Grants Specialist

Grants Specialist

Under the general direction of the Assistant City Manager/Grants Administrator or designee, performs advanced professional work involving the research, development, administration, monitoring, and compliance of federal, state, local, and private grant-funded programs and projects. The Grants Specialist manages all phases of the grant lifecycle, including funding opportunity identification, grant application development, award administration, financial reconciliation, reimbursement management, performance reporting, compliance monitoring, and grant closeout. The position serves as a liaison between City departments, funding agencies, consultants, and community partners to ensure the successful implementation of grant-funded projects and programs. The Grants Specialist assists in developing and maintaining a citywide grants management system that promotes compliance, accountability, transparency, and effective stewardship of public funds. The Grant Specialist will collaborate with various departments to gather information and create compelling proposals/applications that align with our mission and organizational priorities. The City seeks an ambitious and highly capable grants professional who is committed to excellence, continuous learning, and exceptional customer service. The successful candidate will demonstrate accountability, sound judgment, initiative, innovation, strong organizational skills, adaptability, exceptional attention to detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to manage complex projects with minimal supervision. As the City's grants program continues to expand, this position will play an important role in strengthening organizational grant capacity and supporting a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance. This position is expected to develop expertise in both pre-award and post-award grant management and may assist in mentoring future grants staff as the City's grants program expands.

Grant Research and Development

• Research, identify, and evaluate federal, state, regional, nonprofit, and private funding opportunities.
• Monitor funding trends, legislative developments, and grant programs that support City priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Assist departments in determining project eligibility and competitiveness for funding opportunities.
• Research, prepare, gather, organize data, and conduct research studies, technical reports, statistics, Census Information, and data for the preparation of state and federal grants.
• Coordinate and facilitate grant planning meetings with City departments.
• Assist in developing grant strategies to support long-term organizational goals.
• Prepare grant opportunity summaries, funding analyses, and recommendations.
• Maintain a comprehensive grant opportunity database and grant development calendar.

Grant Writing and Proposal Development

• Coordinate the preparation and submission of grant applications, proposals, letters of intent, letters of support, and supporting documentation.
• Develop compelling narrative content, project descriptions, budgets, schedules, and performance measures.
• Collaborate with departments, consultants, and partners to collect data and supporting information.
• Review grant applications for completeness, accuracy, compliance, and competitiveness.
• Evaluate environmental information, complete environmental assessments for programs and projects as required by state, federal, and local regulations.
• Assist in developing project work plans, implementation schedules, and performance objectives.
• Ensure applications meet funding agency requirements and submission deadlines.

Grant Administration and Compliance

• Administer awarded grants throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Interpret and apply federal, state, local, and private grant regulations and requirements.
• Ensure compliance with grant agreements, funding conditions, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Establish and maintain grant files and documentation in an organized and audit-ready format.
• Monitor grant performance, milestones, deliverables, and reporting requirements.
• Conducts review and revision of program policies to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements and ensures the effective administration of the city's contracts, grants, programs, and projects.
• Track grant expenditures and budget performance.
• Assist departments with grant development, implementation, and regulatory compliance.
• Support grant audits, monitoring visits, and program reviews.

Financial Management and Reimbursements

• Coordinate grant reimbursement requests and financial reporting.
• Monitor grant budgets and expenditures for compliance with funding requirements.
• Reconcile grant expenditures with project budgets and approved funding agreements.
• Assist Finance staff and departments with grant accounting and financial documentation.
• Review supporting documentation to ensure eligibility of costs and reimbursement requests.
• Track grant revenue, matching requirements, and project budgets.

Reporting and Performance Monitoring

• Prepare and submit required progress, performance, reimbursement, and closeout reports.
• Track project outcomes, performance measures, and grant deliverables.
• Collect and analyze programmatic and financial data.
• Develop grant status reports, dashboards, and performance summaries.
• Provide regular reports to City leadership regarding grant activities and funding status.
• Maintain grant reporting schedules and ensure timely submissions.

Departmental Support and Capacity Building

• Serve as a resource to City departments regarding grant requirements and funding opportunities.
• Provide technical assistance and training related to grant administration and compliance.
• Develop grant management procedures, templates, guidance documents, and best practices.
• Coordinate grant liaison meetings and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Assist in developing and maintaining citywide grant policies and procedures.
• Promote continuous improvement in grants management processes.

External Relations

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with funding agencies, community partners, consultants, and stakeholders.
• Represent the City in meetings with grantors, funding agencies, and partner organizations.
• Respond to inquiries from funding agencies and project partners.
• Assist with partnership development and collaborative funding opportunities.

Other Duties

• Assist in the development and implementation of citywide grants management policies, procedures, training programs, and organizational capacity-building initiatives.
• Perform related duties and special projects as assigned.
• Attend professional development and grant management training.
• Support emergency response and disaster recovery grant activities as needed.

Secondary Job Functions

• Performs related work as required
• Performs special assignments as requested
• Exercise regular and predictable attendance and punctuality in accordance with the City of Bullhead City's Personnel Policies and Procedures

Minimum Qualifications

• Any combination of education, training, and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the essential functions of the position. Typical qualifying backgrounds may include experience in grants administration, grant writing, project management, public administration, budgeting, accounting, finance, economic development, planning, compliance, program administration, or related professional fields.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Grants Administration, Social Services, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Planning, Political Science, Communications, or a closely related field.
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in grants administration, grant writing, project management, budgeting, finance, public administration, economic development, planning, or related professional work, of which two (2) years included direct experience developing, administering, or managing grants, contracts, or special projects.
• Professional experience in grant administration, grant writing, grant compliance, project management, budgeting, or related work.
• Experience working in local government, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, or grant-funded programs.
• Experience administering federal or state grants.
• Familiarity with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), federal reimbursement programs, and grant compliance requirements.
• Grant Professional Certification (GPC), Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS), or similar credential.

Special Job Requirement/Licensing & Training

• Must possess a valid State Driver's License and maintain said license while employed in this position.

Physical Requirements

• Work is performed primarily in an office environment.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written form.
• Occasional travel for meetings, site visits, conferences, training, and grant-related activities.
• Ability to attend evening meetings as necessary.