Dutech’s Job

The Grants Financial Specialist will monitor grant budgets, draft contracts and purchase orders, review invoices and reimbursement requests, and grant specific financial reporting at the state and federal levels. This is a contract to perm role. 

 The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks to hire a Grants Financial Specialist (hereafter, Specialist) to provide budgetary oversight of a variety of state and federal grants the Municipal Collaboration Department implements. Specific duties include detailed monitoring of grant budgets, drafting contracts and purchase orders, reviewing invoices and reimbursement requests, as well as grant specific financial reporting at both the state and federal levels. This position will provide an excellent opportunity for responsibility, learning, and career growth. The Specialist will partner with the Municipal Collaboration Department’s Director in this work. This position is an integral part of an interdisciplinary team that works to advance public safety initiatives, as well as to bridge the digital divide, throughout the Commonwealth.

RATE: $35.96 - $38.96/hr. On W2

About MAPC

MAPC is the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) serving the people who live and work in metropolitan Boston. Our strategic priorities involve sustainable development, advancing equity, regional collaboration, and creating a climate-friendly region. We are guided by our regional plan, MetroCommon2050: Shaping the Region Together. MAPC’s staff includes approximately 100 full-time employees located in downtown Boston in a transit-accessible and bike-friendly office. 

MAPC has a hybrid schedule, 2 days in the office and 3 days remote.

 About the Department:

The Municipal Collaboration Department specializes in assisting local governments to work more efficiently at the local level, and to work regionally by partnering with each other and private entities such as hospitals and public safety associations to make our communities safer. Our statewide team of experienced professionals provides planning, procurement, budgeting, reporting, administrative, project development, and contractor, vendor and project management services for the following initiatives:

Serves as fiduciary for the Commonwealth’s four homeland security regions and associated regional advisory councils, managing grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security via the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). MAPC provides additional support to one of these councils, the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council (NERAC), serving as the program manager and facilitator of that group.

Serves as the Sponsoring Organization for the Region 3 Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (HMCC), a regional collaborative effort designed to strengthen and promote emergency preparedness and response capabilities of the region’s health entities and to share resources. This work is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health - Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Oversees the Metropolitan Mayors Community Safety Initiative (CSI), a collaborative effort of 8 communities in the metropolitan Boston region. The CSI is funded by EOPSS and brings together regional law enforcement and prevention partners to combat youth violence and gang involvement through law enforcement, job training, and after-school programs.

Implements MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program, which is funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at the MassTech Collaborative under the Municipal Digital Equity Partnership, to support public housing agencies and affordable housing developers to build free access Wi-Fi networks for residents.

We welcome to our staff team intelligent, thoughtful, and entrepreneurial professionals who are committed to improving the quality of life in Metro Boston and beyond.

Responsibilities (including but not limited to):

The Grants Financial Specialist will be responsible for the financial monitoring of the state and federally funded programs identified above. This oversight includes budget monitoring, reconciliation, and reporting, as well as the development and review of contracts, purchase orders, invoices and other required financial and legal documentation related to these programs. This is a position where attention to detail and the ability to multitask is key. The Specialist will work with other members of the team to ensure each completed project is in compliance with all federal and grant specific requirements.

Specific duties will include:

Manage homeland security, HMCC, Shannon Grant, and MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program budget spending to grant guidelines, monitoring and reviewing allocations of funds and grant balances;

Draft contracts and purchase orders, using provided templates for MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program and assist in this task as needed for the homeland security, HMCC, and Shannon Grant programs.

Review vendor invoices and requests from municipal departments for backfill and overtime reimbursement for accuracy before payments are made and ensure appropriate use of funds with timely payment of all vendor invoices and reimbursement requests related to the homeland security, HMCC, Shannon Grant, and MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program grants; and

Complete MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program and HMCC grant reporting requirements to ensure compliance and responsiveness to grant guidelines and requests.

Qualifications:

Candidates for this position should have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or another related field and a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience such as financial oversight of state or federal grants OR a Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or another related field and 1 year of relevant work experience.

Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) certification preferred.

The successful applicant will demonstrate all or most of the following skills:

Knowledge of federal government grant processes and systems;

Prior experience in public purchasing processes and budget management at the local or state level;

Ability to proactively set priorities and multi-task without compromising attention to detail;

 Required / Desired Skills

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in grants financial oversight – Required
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in budget management – Required
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in project management – Required
• Knowledge of federal government grant processes and systems – Required
• Advanced computer skills, including proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, and Adobe – Required