Grants Management Specialist

These positions are loocated in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Grants Management (OGM). The OGM is responsible for providing centralized services to ETA program offices for federal assistance (grants management) to ensure effective and uniform implementation of Federal and Departmental procurement and assistance regulations and guidelines within ETA.

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

Qualifications:

For the GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-09 includes ALL of the following:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc; and
• Experience analyzing grant policies and/or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations.

OR
Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying specialized experience for GS-11 includes ALL of the following:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience evaluating and researching a variety of sources such as regulations, policies, and/or directives in order to make gram program interpretations;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc; and
• Experience analyzing grant policies and/or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations.

OR
Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related.

OR
Combination of experience and education: Possess a combination of specialized experience as described above AND graduate education as described above, which when combined would equate to at least 100%.

For the GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

To qualify at the GS-12 you must have experience in any of the following areas working with workforce development programs (youth, apprenticeship, adult, dislocated workers, older workers, homeless) through grants/cooperative agreements.

In addition to the requirement above, you must have at least five of the six specialized experience statements below:

• Experience working with grants/cooperative agreements programs by providing grants-related assistance and services covering the grant life cycle;
• Experience evaluating and researching a variety of sources such as regulations (e.g. Uniform Guidance), policies, and/or directives in order to make grant program interpretations;
• Experience developing formal written recommendations to senior leadership based on research and interpretation of authoritative sources such as program regulations, directives, Curriculars, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), etc.;
• Experience analyzing grant policies or procedures to provide recommendations to improve grant program operations;
• Experience developing and providing training (technical assistance) to internal and external stakeholders on grants management including fiscal and administrative topics;
• Experience participating or leading workgroups or program teams on projects.

Education Requirements: There is no education substitution at the GS-12 level.

Responsibilities:

This is a career ladder progression position; the duties described below are at the full performance level, GS-12. If selected at a grade below GS-12, the incumbent will serve in a developmental capacity, wherein the work is less complex in nature and the supervisor or a senior level employee provides specific instruction and guidance.

Major Duties at the GS-12 grade level:

• Works on grants management and cooperative agreements for one of several major grants programs within the ETA; participates in the administration of grant/cooperative agreements including, but not limited to technical panel reviews of applications, building grant awards, modification reviews and processing, assisting with financial reporting, researching policy questions, resolving audits or performing closeout duties.
• Performs work in the development of federal assistance objectives for applicable programs in compliance with governing regulations federal assistance standards.
• Supports grantee financial reporting by responding to questions, conducting training, reconciling e-grants reports and assisting with system enhancements; reviews and analyzes closeout documents.
• Communicates with grantees regarding any closeout deficiencies and submits final closeout packages to the Closeout Grants Officer for approval; forwards audits assigned to grantees for response.
• Reviews and analyzes documentation submitted by grantees. Prepares Initial and Final Determinations within specified timeframes for approval by the Grants Officer; responds to various inquiries including - formal protests/appeals, congressional inquiries, program office fiscal or regulation interpretations and grantee questions.
• Prepares position papers/answers questions relating to the overarching program legislations, federal assistance regulations or other application laws/regulations.
• Performs grants management and cooperative agreement administration typically including incremental funding, reviewing and preparing modifications, reviewing and processing grant extensions and incorporating grant revisions into the grant agreement.
• Assists with the preparation/review/publication of Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), developing and incorporating language for the FOA to ensure compliance with assistance requirements and merit review procedures; receives and controls applications.
• Provides guidance to program officials, grants applicants and recipients in the interpretation, application and implementation of applicable laws and regulations, policies, procedures pertaining to all aspects of federal assistance program activities, e.g., grants, cooperative and interagency agreement planning and solicitation through program administration, expiration and closeout, etc.
• Participates in various meetings and conferences in the field and at headquarters where grants and cooperative agreement items are discussed; may serves as a trainer for grantee orientations or workshops.
• Develops planning of negotiation strategy, participates in negotiations conducted with grantees to develop the budget and grants terms and assists in the preparation of award document for signature.
• Responds to official written inquiries from members of Congress, other federal agencies and instrumentalities of the Federal Government, public and private organizations, and interested citizens concerning specific questions about individual grants managed and/or general questions about the intricacies of grants management and federal assistance activities.

Salary : $70,623