Program Specialist #1

HighPoint; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

HighPoint is seeking a Program Specialist #1 to serve as a senior advisor for grants management, focusing on strengthening recipient capacity and supporting federal grant competitions across DCDDP programs.

You will lead TA strategies, develop standardized processes, and provide guidance to grant recipients and stakeholders while ensuring compliance with federal requirements and performance goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in federal grants management, program administration, or related areas.
• Travel up to 10–20% as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of technical assistance strategies to strengthen recipient capacity and improve performance.
• Develop and implement standardized processes to identify high-risk recipients and measure outcomes.
• Provide coaching and capacity-building support to grant recipients.
• Serve as SME on discretionary and demonstration grant programs for federal leadership and stakeholders.
• Support NOFO development, funding announcements, and applicant guidance.

Skills

Grants management

NOFO development

Recipient monitoring

Policy guidance

Program advisory

Stakeholder collaboration

Risk assessment

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Administration/Public Policy/Business Administration/Nonprofit Management/Community Development/Political Science/Communications

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Program Specialist #1

HighPoint professionals focus on helping government agencies and companies implement their most critically strategic initiatives. The role of Program Specialist #1 contributes to HighPoint by serving as a senior program and grants management advisor responsible for strengthening recipient capacity, supporting federal grant competitions, and enhancing program performance across DCDDP discretionary and demonstration grant programs.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design and delivery of targeted technical assistance and training (T&TA) strategies that strengthen recipient capacity, improve performance, and address compliance risks across DCDDP grant programs.
• Develop and implement standardized processes for identifying high-risk recipients, assessing technical assistance needs, matching subject matter experts to recipients, and measuring engagement outcomes.
• Provide specialized consultation, coaching, and capacity-building support to grant recipients, including one-on-one engagements and customized assistance plans.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on discretionary and demonstration grant programs, providing strategic guidance and recommendations to federal leadership, program staff, and external stakeholders.
• Support the development, revision, launch, and administration of Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), including funding announcements, briefing materials, applicant guidance, and grant competition communications.
• Plan and execute outreach initiatives, webinars, workshops, and educational resources that expand awareness of funding opportunities and increase participation among underserved communities.
• Manage and support grant competition activities, including reviewer recruitment, reviewer and panel manager training, panel operations, technical reviews, application assessments, funding recommendations, and applicant eligibility reviews.
• Provide programmatic, policy, and grants administration support, including drafting guidance documents, policy memoranda, federal notices, grants communications, standard operating procedures, and other program documentation.
• Oversee grant portfolios by monitoring recipient performance, supporting risk-based monitoring frameworks, conducting portfolio reviews, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations and program requirements.
• Support organizational operations through stakeholder coordination, executive support activities, event planning, process improvement initiatives, and compliance with federal information security and records management requirements.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced knowledge of federal grants management, discretionary grant programs, NOFO development, recipient monitoring, and compliance oversight.
• Expertise in technical assistance delivery, capacity building, organizational development, and performance improvement strategies.
• Strong understanding of federal policies, regulations, and guidance related to grant administration, program implementation, and risk management.
• Exceptional written communication skills with experience developing policy documents, funding announcements, reports, briefing materials, federal correspondence, and operational guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate trainings, webinars, workshops, and technical assistance engagements for diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience conducting program assessments, risk analyses, portfolio reviews, and performance evaluations to support informed decision-making.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across federal agencies, grant recipients, consultants, and community partners.
• Ability to analyze complex programmatic and operational challenges and develop practical, results-oriented solutions.
• Strong project management, organizational, and leadership skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Knowledge of federal information security requirements, records management practices, and compliance standards, including FIPS 199 safeguards.

EDUCATION AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Community Development, Political Science, Communications, or a related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in federal grants management, program administration, technical assistance, capacity building, community development, or federal program operations.
• Ability to travel up to 10-20% as needed.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $120,000-132,000

ABOUT HIGHPOINT

HighPoint is a growth-oriented firm that provides a unique, differentiated employee culture relative to our Federal market peers. We leverage this growth-oriented and employee-focused culture to attract and retain a higher grade of talent than our peers to be an employer of choice.

HighPoint helps government agencies elevate the citizen experience (CX) by improving the touchpoints through which citizens interact with government. We were founded in 2006 by Ben Lanius with the spirit of transforming how agencies connect with and empower citizens to deliver on mission-critical objectives.

At HighPoint, our focus is on delivering results that matter. We support and modernize our federal customer's mission critical systems and functions. Agility is at our core: it is the mantra that drives us to succeed. We work quickly, analytically and deliver on agency priorities.

HighPoint is a privately held company with a team of over 130 passionate professionals spread across 12 states in the U.S.

HighPoint Digital, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

HighPoint Digital, Inc. will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with HighPoint's legal duty to furnish information.