Program Specialist #1

HighPoint • Washington, DC

3d • $120,000 - $132,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The role of Program Specialist #1 contributes to HighPoint by serving as a senior program and grants management advisor responsible for strengthening recipient capacity, supporting federal grant competitions, and enhancing program performance across DCDDP discretionary and demonstration grant programs.

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge of federal grants management, discretionary grant programs, NOFO development, recipient monitoring, and compliance oversight.
• Expertise in technical assistance delivery, capacity building, organizational development, and performance improvement strategies.
• Strong understanding of federal policies, regulations, and guidance related to grant administration, program implementation, and risk management.
• Exceptional written communication skills with experience developing policy documents, funding announcements, reports, briefing materials, federal correspondence, and operational guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate trainings, webinars, workshops, and technical assistance engagements for diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience conducting program assessments, risk analyses, portfolio reviews, and performance evaluations to support informed decision-making.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across federal agencies, grant recipients, consultants, and community partners.
• Ability to analyze complex programmatic and operational challenges and develop practical, results-oriented solutions.
• Strong project management, organizational, and leadership skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Knowledge of federal information security requirements, records management practices, and compliance standards, including FIPS 199 safeguards.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of targeted technical assistance and training (T&TA) strategies that strengthen recipient capacity, improve performance, and address compliance risks across DCDDP grant programs.
• Develop and implement standardized processes for identifying high-risk recipients, assessing technical assistance needs, matching subject matter experts to recipients, and measuring engagement outcomes.
• Provide specialized consultation, coaching, and capacity-building support to grant recipients, including one-on-one engagements and customized assistance plans.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on discretionary and demonstration grant programs, providing strategic guidance and recommendations to federal leadership, program staff, and external stakeholders.
• Support the development, revision, launch, and administration of Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), including funding announcements, briefing materials, applicant guidance, and grant competition communications.
• Plan and execute outreach initiatives, webinars, workshops, and educational resources that expand awareness of funding opportunities and increase participation among underserved communities.
• Manage and support grant competition activities, including reviewer recruitment, reviewer and panel manager training, panel operations, technical reviews, application assessments, funding recommendations, and applicant eligibility reviews.
• Provide programmatic, policy, and grants administration support, including drafting guidance documents, policy memoranda, federal notices, grants communications, standard operating procedures, and other program documentation.
• Oversee grant portfolios by monitoring recipient performance, supporting risk-based monitoring frameworks, conducting portfolio reviews, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations and program requirements.
• Support organizational operations through stakeholder coordination, executive support activities, event planning, process improvement initiatives, and compliance with federal information security and records management requirements.

Benefits

• HighPoint is a growth-oriented firm that provides a unique, differentiated employee culture relative to our Federal market peers.
• We leverage this growth-oriented and employee-focused culture to attract and retain a higher grade of talent than our peers to be an employer of choice.
• HighPoint Digital, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
• HighPoint Digital, Inc. will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with HighPoint’s legal duty to furnish information.

What This Job Offers

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