Grants And Contracts Specialist

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is hiring!  We are seeking qualified individuals to fill two Grants & Contracts Specialist positions. The Connecticut Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch houses the Drinking Water Section (DWS), which provides technical assistance, education, and regulatory enforcement to approximately 2,400 public drinking water systems in Connecticut that utilize 150 reservoir systems and 4,000 groundwater sources to provide public drinking water to approximately 2.9 million people on a daily basis. The DWS is entrusted to protect and promote healthy people in healthy Connecticut communities by assuring the use and distribution of high-quality public drinking water for human consumption. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides funding for infrastructure improvements for public water systems in Connecticut, including drinking water lead service line removal and treatment of emerging contaminants.  This position is necessary to support approximately $430,000,000 in Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) funding that DPH will be receiving from the BIL over the next 5 State Fiscal Years (2023-2027). The administration of the grants associated with the BIL are the responsibility of the DPH Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch’s Grants & Administration Unit.  Additionally, multi-year contracts established with BIL funding will be overseen by this position. 

Under the direct supervision of a Supervising Environmental Analyst, these positions will be responsible for duties that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Performing specialized duties in the area of federal grants management, including oversight of programmatic, fiscal, and compliance aspects
• Initiating contracts, drafting language, and monitoring contract deliverable submissions to ensure compliance with program mandates and DPH policy
• Identify contract needs, goals and define measurable outcomes in collaboration with management, administration and contractors
• Planning, monitoring, and evaluation of grant funding levels
• Evaluating new funding opportunities and leading the application process
• Preparing grant related and programmatic reports, including the collection of data from multiple sources
• Drafting Fiscal Impact statements for pending legislation, as necessary, as it relates to impacts to EHDW Branch programs
• Developing and tracking grant deliverables for multiple programs
• Monitoring use of grant monies awarded to agency to ensure adherence to all terms and conditions
• Coordinating with internal and external partners, including DPH Fiscal and Contracts & Grants Management staff
• Develop and maintaining effective programmatic and financial controls
• Leading other staff as assigned

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy, preventing disease, injury, and disability, and promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

These Grants and Contract Specialist positions are permanent, full-time,40 hours per week positions based out of Hartford, CT. A flex schedule may be permitted following the successful completion of a working test period, including opportunities for an alternate work schedule and/or teleworking in accordance with State policies.

We offer a competitive benefits package, excellent health care, generous leave policies, retirement plan, and more!  We also encourage a healthy work-life balance to all employees!

**This salary range may increase effective July 1, 2022.

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.  

Due to the volume of applications anticipated, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account. 

Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience most closely meet the preferred requirements of the position. At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.  

Please Note: You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 

Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. 

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

This position may be subject to Federal requirements for COVID 19 Vaccination Immunization. 

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Chelsea Moore at Chelsea.Moore@ct.gov

In a state agency, this class is accountable for performing as a specialist in planning, implementation, management and evaluation of a large complex grant program or group of programs in one field where responsibilities are assumed for program development, liaison and coordination with federal, state and community agencies and organizations, program implementation and administration, program monitoring and assessment.

Performs specialized related duties in the area of grants management; performs research to support the application for or the disbursement of grants including needs analysis, literature review and regulations critique to identify problems and determine priorities; develops alternatives; gathers information related to program area; develops goals and objectives, evaluation standards, timetables, other program components and department policy for program area and individual projects; prepares grant proposals; monitors use of grant monies awarded to agency to ensure adherence to all terms and conditions; facilitates direct grant process; provides technical assistance and acts as resource person to grantees; evaluates program proposals and applications for conformance with regulations and state goals; recommends funding; prepares contracts and agreements related to grant activities; monitors and assesses ongoing programs for conformance to reporting requirements, general budget and timetable guidelines and program effectiveness; prepares quarterly and annual reports and statewide annual plan or section of plan related to program local area; attends meetings of appropriate state, local and regional organizations and performs other liaison functions to coordinate efforts in program area; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of grant preparation and administration; considerable knowledge of program evaluation and monitoring functions; knowledge of research methods and techniques; some knowledge of budget preparation and monitoring; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; ability to utilize computer software; some supervisory ability.

Seven (7) years of experience in planning, implementation and/or management of grant programs on a community, state or federal level.

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
2. A Master's degree in a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

• Experience with federal grant management, including oversight of programmatic, fiscal and compliance aspects
• Experience drafting contract language, implementing contracts and monitoring contract deliverables
• Experience meeting administrative and programmatic federal grant conditions
• Experience evaluating funding, including preparing budget projections
• Experience working collaboratively with internal and external partners
• Experience developing and maintaining effective programmatic and financial controls

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.