GRANT PROGRAM SPECIALIST

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Division of Administration/Office of Community Development/Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) has a vacancy. This professional role will oversee or assist in disaster recovery programs in observance of federal and state requirements, policies, and regulations, focusing on CDBG-DR/MIT and FEMA programs.

Preferred candidates will have knowledge of CDBG, FEMA Public Assistance, and strong communications/public relations experience, plus proficiency in MS Office suite.

Qualifications

• Baccalaureate degree plus two years of professional level experience in project and/or program management.
• Six years of full-time professional experience in disaster recovery may substitute for degree.
• A Master’s degree may substitute for one year of required experience or two years for a related degree.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance to grantees to ensure compliance with federal rules and program agreements.
• Provide specialized guidance on recovery program areas related to policy and implementation.
• Assist in interpretation of program directives, best practices, regulations, and legislation.
• Coordinate with partners and agencies for disaster recovery needs and technical expertise.
• Provide high-level technical support to the division Director or OCD management.
• Review documents to ensure eligibility, completeness, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee program and project budgets, expenditures, and funding allocations.
• Monitor financial performance and project progress to identify risks and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with teams to resolve complex program issues.

Skills

CDBG knowledge

FEMA PA knowledge

Public relations experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree + 2 years professional experience

Six years experience substitute for degree

Master’s degree substitute for 1 year

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Division of Administration/Office of Community Development/Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) has a vacancy. This job is Unclassified.

The Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) administers Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT) grants and other federal and state funding allocated to the State of Louisiana. These programs support long-term recovery, resilience, and mitigation for communities affected by Presidentially Declared Disasters. OCD’s grant portfolio exceeds $20 billion and encompasses multiple federal awards, each containing numerous programs, funding activities, and implementation timelines.

This is a professional level position designed to implement disaster recovery programs under the Office of Community Development (OCD). The position will oversee or assist in the administration of disaster recovery programs in observance of federal and state statutory requirement and regulations and policies. This position requires a particular knowledge of aspects of disaster recovery, disaster CDBG programs, FEMA programs and other federal and state recovery initiatives and key disaster recovery entities and organizations.

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 hurricane

A baccalaureate degree plus two years of professional level experience in project and/or program management.

Substitutions:

Six years of full-time professional experience in disaster recovery may substitute for degree.

A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience or two (2) years for a specialized degree in related fields.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Community Development Block Grant
• Knowledge of Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program
• Professional experience with communications/public relations
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Essential Functions

(Duties are illustrative and not comprehensive. Responsibilities may vary.)

• Provide technical assistance to grantees, to assure that all projects and expenditures comply with federal rules and regulations and program agreements.
• Provide specialized guidance on recovery program areas, as it relates to policy and implementation.
• Assist the division in interpretation and understanding specialized program directives, best practices, applicable regulations, and legislation.
• Coordinate with key partners and agencies for special disaster recovery needs and in the area of specific technical expertise.
• Provide highly responsible and complex technical support in specialized recovery effort to division Director or designee and OCD management.
• Apply advanced program knowledge to conduct detailed reviews and analysis of program related documents i.e. applications, modification proposals, supporting documentation, etc. to ensure eligibility, completeness, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide oversight of program and project budgets, including review of expenditures, cost eligibility, financial tracking, and alignment with approved funding allocations.
• Monitor financial performance and project progress to identify risks, recommend corrective actions, and ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
• Collaborate with supporting roles to ensure coordinated implementation and resolution of complex program issues.