Federal Grant Specialist

This position is grant-funded and requires in-person work in Tallahassee, FL.

About the role

The Institute for School-Community Partnerships, Integrated Services, and Child Mental Health and Educational Policy (ISCP), part of the College of Education, envisions that all schools in Florida and nationally will have the capacity to provide a safe, effective, and efficient environment to continuously improve the academic, social, and emotional growth of all students and to actively engage families and communities in education. The ISCP’s nearly $23 million budget is derived from grants from federal, state, and private sources. Its mission is to implement and evaluate research-based and innovative practices in school and community settings through training, technical assistance, and support to key partners; community-engaged research and program evaluation; development of research- and evidence-based documents, tools, and resources; and supporting the infrastructure and capacity of key partners to implement and evaluate federal and state educational policy.

The Federal Grant Specialist provides support for federal programs and Strategic Improvement initiatives through grant management processes, including implementing new grant application procedures, reviewing grant applications, monitoring awarded grants, and reporting data from grant programs. The specialist must interact professionally with all stakeholders while demonstrating, modeling, and reinforcing the Department's fundamental values of quality, fairness, cooperation, respect, commitment, excellence, honesty, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Reviews applications from sub-grant recipients, including plans, budgets, and deliverables.
• Evaluates applications and uses own judgement to determine if sufficient documentation and evidence of specific grant requirements has been provided.
• Provides feedback and guidance to assigned school districts to ensure all steps involved in the annual renewal process for grantees are completed and recorded by the stated deadline.
• Monitors districts and schools to ensure compliance with sub-grant rules, requirements, and processes.
• Performs on-site compliance monitoring activities for identified districts.
• Ensures that districts meet specific requirements as evidenced in plans, budgets, documentation, etc. submitted as part of the application process.
• Provides guidance and support to school districts to ensure that compliance with grant requirements is well documented.
• In conjunction with FDOE personnel, maintains compliance with all applicable federal and state grant requirements.
• Communicates updates to and applies statutes, rules, regulations, non-regulatory guidelines, technical assistance papers and reports, United States Department of Education program directives, state board rules, and other requirements related to the administration of grant program(s).
• Prepares reports for external evaluators, auditors, and the United States Department of Education.
• Collaborates with FDOE, school, and district stakeholders to develop and implement plans, processes, and professional learning opportunities to build stakeholder capacity and facilitate more effective and efficient grant submissions, compliance, and program implementation.
• Attends national and state conferences and meetings.
• Serves as a resource for FDOE, school, and district stakeholders to help navigate adherence to grant requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a field directly related to the program responsibilities and two years of professional experience; or Master's degree in an area of specialization appropriate for the program.
• Degree should be in education, business, or related field.

Degree Equivalency (Senate Bill 1310)

Four years of direct experience may substitute for a bachelor’s degree. SB 1310 allows public employers to include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to years of direct experience, not to exceed: two years for an associate degree; four years for a bachelor’s degree; six years for a master’s degree; seven years for a professional degree; or nine years for a doctoral degree. Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration. Minimum qualifications requiring a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.

Preferred Qualifications

• Grant management experience needed to carry out essential job duties.

Required Background Checks

• Criminal History Background Check – Level 1
• Criminal History Background Check – Level 2

Skills

• Able to establish and maintain well-organized, efficient systems
• Knowledge of data management and record keeping
• Knowledge of grants
• Able to use discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Strong interpersonal skills that lead to an effective working relationship with all stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to meet tight deadlines, balance multiple and competing priorities, and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel, and Word programs

Benefits

USF offers a first-class benefits package including medical, dental, and life insurance plans; retirement plan options; employee and dependent tuition programs; generous leave; and hundreds of employee perks and discounts. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities.