Director, Federal Grants

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA

13h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) seeks a Director of Federal Grants reporting to the Deputy CFO in the Finance Department. The Director works with multiple Departments within the organization such as the Department of Unemployment Assistance, Department of Career Services, and other EOLWD agencies. The Director of Federal Grants provides strategic leadership and institution-wide oversight of the federal grants portfolio, ensuring federal funding activities align with organizational priorities and comply with applicable federal regulations, award requirements, and institutional policies. The Director establishes the policies, internal controls, risk-management practices, and operational standards that govern federal grant development and administration. Serving as the institution’s senior resource for federal grants, the Director advises executive leadership on funding opportunities, portfolio performance, compliance risks, and emerging federal requirements. The position provides oversight of complex, high-risk, and institutionally significant awards; leads responses to significant audits and compliance matters; and collaborates with Finance, Budget, Procurement, Legal, and program leadership to strengthen grant management and organizational accountability. The Director leads and develops the federal grants team, including oversight of the Federal Grants Manager, and builds institutional capacity through training, technical assistance, process improvement, and effective grant management systems. The position also represents the institution with federal agencies and external partners on strategic grant matters and promotes the effective pursuit, administration, and stewardship of federal resources.
Note: This position would be expected to follow a hybrid model of reporting to work that combines in-office workdays and work from home days, as needed.

Requirements

• At least five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in financial management work (i.e. budgeting, accounting, auditing, management analysis, program evaluation, financial reporting of program results)
• At least one (1) year of the above experience must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity
• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience
• A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience
• A Graduate degree or higher in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required experience

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the institution’s federal grants portfolio, aligning federal funding opportunities with institutional priorities and long-term goals.
• Develop and implement an institution-wide strategy for identifying, pursuing, administering, and sustaining federal funding.
• Advise executive leadership on federal funding opportunities, grant portfolio performance, emerging requirements, compliance risks, and other matters affecting federal grants.
• Evaluate federal funding opportunities in collaboration with institutional leadership and departments to determine strategic alignment, organizational capacity, financial implications, and potential risks.
• Establish priorities, goals, and performance expectations for the federal grants function and evaluate progress toward those objectives.
• Represent the institution with federal agencies, governmental partners, and other external stakeholders on strategic or significant grant matters.
• Provide institution-wide leadership and oversight for compliance with federal grant requirements, including applicable Uniform Guidance requirements, award terms and conditions, and institutional policies.
• Develop, implement, and periodically evaluate policies, procedures, internal controls, and governance practices for federal grant development and administration.
• Establish a risk-based framework for monitoring federal awards and, where applicable, subrecipients to identify and address financial, programmatic, operational, and compliance risks.
• Provide guidance on complex or significant federal grant compliance matters and coordinate resolution with Finance, Legal, Procurement, Budget, program leadership, and other institutional offices.
• Oversee institutional responses to significant federal monitoring activities, audits, findings, questioned costs, corrective action plans, and other compliance matters.
• Monitor changes in federal grant regulations, policies, and agency requirements and ensure institutional policies, procedures, training, and practices are updated accordingly.
• Establish standards for grant documentation, records retention, reporting, monitoring, and closeout to support institutional accountability and audit readiness.
• Provide executive-level oversight of the federal grant portfolio, including award performance, compliance status, financial and programmatic risks, reporting obligations, and significant grant-related issues.
• Establish performance measures, dashboards, and reporting standards to assess the institution’s federal grant activity, portfolio health, and compliance performance.
• Partner with Finance, Budget, Procurement, Legal, and program leadership to ensure appropriate coordination of financial management, procurement, contracting, indirect costs, matching requirements, and other grant-related activities.
• Review and provide direction on high-risk, high-value, complex, or institutionally significant federal awards, agreements, amendments, and funding matters.
• Identify systemic grant administration issues and lead cross-functional efforts to strengthen processes, internal controls, systems, and organizational capacity.
• Provide executive leadership with analyses and recommendations regarding federal grant performance, resource needs, organizational risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead and develop the federal grants team, including supervision, performance management, professional development, workload prioritization, and assignment of responsibilities.
• Provide direction and oversight to the Federal Grants Manager and other assigned staff, ensuring effective administration and monitoring of the institution’s federal grant portfolio.
• Establish institution-wide training, technical assistance, and communication strategies to strengthen grant management knowledge and compliance.
• Promote consistent grant management practices and effective collaboration among departments responsible for federally funded programs.
• Assess staffing, systems, training, and other resource needs necessary to support effective federal grant administration.
• Serve on working groups/committees, and initiatives related to federal funding, compliance, resource development, and strategic priorities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Work occasional evenings or extended hours as necessary to address federal grant deadlines, significant compliance matters, or other time-sensitive responsibilities.

Benefits

• Outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package
• Work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director