COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SPECIALIST 1, 2, 3

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Louisiana, Division of Administration, Office of Community Development, seeks a Community Development Program Specialist to oversee CDBG projects for multiple local governments across Louisiana and ensure compliance with state and federal requirements. The role includes budgets, reporting, and technical guidance.

Ideal candidates will have experience in grants management, disaster recovery, urban planning, or related fields, with strong analytical and stakeholder engagement skills.

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in community development, contracts or grants management, urban or regional planning, disaster recovery, or legal research.
• Six years of full-time work experience in any field; OR a bachelor's degree.
• Experience substitution: every 30 semester hours earns one year of experience (max 120 semester hours).

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage multiple local government grant projects from start to closeout.
• Review budgets, contracts, payment requests, and project reports for compliance.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to local officials, consultants, and engineers.
• Conduct on-site monitoring visits and review records for compliance with laws and program requirements.
• Identify and resolve compliance issues and prepare monitoring reports.

Skills

Team building

Stakeholder management

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Six years experience

Job description

The Division of Administration/Office of Community Development has a vacancy.

The Louisiana Division of Administration’s Office of Community Development administers federal funding through disaster recovery programs and resilience initiatives, as well as local government assistance, strengthening Louisiana communities through recovery, resilience and rehabilitation.

The Division of Administration is the state government’s management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including the following:

• Overseeing the state’s capital construction program
• Working to provide state and federal grants for community development
• Development of the state budget
• Providing technology services
• Giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services
• Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes

AN IDEAL CANIDATE SHOULD POSESS THE FOLLLOWING COMPETENCIES:

• Building and Supporting Teams: The ability to combine one's actions and efforts with others to work toward achieving a common goal.
• Managing Stakeholders: The ability to identify key stakeholders, manage relationships, and align interests to move work forward.
• Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well supported conclusions.

Three years of experience in community development, contracts or grants management, urban or regional planning, disaster recovery, or legal research; OR

Six years of full-time work experience in any field; OR

A bachelor's degree.

EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION:

Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties:

As a Community Development Program Specialist, you will manage Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects for multiple local governments (cities, towns villages, parishes) across Louisiana. Your work will ensure projects meet state and federal requirements while helping communities improve public facilities and services.

Some examples of duties include but are not limited to:

• Oversee and manage multiple local government grant projects from start to closeout.
• Review budgets, contracts, payment requests, and project reports to ensure compliance.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to local officials, consultants, and engineers.
• Conduct on-site monitoring visits and review records for compliance with laws, regulations, and program requirements.
• Identify and resolve compliance issues, prepare monitoring reports, and recommend corrective actions.
• Assist in the preparation of program documents, applications, and reports.
• Review and score grant applications and participate in the selection process.
• Serve as a subject-matter resource in specialized program areas (such as procurement, financial management, environmental compliance, or labor standards).
• This role combines project management, compliance review, and technical assistance—making it an opportunity to directly support Louisiana communities while ensuring the proper use of federal grant funds.

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: This vacancy will be filled by new hire or by promotion of a current permanent status classified employee.

Career Progressions: This vacancy participates in a career progression group and may be filled from this recruitment as a Community Development Program Specialist 1, 2 or 3.

Louisiana is a “State as a Model Employer” for People with Disabilities.

For further information about this posting, please contact:

Danielle Martin
HR Analyst
Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources
Email: [e-mail]