Grants Management Specialist

Job Title: Grants Management Specialist

Department: Grants Management

Location: Frankfort, Kentucky

Who we are:

DCMC Partners, a Great Place to Work® Certified company, is a leader in program and crisis management services. Our expertise includes disaster recovery operations support, long-term recovery organization development, strategic consulting, recovery program management, hazard mitigation, grants management, grant application support, and business continuity planning.

Our team has managed response and recovery efforts for nearly every major disaster in the United States over the past 30 years. With a full suite of emergency management services, DCMC Partners helps clients effectively prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from crises and disasters of all kinds.

Position Summary

The Grants Management Specialist supports the administration, financial review, compliance monitoring, reimbursement, reporting, and closeout of federally funded grant and disaster recovery programs. The position will provide support for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) and other federally funded programs, as applicable, and will work closely with state and local government agencies, applicants, subrecipients, project managers, and internal stakeholders.

This role is responsible for reviewing grant applications, reimbursement requests, financial documentation, project records, budgets, invoices, and supporting documentation to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and program requirements. The position will also support project monitoring, resolution of outstanding documentation and compliance issues, and the successful closeout of grant-funded projects.

The ideal candidate possesses strong analytical, financial, accounting, auditing, compliance, and grants management skills, with experience evaluating financial data, invoices, budgets, reimbursement packages, funding documentation, and grant eligibility requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and support the development and submission of Requests for Reimbursement, Requests for Advance, payment requests, grant applications, amendments, and other grant-related submissions.

• Evaluate grant applications, reimbursement packages, and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, allowability, and eligibility.

• Review invoices, budgets, expenditures, payroll documentation, procurement records, and other financial records to validate costs and support reimbursement requests.

• Assess financial and programmatic documentation to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and grant-specific requirements.

• Prepare, review, and maintain grant award documentation, financial records, project files, and supporting documentation.

• Track the status of grant awards, reimbursement requests, project milestones, and outstanding requirements through applicable grant management systems.

• Utilize FEMA Grants Portal/Grants Manager, EMMIE, and other applicable client or grant management systems to research, update, document, and monitor grant-funded projects.

• Monitor and respond to Requests for Information (RFIs), documentation requests, compliance findings, and other outstanding items.

• Research and retrieve supporting documentation from FEMA Grants Portal and other client, state, or federal systems as required.

• Identify missing, incomplete, or inconsistent documentation and coordinate with applicants, subrecipients, project teams, and other stakeholders to resolve deficiencies.

• Monitor project expenditures and funding to identify potential budget issues, unsupported costs, duplication of benefits, or other compliance concerns.

• Support audits, financial reviews, compliance monitoring, site visits, and other program oversight activities.

• Research applicable federal regulations, including 2 CFR Part 200, FEMA policies, program guidance, and state requirements.

• Identify issues, risks, and compliance concerns and communicate recommendations to management.

• Support project teams and clients in achieving grant program objectives and meeting established deadlines.

• Maintain accurate, complete, and well-organized grant files and electronic records in accordance with applicable policies and records retention requirements.

• Maintain confidentiality and security of financial, applicant, and grant documentation.

Grant Closeout Responsibilities

• Review grant and project files to identify outstanding financial, administrative, programmatic, and compliance requirements prior to closeout.

• Conduct closeout reviews to confirm that all eligible costs, reimbursement requests, supporting documentation, and required reports have been submitted and appropriately documented.

• Reconcile awarded funding, approved costs, reimbursements, expenditures, and remaining balances.

• Review final invoices, expenditure documentation, procurement records, and other supporting documentation required for project closeout.

• Identify and resolve outstanding Requests for Information, documentation deficiencies, compliance issues, and other open items prior to final closeout.

• Coordinate with applicants, subrecipients, project managers, government agencies, and internal stakeholders to obtain outstanding closeout documentation.

• Track project closeout milestones and maintain accurate status information in applicable grant management systems.

• Support the preparation and submission of final financial, programmatic, and performance reports.

• Verify that required deliverables, certifications, monitoring requirements, and other grant conditions have been satisfied.

• Support the reconciliation and return of unused or disallowed funds, when applicable.

• Ensure final grant and project files contain all required documentation and are organized in accordance with applicable records retention requirements.

• Document completion of closeout activities and maintain an audit-ready record of the final project status.

