GRANTS RESEARCH SPECIALIST

Essential Duties

• Conduct research to identify and assess sources of available grant opportunities provided through public and private agencies.
• Create summaries and provide recommendations to management on available funding opportunities for new or existing programs and initiatives to support or enhance department operations.
• Prepare grant applications and write grant proposals, including the development and writing of program narratives, budgets and budget narratives, and timelines for program implementation.
• Review completed grant applications to ensure proposed programs are in compliance with grantor's funding requirements.
• Accept grant awards in accordance with city grant guidelines.
• Monitor grant funded programs and work with program staff to monitor their implementation and to ensure compliance with funding source reporting requirements.
• Evaluate program proposals submitted by agencies for funding and make recommendations for the allocation of funds and the selection of agencies based on established criteria.
• Communicate with grantors.
• Attend workshops, seminars, and other training to enhance occupational skills and to gather information on available grant opportunities.
• Attend operational and administrative hearings to enhance their knowledge and understanding of public safety agency needs and operations.
• Represent the department at public hearings and community meetings regarding grant funded programs and project initiatives.
• Cook up with other city departments in the set-up, administration, and implementation of grants.

Additional Duties

May Be Required For This Position.

Department

Office of Public Safety Administration

Division

Grants

Address

3510 S Michigan Ave – Public Safety Headquarters

Shift

Monday through Friday

Hours

8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Days Off

Saturday and Sunday

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a directly related field.
• Plus two (2) years of grants preparation, community outreach, or project management experience.

Selection Requirements

• This position requires applicants to complete an interview.
• The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.
• Selected Bidders will be hired in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement.
• Preference Will Be Given To Candidates Possessing The Following Previous Experience:
• Previous experience with federal and state grant projects.
• Previous experience with competitive grant writing.
• Previous experience identifying and securing new funding sources for programs.
• Previous project management experience.
• Previous experience in a position which requires preparing reports, budgets and grant applications.

Department of Human Resources Staff

Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable.

Placement on an Eligibility List

Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

Commitment to Diversity

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders.

Application Evaluation

Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date.

All References to Political Sponsorship or Recommendation

Must be omitted from all application materials submitted for city employment.

Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf