Grant Program Specialist

State of Utah Office of the Governor • Taylorsville, UT

1d • $28 - $32 • Onsite

About The Position

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is hiring a Grant Specialist in our Marketing and Economic Development Division. The selected individual will be responsible for the administration of federal grants, including the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program, the USDA AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program, and helping with the CMS Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The incumbent will also provide information about funding resources available to Utah farmers, ranchers, and food businesses; may aid the department in acquiring additional grant funding; and other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Broad background in grant administration, the ability to interpret federal regulations, and technical writing.
• Experience working in government.
• Experience managing Federal grants.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Ability to manage budgets and produce reports
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in both independent and team capacities
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to provide technical assistance and interpret and communicate federal and other grant requirements to potential applicants and award recipients
• Ability to identify measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with marketing, communications, or public speaking
• Experience working with farmers and/or small businesses
• Has a passion for supporting local agriculture and food businesses
• Thrives in a detail oriented role with excellent communication and program management skills including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Has experience working with federal grants.
• Has experience with or an understanding of working with small businesses, research institutions, and/or federal organizations.

Responsibilities

• Administration of the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant and the USDA AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program: Write, review, and/or negotiate grants, contracts and/or agreements. Work with applicants and awardees to ensure compliance for federal, state, and local grant requirements. Ensures all required aspects of the contract are completed according to specifications and to contract requirements. Ensure UDAF compliance with all federal requirements. Work closely with UDAF Finance to ensure integrity, accuracy and control of data. Provides technical assistance and contract interpretation to contractors. Meets and confers with management, users, and contract providers to resolve problems and coordinate services. Monitors agency or program budget including revenues, expenditures and budget projection, etc. Process grant applications. Produce accurate and timely reports. Process invoices from awardees. Perform project audits and site visits to ensure compliance with grant requirements. Facilitate communication between awardees, federal partners, and UDAF. Market the program to increase public awareness and applications.
• Report to UDAF Grant Program Manager to assist in the administration of the Rural Health Transformation Program: Assist in developing, directing, and evaluating the program. Perform program outreach and monitoring to project applicants and recipients, including traveling as needed. Work with applicants and awardees to ensure compliance with all grant requirements. Ensure all required aspects of the contract are completed according to specifications and to contract requirements. Ensure UDAF compliance with all federal requirements. Provide technical assistance with grant process as needed Meet and confer with management, users, and contract providers to resolve problems and coordinate services. Provide consultation, makes recommendations, gives appropriate advice, and/or facilitates decisions related to public information. Monitor and evaluates operations, programs, processes and/or practices for quality and effectiveness; makes recommendations for improvement. May assist in processing grant applications, contracts, producing reports, and processing invoices from awardees. Perform project audits and site visits to ensure compliance with grant requirements. Facilitate communication between awardees, federal partners, and UDAF. Market the program to increase public awareness and applications.
• Other: Provide information and technical assistance to agriculture and food businesses on available financial resources including federal, state, and local grants, lending opportunities, and grants offered by UDAF. Assist UDAF in meeting strategic goals by researching and procuring additional grant funding. Advise UDAF leadership on federal and other grants available to the Department and to local agriculture and food businesses. Work collaboratively with the Marketing and Economic Development Division team across other projects as needed.

Benefits

• Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
• Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
• Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed