursement operating model.
• Experience improving cardholder experience specifically within SNAP EBT or other government benefit card programs.
• Experience working cross-functionally with technical teams to deliver compliant, regulated SNAP EBT program operations.
• Experience serving as a subject matter expert on SNAP EBT procurement responses, including defining solution requirements for RFP submissions.
• Ability to travel as needed to support state agency relationships and program implementations.
• undefined
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working directly with a state SNAP EBT agency or the Food Nutrition Administration (FNA) on certification or compliance matters.
• Experience with third-party risk management (TPRM) frameworks and vendor oversight practices in a regulated environment.
• Track record of improving cardholder or customer experience metrics through vendor performance management. Must be fluent in English Basic knowledge of Microsoft Windows/Office
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are a Drug-Free Workplace.