Financial/Contractual Specialist

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

1d•$5,099 - $8,305•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is a temporary, time-limited grant-funded position in response to the 2025 Central Texas Floods declaration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) grants to fund mental health assistance and training activities provided in counties following a presidentially declared disaster. These grants are based on local needs and developed in collaboration with local mental health and behavioral health authorities (LMHAs/LBHAs) in the affected regions. The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) administers the CCP using a bifurcated structure, comprising both programmatic and fiscal components. Under the direction of Disaster Behavioral Health Coordination’s (DBHC) CCP Program Manager, this position is responsible for ensuring the CCP federal funds are budgeted, expended and reconciled according to HHSC, FEMA, SAMHSA and TDEM requirements and award specifications. This position will work in close collaboration with the CCP team members to ensure grantee planning and response practices are consistently coordinated. The Financial/Contractual Specialist will deliver financial technical assistance and guidance to CCP contractors and ensure that appropriate accounting codes are set up and utilized to track and monitor budget and expenditures in HHSC’s contracting and accounting systems. This position may assist with financial audits to confirm appropriate and allowable expenditures. The position tasks include maintaining a monthly expenditure report as a means of tracking provider and state expenses for state and federal reporting and inquiries; notifying the Program Manager of any budget or expenditure issues; and requesting approval of budget modifications and extensions. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Work involves planning, developing, coordinating, and implementing journey-level financial management and technical assistance, both remotely and onsite, to manage the federal disaster funding.

Requirements

Knowledge of overall program, including federal and state guidelines, regulations, programs, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of contracts, funding, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of public administration and management techniques and program management processes.
Skill in responding to disasters in a behavioral health environment and working within grant parameters.
Skill in project management; work with multiple stakeholders, and provide oversight to contracted vendors.
Skill in using personal computer application software such as Visio, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MS Project or similar programs.
Skill in written and oral communication, including the ability to make public presentations and write technical information in an understandable format.
Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems; to conduct sophisticated research; to prepare reports; to develop, evaluate, and interpret policies and procedures.
Ability to work cooperatively as a team member in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
Ability to function as financial support to the CCP Manager to ensure federal funds are budgeted and expended according to the FEMA & SAMHSA requirements and award.
Ability to provide financial technical assistance to contractors as appropriate.
Ability to travel 30% or as needed to conduct onsite technical assistance and quality management visits, attend mandatory training and strategic planning meetings.
Ability to work hours other than 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; nights, weekends and holidays to accomplish grant and agency deliverables.
Current Driver’s license
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in accounting, business administration, finance or a related field preferred.
One year of experience in grant management, budgeting, and financial management.
Application indicates the willingness to travel up to 30%.
Application indicates willingness to work beyond normal work hours of 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Nice To Haves

Graduate education may be substituted for a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

Provides journey-level financial management and technical assistance to manage federal disaster funding, supporting the CCP team, contracted CCP providers, and the Disaster Behavioral Health Coordination Director.
Ensures federal funds are budgeted, expended, and reconciled according to HHSC, TDEM, FEMA, and SAMHSA award requirements.
Provides financial technical assistance and guidance to CCP contractors, ensuring appropriate accounting codes are set up and utilized to track and monitor budget and expenditures in HHSC’s contracting and accounting systems.
May assist with financial audits to confirm appropriate and allowable expenditures.
Maintains a monthly expenditure report as a means of tracking provider and state expenses for state and federal reporting and inquiries; notifies the Program Manager of any budget or expenditure issues; and requests approval of budget modifications and extensions.
Develops and manages contracts, processes invoices, and completes closeout for the ISP and RSP by planning, developing, coordinating, and implementing senior-level financial management and technical assistance.
Ensures timely contract development, management, payment, and grant closeout.
Oversees compliance with federal disaster program policies and procedures, statutes, and rules according to HHSC, FEMA, and SAMHSA requirements and award.
Delivers federal disaster consultative services and technical assistance to DBHC leadership related to planning, implementing, and monitoring of related programs and services.
Oversees others who analyze legislation to develop recommendations for policy and programmatic issues relating to the implementation, improvement, and/or expansion or reduction of federal disaster funding.
Designs, develops, coordinates, implements, and oversees studies and analyses of operations and problems and the preparation of reports of findings and recommendations, federal disaster surveys and reviews to determine compliance with certification requirements, laws, regulations, policies, and related procedures.
Determines trends and resolves operational problems relating to federal disaster funding.
Prepares federal disaster reports and studies and performs specialized research projects.
Prepares and evaluates federal disaster budget requests.
Performs related work as assigned.