• Assist with post-closeout inquiries, audits, monitoring reviews, and documentation requests, as needed.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate grant records, databases, spreadsheets, tracking logs, and supporting documentation.

• Enter and validate financial and programmatic data within grant management systems.

• Prepare grant status reports, reimbursement summaries, closeout reports, financial analyses, and other reporting deliverables as requested.

• Maintain project trackers for applications, reimbursements, RFIs, compliance requirements, deadlines, and closeout activities.

• Track work activities and project time within company systems.

• Support departmental efforts to improve grants management processes, compliance procedures, closeout procedures, and reporting workflows.

Core Competencies

Communication & Collaboration

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, government agencies, applicants, subrecipients, project managers, and internal stakeholders.

• Professional and customer-service-oriented approach.

• Ability to explain financial, grant, and compliance requirements clearly and effectively.

• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced disaster recovery and grants management environment.

Organization & Accountability

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

• Ability to manage multiple grant files, projects, deadlines, reimbursement requests, and closeout requirements simultaneously.

• Ability to prioritize competing deadlines and maintain accurate project records.

• Accountability and ownership of assigned responsibilities.

Adaptability & Problem Solving

• Ability to analyze complex financial, grant, and programmatic information.

• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.

• Ability to identify compliance concerns, documentation deficiencies, and financial discrepancies and recommend solutions.

• Ability to research and interpret federal, state, and program-specific requirements.

• Adaptability in changing funding environments and program requirements.

Technical Proficiency

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and SharePoint.

• Experience utilizing FEMA Grants Portal/Grants Manager, EMMIE, or similar federal, state, or local grant management platforms.

• Ability to perform financial analysis, data validation, reporting, reconciliation, and spreadsheet management.

• Experience working with electronic records management and document control systems.

Qualifications

Education

• Required: High School Diploma or equivalent with relevant grants, finance, accounting, auditing, compliance, or government program experience.

• Preferred: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Grants Management, Emergency Management, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum 2 years of demonstrated experience supporting federal grant programs, grant administration, reimbursement processing, grants compliance, financial management, disaster recovery, or related activities involving governmental agencies, nonprofits, or funding recipients.

OR

• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated experience in Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Financial Analysis, Compliance, Grants Management, or related financial management functions.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting FEMA Public Assistance or other federally funded disaster recovery programs.

• Experience utilizing FEMA Grants Portal/Grants Manager, EMMIE, or similar grant management systems.

• Experience reviewing reimbursement requests, grant expenditures, budgets, invoices, and supporting financial documentation.

• Experience supporting grant monitoring, audits, compliance reviews, and financial reporting.

• Experience with grant project closeout, financial reconciliation, and final reporting.

• Experience working with state, local, or federal government agencies.

• Knowledge of federal grant requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200.

Skills

• Proficiency in FEMA Grants Portal/Grants Manager, EMMIE, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook, SharePoint, and other grant and document management platforms.

• Strong knowledge of financial analysis, grant compliance, budget review, invoice validation, cost eligibility, reimbursement processing, reconciliation, data management, reporting, and financial recordkeeping.

• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a deadline-driven environment.

• Comfortable working with workplace technology and digital collaboration tools.

Additional Requirements

• Must be able to work in Frankfort, Kentucky, with the position structured asin-office, remote, or a hybrid combination, based on project requirements and client needs.

• Ability to occasionally work outside regular business hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed based on project requirements.

• Occasional travel to client, applicant, subrecipient, or project locations may be required based on project needs, business requirements, and operational demands.

• Must be able to work effectively in a disaster recovery and/or high-volume grants management environment.

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS)

• Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM)

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)

• FEMA Independent Study Certifications

• Grant Management Certificate Programs

• Advanced Microsoft Excel Certification

• Emergency Management or Disaster Recovery Certifications

Working Conditions

• Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

• This position may be performed in-office, remotely, or through a hybrid combination, depending on project requirements, client needs, and business operations.

• Occasional evening, weekend, or extended-hours work may be required based on project needs.

Benefits

DCMC Partners offers a competitive benefits package, including: Comprehensive Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and Performance-Based Bonus Incentives.

DCMC Partners Commitment to Diversity

DCMC Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an environment where all employees are treated with respect and provided equal opportunities for success.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veterans

For more information about DCMC Partners, visit: www.dcmcpartners.com/careers