Senior Grants Manager & Policy Specialist

WESTWOOD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INC•New Orleans, LA

About The Position

The Senior Grants Manager & Policy Specialist supports the development, management, and compliance of federally and state-funded programs. This role oversees grant management activities and develops, interprets, and implements grant policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable requirements, including HUD CDBG-DR, EPA, EDA, DOT, FEMA, and other public funding programs. In a consulting environment, the position serves as a subject matter expert in grant administration, compliance monitoring, risk mitigation, and policy development, providing strategic guidance and technical assistance to municipal, state, tribal, nonprofit, and institutional clients involved in disaster recovery and resilience initiatives. The role manages grant lifecycles and complex grant-funded programs, supports funding pursuits and proposal development, interprets regulatory changes, and creates policies, procedures, and operating guidance. It also conducts compliance reviews and readiness assessments; supports monitoring, audit resolution, internal controls, and corrective actions; and oversees financial management, budgets, expenditures, records, and reporting. The position advises and trains clients, coordinates with internal technical and business teams, mentors staff, contributes to business development, and manages project administration, communications, budgets, deliverables, consultants, and team performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as public administration, finance, or business management.
At least 12 years of experience managing grants, including grants such as CDBG-DR or CDBG-MIT, FEMA HMGP, FEMA BRIC, EPA, EDA, Department of Education, HRSA, ARPA, or IIJA programs.
Proven experience managing federal grants, preferably in a contracting or consulting environment.
In-depth knowledge of federal grant regulations, policies, and procedures, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
Working to proficient knowledge of current federal grant application portals.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Strong financial acumen, including budget development, financial analysis, and reporting.
Understanding of benefit-cost analysis approaches for multiple state and federal agencies.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple grants and deadlines.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including anticipating challenges and proposing solutions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to convey complex information to diverse stakeholders.
Proficiency with grant management software and financial management systems.
Ability to manage and mentor teams and work effectively both collaboratively and independently.
Ability to manage contracts and invoices and prepare accurate work products and reports to project deadlines.
Ability to define and produce deliverables and execute initiatives across grants management programs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant field.
Familiarity with program evaluation methodologies and performance measurement frameworks.
Professional certifications.
Experience managing grants from CDBG, FEMA, EPA, EDA, Department of Education, HRSA, ARPA, and IIJA programs is described as highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Manage the full lifecycle of federal and state grants, from pre-award planning, funding research, proposal development, and budgeting through award acceptance and post-award administration.
Oversee complex grant-funded programs to ensure alignment with award terms, program objectives, and regulatory requirements.
Manage projects and coordinate grant-related deliverables, including applications, compliance documentation, reimbursement packages, data analysis, and performance reports.
Help clients navigate funding processes with federal and state agencies, including reimbursement, documentation, and implementation requirements.
Research funding opportunities and provide strategic guidance on competitive funding pursuits.
Support or lead proposal development, including narrative preparation, compliance reviews, and coordination of supporting materials.
Monitor and interpret regulatory changes, including updates to 2 CFR 200, federal notices, and agency guidance.
Develop, update, and maintain grant policies, procedures, SOPs, policy frameworks, and program guidelines.
Support implementation of grant policies through written guidance, training, and change management.
Interpret and apply federal and state grant regulations and program requirements.
Conduct compliance reviews and readiness assessments covering financial management, procurement, documentation, and reporting.
Support monitoring of subrecipients, finances, procurement, domestic purchasing requirements, and resource recovery processes.
Develop compliance tracking tools, templates, and documentation systems to support audit readiness and funding retention.
Help clients address monitoring findings and audit issues and implement corrective actions.
Identify grant compliance, financial management, and program implementation risks and develop mitigation strategies.
Support internal controls and investigate potential policy or compliance issues, including developing corrective action plans.
Contribute to quality assurance initiatives that strengthen grant management practices.
Manage project administration, contracts, risk management, staffing forecasts, level-of-effort estimates, billing, and accounts receivable.
Maintain ongoing project communications and conduct formal project reviews.
Manage team members and sub-consultant performance and communicate proactively with clients.
Develop and monitor grant budgets; analyze finances, reconcile expenditures, and review costs for eligibility, allowability, and compliance.
Prepare and review narrative and financial reports for funding agencies.
Maintain grant records and documentation for oversight, reporting, and audits.
Advise clients on compliance, funding strategies, eligibility, procurement standards, and cost reasonableness.
Provide strategic guidance on implementation challenges and problem resolution.
Design and deliver training, workshops, and reference materials on grant policies, compliance, and regulatory updates.
Build and maintain client relationships and serve as a primary contact for grant inquiries and technical assistance.
Collaborate with finance, legal, program management, and technical specialists to coordinate grant program delivery.
Mentor junior staff and support knowledge sharing, internal policy development, process improvement, and training.
Support business development through proposals, client engagement, and guidance on resilience, recovery, and infrastructure funding.
Define project scope and develop documents setting out objectives, plans, requirements, estimates, schedules, and budgets.
Ensure estimates of time, cost, performance, and materials are accurate and meet program requirements.
Review deliverables and provide quality control and quality assurance; modify plans and schedules as needed.
Coordinate project communications with internal and external stakeholders.
Manage staff and sub-consultant performance and expectations, including formal and informal feedback.
Oversee consultant and sub-consultant invoices and accounts payable for assigned projects.
Track time and budget against project baselines and review and approve line-item budget expenditures.
Perform other duties as assigned.