Finance Program Specialist V

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Austin, TX

23h • $4,523 - $5,889 • Hybrid

About The Position

Performs advanced (senior-level) finance grant development, coordination, and administrative work. Provides consultation and technical assistance requiring specialized knowledge of federal and state finance and grant administration with a focus on managing the federal grant portfolio of grants and budgets in the HIV/STD Section (HSS) within the Infectious Disease Prevention (IDP) Division of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Analyzes detailed, technical, and instructional text, makes recommendations, and provides guidance on financial soundness for both new and renewal grant opportunities. Organizes and leads cross-functional workgroups; establishes strong working relationships with colleagues under strict timelines for the successful outcome of grant activities such as creating and verifying budgets, coordination of grant funding needs and agency goals, identifying grant funding-related objectives, attending meetings, and responding to any information requests. This position will be responsible for gathering and analyzing information on overall grant project costs, preparing the budget and any necessary budget revisions, tracking expenditures, and providing regular updates on budget status. This position will be required to ensure that work plans, deliverables, timelines, and due dates are completed despite other competing priorities. The position works under the minimal supervision of the HIV/STD Finance and Contracts Group Manager in the HIV/STD Section (HSS) in the Division for Infectious Disease Prevention (IDPD) with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

• Knowledge of grants and contract management practices.
• Knowledge of grant writing, preparation, processing, and management.
• Knowledge of public administration and management techniques.
• Knowledge of program planning and implementation.
• Knowledge of budgeting processes and/or financial management/accounting
• Knowledge of training techniques.
• Knowledge of basic English and grammar.
• Skill in the use of various software applications such as SharePoint, MSWord, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and Grants Tracker Database.
• Skill in grant preparation, development, evaluation, and monitoring.
• Skill in report writing.
• Skill in budget development and monitoring.
• Skilled in dealing tactfully with other people.
• Skilled in managing high-stress situations and multiple competing deadlines.
• Skilled in designing, creating, and publishing forms, tables, graphs, documents, and spreadsheets.
• Skilled in effective decision-making.
• Ability to interpret guidelines, policies, procedures, and regulations
• Ability to evaluate fiscal data for reasonableness, necessity, and conformity with grant requirements
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts.
• Ability to devise solutions to problems.
• Ability to develop and evaluate policies and procedures.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and meet work deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, staff, management, other state agencies, key stakeholders, and the public.
• Ability to work independently on difficult or complex business tasks with minimal supervision.
• Ability to evaluate situations and make judgment decisions on time.
• Experience in financial analysis
• 1-year experience in Financial Monitoring, Funding/Resource Allocation, Budget, Accounting, Grants, Administration or other financial experience is required.
• Experience in Microsoft Office products.
• Experience in preparing financial reports and correspondence regarding findings.

Nice To Haves

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, business administration, finance, economics, or a related field is generally preferred.
• Experience and education may be substituted for one another on year-to-year basis.
• Prefer experience providing consultative/technical assistance to management and staff.
• Prefer experience in Financial Systems

Responsibilities

• Performs highly advanced (senior-level) financial budget work, providing guidance and technical assistance requiring specialized knowledge of federal and state finance budgeting and grant administration and policies for the application, administration, and monitoring of grants, policies, and procedures, including providing resolutions to grant-related issues and concerns.
• Reconciles, reviews, and analyzes budget applications and internal budgets for completion and alignment with strategic goals.
• Responsible for any updates and reporting of changes in financial data.
• May review the work of other team members before delivery to the Finance Manager.
• Analyzes detailed, technical, and instructional text to make recommendations and provides guidance on successful financial grant development and submission for both new grant opportunities and renewal opportunities, including internal appropriated funding.
• Identifies stakeholders for the cross-divisional team that will have primary responsibility for developing and tracking grants and programs supported by all funding sources.
• Leads cross-functional workgroups for timeline development, program budget development, document preparation of budget detail, including any updates or changes, maintains specific roles and responsibilities to support specific outside partners, and develops procedures for completing identified unique requirements of the funding needs.
• Proactively applies subject matter experts’ knowledge of additional federal and state laws, rules and regulations, policies, and procedures necessary for normal HIV/STD Unit operations for financial support.
• Identifies funding issues to present to the Finance Group team and the Manager, recommending solutions working collaboratively in a fast-paced multisystem of partners for workable solutions.
• Exercise continuous improvement, verifying all funds are compiled accurately and per the notice of funding opportunity; reporting and documenting financial activities with accuracy and careful review and analysis of the compiled budgets; adhering to the notice of funding opportunity, federal and state law, State laws and procurement rules and regulations, and DSHS and HHSC policy and are approved by the Finance Manager.
• Actively monitors current funds within the HIV/STD Unit, performing actions such as communicating across agency departments and ensuring required documentation.
• Working in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities, advising program staff by providing technical assistance and consultation regarding specific procedures, approvals, documentation, stakeholders to include and activities to be completed for successful funding applications and financial distribution.
• Leads meetings both internal and cross-functional to monitor progress toward deliverables and adherence to budget and procurement rules providing technical assistance.
• Coordinates and submits financial status reports required by the Finance Manager.
• Required to maintain strict adherence to tracking and monitoring funding for the internal Finance Group systems including external financial systems reconciliation.
• Financial and program reports are to be updated as required.
• Assists leadership in responding to CDC, legislative, and stakeholder inquiries and requests related to grants.
• Prepares budget reports and revisions and coordinates the review and analysis of project costs and expenditures.
• Compiles and analyzes reports to illustrate individual project revenue, expenditures, state match, and maintenance of effort requirements to facilitate decision-making and fiscal oversight for internal and external stakeholders.
• Compiles data for detailed, comprehensive, routine, and specialized analysis, reports, and projects to provide the Finance Manager with a thorough understanding of grant or appropriated funding for decision-making purposes.
• Assists the HIV/STD Operations Unit Director and HIV/STD Prevention Unit Director by contributing to the design, development, coordination, and presentation of training regarding law, rule, regulation, policy, and procedures, and cradle-to-grave management of fiscal management to achieve HIV/STD Section goals with a trained and knowledgeable workforce.
• Assists leadership with the development of policies, procedures, and financial tools.
• Organizes and maintains the records and files electronically by expertly using hardware and software applications, including MS Word, Outlook, SharePoint, MS Excel, Power BI, MS Access, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and PowerPoint.
• Maintains source documents for all work products and financial information reported.
• Integrates other duties or workload as assigned; serves on workgroups or service improvement teams, as required; identifies and assembles documentation to support federal and state auditors as requested by the HIV/STD Finance Manager and HIV/STD Operations Director.
• Collaborate with colleagues to continually review, improve, and/or ensure the integrity of funding information.
• Monitors customer satisfaction with all partners.
• Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency's obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or continuity of operations (COOP) activation.
• Primary role as subject matter expert during active Legislative Session and Finance Group peak times of activity.
• Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.
• Consistently complies with DSHS HIV/STD Section, local, state, and federal guidelines.

Benefits

• insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS)

What This Job Offers

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