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Working Title: Grant Specialist Coordinator / Grants Monitoring Specialist Coordinator

Job Class: Grants Specialist Coordinator

Agency: Housing Finance Agency

• Job ID : 83148

• Location : St. Paul

• Telework Eligible : Yes, with intermittent trips to the office and other work locations. Teleworking employees are required to live in Minnesota or in a state bordering Minnesota.

• Full/Part Time : Full-Time

• Regular/Temporary : Unlimited

• Who May Apply : Open to all qualified job seekers

• Date Posted : 01/09/2025

• Closing Date : 01/23/2025

• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit : Housing Finance Agency / Housing Finance-MAPE

• Division/Unit : Housing Stability

• Days of Work : Monday - Friday

• Travel Required : No

• Supervisor : Rinal Ray

• Salary Range: $32.99 - $48.93 / hourly; $68,883 - $102,165 / annually

• Classified Status : Classified

• Bargaining Unit/Union : 214 - MAPE

• FLSA Status : Exempt - Administrative

• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : Yes

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

Minnesota Housing is hiring! We’re a mission-focused financial institution looking for a Grants Monitoring Specialist who will fulfill our grant monitoring compliance obligations and will be responsible for conducting monitoring activities related to Housing Stability and Multifamily Division grants. The position will serve as a new team member on the grant’s operations team for the Housing Stability Division. This position is responsible for overseeing the effective implementation and compliance of grants awarded by Minnesota Housing’s Housing Stability and Multifamily Divisions. This position requires a thorough understanding of the organization’s grants management policies, procedures, and guidelines and the Office of Grants Management (OGM) policies. The Grants Monitoring Specialist will work closely with program managers, Agency grants management, legal, finance teams, and risk management teams. With external partners, the Grants Monitoring Specialist will ensure proper utilization of grant funds, adherence to reporting requirements, and achievement of program objectives.

The programs this position will support include, but are not limited to, the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP), Bridges, Housing Trust Fund (HTF), Homework Starts with Home (HSWH), and High-Rise Sprinkler Program.

Essential Job Duties

• Project manage Division level grant and contract monitoring, which includes annual calendars, schedules, assignment of monitoring activities, and reporting on monitoring activities.

• Collaborate with various program teams, providing feedback on ways to improve the program procedures based on information learned during monitoring.

• Analyze reimbursement requests from grantees for adherence and conformance to program requirements.

• Process advance payments and reimbursement payments; enter payments into Housing and Development Software (HDS).

• Stay abreast of Office of Grants Management and Agency grants management and monitoring policy changes and how that may affect monitoring visits and development.

• Work collaboratively with the Division grants operations and Agency grants management team to ensure agency-wide policies and rules are being followed.

• Work with grant operations and program managers to implement policies at a division level and serve as a liaison to program managers on current policy changes. This includes creating or updating templates, 1:1 or group conversation and/or coaching.

• Coordinate program staff and others involved in monitoring activities to keep schedules, communication, and activities on track and aligned with policy and practice. Perform Organizational, Financial and Program monitoring for a variety grant programs.This includes conducting monitoring at grantee and administrator offices throughout the State of Minnesota and by a desk-top review method. This may include travel up to 25% of the time (10% in the metro and 15% that includes overnight travel in greater Minnesota) Communicate with grantees in a respectful, culturally responsive, clear, and supportive way to further program and monitoring goals.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

To be qualified for and considered for this position, applicants must meet all of the minimum qualifications listed below. Ensure that your resume contains descriptions of your work experiences sufficient for comparison against the requirements stated below and indicate the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.

Only applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for this position.

• Three (3) years professional experience in program or grant monitoring, quality control reviews, compliance audit experience, contract management with vendors, or program management.

• A Master's degree may substitute for 18 months of experience; a Bachelor's degree may substitute for one year of experience; OR an Associate’s degree may substitute for six months of experience. Relevant degrees include Finance, Economics, Accounting, Public Affairs, Public Policy, Federal Affairs, Nonprofit Management, or Business.

• Ability to develop a thorough understanding of program related policies and procedures and apply that knowledge in evaluating, problem solving and making sound judgments related to the performance of a vendor in compliance with those policies and procedures.

• Technical skills and proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel used to communicate and schedule meetings with administrators and document the results of the monitoring activities for internal and external use.

• Demonstrated excellent customer service, consultative and communication skills with internal and external partners sufficient to relay the reasoning for findings, identify options for remediation, and discuss process improvements.

• Understanding of grants management principles and OGM policies.

• Demonstrated organizational and time management skills and attention to detail.

• Cultural competency skills as demonstrated by communication and interaction across cultures and awareness of one’s own world view and acknowledgment that different world views exist.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) years’ experience in program or grant monitoring, quality control reviews, compliance audit experience, contract management with vendors, or program management with a Minnesota Housing partner administering Housing Stability grant program(s) or in a financial services organization that performs similar functions.

• Strong understanding of grants management principles and OGM policies and experience applying them.

• Project management experience or certification. Experience with Salesforce as a grants management system.

• Our employees are dedicated to ensuring cultural responsiveness. Preferred candidates will have a variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures.

Physical Requirements

A certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties.

Additional Requirements

This position requires successful completion of the following:

• Reference Checks.

• Job related background checks.

• Conflict of Interest Disclosure.

• Driver’s License Check.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us . Please indicate what assistance is needed.