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Executive Director - Office of Grants Administration & Compliance

Director, Department of Education

Recruitment #22-005054-0002

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Introduction

The Maryland State Department of Education is dedicated to supporting a world-class educational system that prepares all students for college and career success in the 21st century. With excellent stewardship from our divisions, we oversee State and federal programs that support the needs of a diverse population – students, teachers, principals, and other educators throughout Maryland.

GRADE

State Salary Grade 25
Salary Range: $120,938 - $155,248 
*State Salary Guidelines apply for current State employees.

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS

LOCATION OF POSITION

Nancy S. Grasmick Education Building
200 West Baltimore Street 
Baltimore, MD 21201

Main Purpose of Job

The Executive Director of the Office of Grants Administration and Compliance reports to the Assistant State Superintendent for Financial Planning, Operations, and Strategy. This Office leads the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE’s) efforts related to all grant programs and includes the Federal Program Coordination Branch and Special Fiscal Programs Branch. The Office oversees full life cycle of grant-making including the program design and application processes; ensures all MSDE program offices employ a high-quality, rigorous grant application review process; curates and provides grant administration resources and trainings to MSDE program offices -- including rubric toolkits, monitoring resources, and trainings related to high-quality grant application review and the use of developmental evaluation to enable implementation of high-quality grant programs. The Office ensures consistent policies and procedures in grant program design and administration across all MSDE program offices so that MSDE grantees have a consistent, user-friendly experience, and one that ensures MSDE’s grant program investments produce effective and desired outcomes for students of Maryland in support of the MSDE’s implementation of the multiyear strategic plan and the Blueprint for Maryland’s future. This Office works to provide necessary guidelines to LEAs, childcare providers and other grantees to assist with implementation effort while increasing program quality of federal programs. The office accomplishes this work through the unification of application systems, implementation of consistent processes for making programmatic and/or budgetary adjustments, and deployment of consistent systems of monitoring, compliance, and reporting for LEAs.

The Executive Director will lead the Office team toward accomplishing the program’s goals and is responsible for ensuring the Office of Grants Administration and Compliance approaches internal and external stakeholders with a customer-service mindset focused on delivering excellent support.

POSITION DUTIES

Provides leadership, direction, and coordination for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the MSDE-administered grant programs in service-level based timelines.
  • Recommends fiscal and programmatic components of the programs, operations and potential areas of refinement and improvement.
  • Leads and coordinates processes for all MSDE grant programs.
  • Manages and leads program staff to ensure thorough program administration and excellent customer service and engagement with the internal and external stakeholders, including MSDE program teams and local education agency staff.
  • Monitors and approves reports to ensure the outcomes are consistent with grant purposes. · Approve grant applications, award recommendations, and program budgets and formula allocations. 
  • Establishes and maintains current, standard operating procedures for all grant programs, including application processes, rubrics, expectations for grant administration and monitoring, and the collection, review, and timely submission of any required grant reporting.
  • Assist program staff with grant program administration, including application design, application rubric design, the actual reviewing and scoring of submitted applications ensuring MSDE maintains responsiveness and timely turnaround time to local education agencies for all grant programs. · Ensures that the Office of Grants Administration and Compliance properly collects and retains data and tracks all MSDE grant programs to ensure that the Assistant State Superintendent for Financial Planning, Operations, and Analysis so MSDE Senior Leadership have on-demand access and insight to MSDE grant programs, grant program timelines, and grant program status.
  • Oversees the coordination of the fiscal component of grant monitoring for the Division-based program staff.
  • Ensure that grant opportunities, grant evaluations, and grant reports are accessible and available to MSDE’s public stakeholders. 
  • Leads Office efforts in developing and implementing monthly training and professional development opportunities for MSDE staff in order to ensure that all program offices are aligned on grant program expectations and best-practices in grant development, administration, monitoring, and grantee support.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:  A Bachelor’s degree in education, public administration, finance, or related areas from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Five (5) years of experience in managing and administering grant programs for non-profit or education related entities. One year of this experience must include supervising and coaching professional staff. 

Note:
Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master’s degree or the equivalent of 36 credit hours of post-baccalaureate course work for two years of the required experience directly related to the position.

SELECTIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Documented track record of managing and leading grant programs and initiatives.

DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate is a strong writer with an eye for detail. This position completes final review on documents that make their way to Senior Leadership and the State Superintendent of Schools. Documents at this stage of approval should reflect MSDE’s stylistic and content guidelines and expectations and should be ready for publication. Candidates for this role must possess the ability to manage competing priorities while honoring the urgency of the work without sacrificing product or customer service quality.

Preference will be given to applicants who possess the following preferred qualification(s). Please include clear and specific information on your application regarding your qualifications.
  • Knowledge, equal interest in, and aptitude for both programmatic and fiscal elements of best in class grant program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and compliance and reporting
  • Knowledge of grant program budgeting, common program allowable spending provisions and related terminology (e.g. supplement vs. supplant)
  • Knowledge of various types of grant program reporting and reporting requirements, including specific requirements associated with federal grant reporting
  • Strong interest in and sense of responsibility for ensuring that MSDE grant program investments direct change, shape grantee policy, and drive results for students, children, and families
  • Skill with problem solving and innovative, systems-thinking
  • Skill with articulating and implementing systems and processes
  • Ability to be open to thinking outside the box
  • Ability to apply detailed attention to all work activities and maintain that attention to detail while working with urgency amidst competing priorities.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must consent to State and FBI (CJIS) background check as a routine procedure for all employees.

SELECTION PROCESS

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified. The resulting list of qualified candidates will be in effect for at least one year.

BENEFITS

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants must complete the MD State Government online application for employment -AND- submit their professional resume. The application and resume must clearly demonstrate that the applicant satisfies the minimum qualifications for the position. Applications must be complete to be considered including all related job duties, even if those are also listed on an attached resume. Additional required materials may be uploaded with the online application, submitted to the fax number, or mailed to the address listed. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications can be obtained from the link below and be faxed to 410-333-8950 or mailed to MSDE Office of Human Resources, 200 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. If there is a supplemental questionnaire, this must be completed and sent in with your paper application. Postmarks will not be accepted.

Inquiries can be made to 410-767-0019, TDD 410-333-3045. Appropriate accommodations can be made for individuals with disabilities. If you have difficulty with your user account or have general questions about this online application system, please contact the MD Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and Examination Division at 410-767-4850. TTY Users: Call via Maryland Relay.

Proof of eligibility to work is required in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Any misrepresentation of academic or experience requirements for this position may result in non-selection or termination of employment.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees who are reflective of the State’s diversity. Individuals with disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. We thank our Veterans for their service to our country.

All application materials must be received in our office by the Closing Date.

Appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available upon request.




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