Are you obsessive with details and extremely well organized? Do you like to write and do research? Are you passionate about helping everyone in our region thrive? The East Central Iowa Council of Governments is seeking a Grant Administration Specialist to join the ECICOG team. This position writes and administers a variety of state/federal grants. These grants provide important funding for community projects throughout our six-county region. Don’t worry about the funny acronyms in the job description – we will provide training to help the successful applicant learn the federal grant process!

Join our small but powerful team! We value service, flexibility, teamwork, “can-do” spirit, and love for our communities and region. Our team members enjoy excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance, participation in the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) and a generous PTO program. Once the training period is completed, ECICOG employees have the option to work from home two days a week.

The Grant Specialist position requires a minimum of three years of office experience. A bachelor’s degree and/or experience with grants is preferred but not required. There are occasional evening meetings and the incumbent must possess a valid Iowa driver’s license.

Position Purpose

The Grant Administration Specialist advances our region and local communities by writing and administering federal, state and private grants that provide funding for critical initiatives. This position reports to the Housing Director and receives work direction from the Grant Administration Team Lead.

Responsibilities

1. Tracks grant progress and prepares all forms, including supporting documentation, as required by grantors. Maintains grant records to ensure a successful monitoring outcome.
2. Collects, examines and organizes compliance documentation for CDBG-DR projects for Davis Bacon & Related Acts, and Section 3. Conducts on-site worker interviews and payroll examination for Davis Bacon compliance.
3. Determines income eligibility for applicants, working with them to obtain necessary documentation for the verification of income and assets.
4. Conducts environmental reviews including noise calculations, Section 106 Reviews, review of floodplains, underground tanks, and explosive/flammable hazards.
5. Prepares grant reimbursement requests with supporting documentation as required by each funding source.
6. Maintains positive relationships with funding organizations. Meets with elected officials, grant awardees, project contractors and lending organizations on grant requirements.
7. Writes grant narratives and prepares grant packages.
8. May assist with other housing department or ECICOG initiatives such as rehabilitation program management or code enforcement.
9. Provides general office support.
10. Supports ECICOG’s reputation as a regional leader.
    • Works to continuously improve ECICOG’s reputation, services and deliverables. Understands that doing relevant, high-quality work and generating revenue are both important to sustaining the organization.
    • Stays current on community development and housing issues. Looks for opportunities to broaden skill set.
    • Shares technical expertise with other team members within organization. May provide work direction to less experienced staff.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to assess situations in a way that is objective and based on relevant information.
• Comfortable writing and interpreting technical documents.
• Ability to work on several projects or issues simultaneously.
• Ability to manage projects efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to prioritize workload and work independently.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Willingness to support the work of other teammates and departments as required.
• Experience writing and administering grants is preferred.

This position attends occasional evening meetings. The incumbent must possess a valid Iowa driver’s license.

 

Successful candidates will model ECICOG’s core values of service, flexibility, teamwork, “can-do” spirit, and love for our communities and region.