Grants Management Specialist

Metrics, is bidding on an effort and is searching for a Grants Management Specialists. In this role you will serve as a member of a small contractor team supporting the grants lifecycle. You'll work inside the Electronic Grants Management System (eGMS) — the platform IMLS shares with NEH and NEA — performing administrative review, data entry, panel coordination, post-award monitoring, and reporting. You'll report to the IMLS Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and partner closely with federal Program Officers in your assigned office (OLS or OMS).

Pre-Award Support

• Conduct administrative completeness checks on incoming grant applications
• Prepare draft eligibility analyses for federal staff review and final determination
• Enter and validate application data within eGMS; troubleshoot data anomalies
• Recommend potential peer reviewers and assemble draft panel configurations
• Set up review panels in eGMS, assign applications, and troubleshoot reviewer issues by phone and email
• Prepare panel support materials and documentation packets
• Use OMS First Check and Final Check tools to surface eligibility, completeness, and budget findings
• Draft project descriptions and prepare files for upload

Award Processing

• Prepare datasets, visualizations, and funding recommendation spreadsheets for federal decision-making
• Conduct pre-award budget reviews to surface issues, risks, and inconsistencies

Post-Award Monitoring

• Review interim and final performance reports submitted by grantees
• Document administrative findings and identify compliance issues, risks, or red flags
• Prepare draft monitoring recommendations for federal staff review
• Maintain monitoring logs documenting status, supporting actions, and resolution
• Track grantee reporting compliance and conduct outreach on overdue submissions
• Prepare administrative correspondence templates for grantee outreach
• Process administrative personnel change requests

Data Management and Reporting

• Enter, update, and validate structured data fields in eGMS; recommend corrections to data anomalies
• Prepare datasets and internal tracking reports as requested
• Support Grants to States (G2S) reporting and five-year cycle activities — logging reports, updating statuses, and preparing evaluations and plans for Section 508-compliant web posting

Required Qualifications

• Federal grants lifecycle experience: Minimum two (2) years processing applications and monitoring grant awards for a federal government agency under 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards)
• Program-area specialization (one of the following must apply): demonstrated museum administration expertise (OMS assignments); MLS credential or substantive library program experience (OLS assignments); or tribal eligibility and governance familiarity (tribal program assignments)
• eGMS operator experience: at minimum, six (6) months of hands-on experience using eGMS at the time of contract award. After three months of contract performance, equivalent experience with another electronic grants management system plus completion of IMLS-provided eGMS training is acceptable
• Federal grantmaking process literacy: working knowledge of how grant programs operate inside federal agencies — pre-award through closeout — including federal grants regulations, agency procedural guidance, and the role of inherently governmental decision-making
• Education: Bachelor's degree required; preferred fields include museum studies, library studies, arts, humanities, or sciences
• Software fluency: high proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Teams, OneDrive); high proficiency in Adobe Acrobat Pro (PDF creation, editing, signing, complex manipulation); demonstrated comfort working inside complex proprietary relational databases
• Communication: excellent written and spoken English; demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and professionally about data-oriented and compliance issues
• Work style: detail-oriented; able to work independently following initial orientation; experience being trained and working remotely; able to adhere to firm deadlines
• Home-office infrastructure: reliable internet at ≥30 Mbps and a quiet workspace for confidential work.
• Availability: available for virtual meetings during core hours, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Background and training willingness: ability to complete approved security and confidentiality training, sign an Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement, and complete (or document prior completion of) human-subjects training (NIH course or equivalent within the past five years) before accessing confidential data
• Conflict of interest: ability to certify and maintain no current financial or professional conflicts with grant applicants — yourself, immediate family, or your organization

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct prior experience supporting federal grants management at IMLS, NEH, NEA, or a state library/museum agency that operates inside eGMS
• MLS degree or advanced credential in museum studies or library science
• Tribal program experience or familiarity with tribal governance structures (Native American / Native Hawaiian grant programs)
• Working familiarity with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and federal grant lifecycle terminology
• Experience preparing Section 508-compliant documents for federal web posting
• Working knowledge of the Privacy Act and federal personally-identifiable-information (PII) handling protocols
• Project management experience inside federal grants administration