Grant and Procurement Specialist
Grant and Procurement Specialist
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has a Full Time Benefited Grant and Procurement Specialist Position.
This section contains a summary of the main responsibilities and requirements for all Grant & Procurement Specialist positions within BRPC. Specific responsibilities and requirement for individual staff persons are described in PART III.
The main responsibilities of this position are:
The position of Grant & Procurement Specialist is a professional level position which requires a significant amount of time devoted to both routine administrative tasks and complex, compliance related decisionmaking responsibilities for two programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Berkshire County Regional Group Purchasing (BCRGPP). In both programs, the Grant & Procurement Specialist works closely with other staff and the public on a regular basis to provide customer outreach and service on highly regulated program activities. The Grant & Procurement Specialist also tracks and reports on CDBG expenses, and participates in preparing, issuing and tabulating bid documents and drafting contracts for the county-wide group purchasing program.
1. Program / Project Responsibilities:
The Grant & Procurement Specialist may serve as support for multiple planning and implementation projects.
Responsibilities include:
• Under the supervision of the Community & Economic Development Program Manager, organizes and performs tasks related to designated program areas, including the Group Purchasing program, the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation program, and other community and economic development programs, such as the CDBG Covid-19 grant providing relief for low to moderate-income business owners impacted by the crisis.
• Typical responsibilities under CDBG programs may include: serving as the first point of contact for applicants to the CDBG Emergency Assistance to Micro-Enterprise Businesses and to the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program. Working with other program staff and applicants to determine income eligibility and prioritizing projects. Assists in reporting grant information in the Massachusetts Grant Management System (GMS). Duties also include tracking loans, liens and grants made through these programs, tracking contractor invoices and other expenses, participating in the expense approval process, tracking program budgets, file management, and gathering and performing analysis of prevailing wage reports on federally funded construction projects.
• Typical responsibilities under the Group Purchasing Program may include: initiating outreach to municipalities to determine product and materials to be purchased, assisting in drafting bid documents, assisting in bid process, including participating in bid openings and determining winning bids, assisting in drafting contracts with winning bidders, maintaining procurement records, invoicing municipalities, and tracking quarterly reports and payments from vendors.
• Performs occasional work in the field collecting data; occasionally meets with members of the public and with local officials and assists in marketing both CDBG and Group Procurement programs.
• Performs similar tasks in support of other Community and Economic Development programs on an as-needed basis.
• Assists in drafting and compiling required documentation for grant applications.
• Assists and supports public participation in programs and their implementation; assists in facilitating public meetings, assists other program staff as appropriate. Maintains contact information and list serves. Posts meeting and agendas as required by law. Takes and prepares meeting minutes.
Collates and assembles reports and material to be used at meetings.
• Prepares narrative reports and recommendations of varied complexity.
• Completes assigned tasks according to schedule and hour / budget allocations.
2. Overall Agency Responsibilities:
• The Grant and Procurement Specialist assists senior management in the overall functioning of the agency which may include some or all of the following activities:
• Assistance with the development and monitoring of components of the Program budget;
• Provide staff support to agency committees;
• Provide support to ongoing outreach activities, including the agency newsletter and the website;
• Provide support in developing and administering education and training to local elected officials and municipal staff in their area of expertise;
• Provide support to oversee the organization and management of the agency's material related to their area of expertise;
• Communication and coordination with Supervisor and other members of the agency management team;
• The Grant and Procurement Specialist may represent the agency and serve as a spokesperson for BRPC and its programs and policies, particularly with federal, state, regional and local governments, agencies and organizations.
• The Grant and Procurement Specialist participates in the development of CDBG Program and Group Purchasing policy and procedural initiatives.
• The Grant and Procurement Specialist provides technical assistance and guidance to other agency initiatives as well as responds to technical assistance requests from federal, state, regional and local governments, agencies and organizations.
• Maintains automated tracking systems, hard copy files and records
• Provides technical assistance to Berkshire region municipalities related to the designated program area;
• Supports the development of grant applications and provides support material for grant development and project management
The minimum qualifications for this position are:
1. Education and Training:
• Master’s Degree in planning, public administration, accounting, or a related field from an accredited college or university or equivalent combination of experience and training, i.e., Bachelor’s Degree and two years of directly related experience or Associate Degree and four years of experience will also be considered, providing that such experience includes at least 4 years of responsible experience in grant administration, accounting, procurement, office administration, and/or record keeping, or any other equivalent combination of education and experience, as required.
2. Special licenses, registrations or certifications:
• Driver’s license valid for use in the United States;
• Full MCPPO certification and/or designation in MGL 30B procurement is highly valued
3. Knowledge, skills, and abilities of this position:
The Grant & Procurement Specialist should possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Working knowledge of basic accounting practices, as well as general office practices and procedures
• Excellent communication skills, especially the ability to effectively relate to individuals of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic status
• Ability to work with and maintain a high level of confidentiality
• General knowledge of purchasing and/or procurement practices, and ability to interpret and apply Massachusetts municipal procurement laws
• Working knowledge of grant administrative activities, and ability to interpret and apply state and federal regulations related to HUD and CDBG funded programs
• Must be highly organized, skilled with numbers, able to work high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, and to assume official, program-mandated record-keeping responsibilities
• Ability to write effectively, and to contribute significantly to grant proposal activities
• Ability to conduct fieldwork and to participate in public meetings in all parts of the region and to travel outside the region utilizing personal vehicle.
• Ability to complete multiple tasks on time and within budget
• Ability to work on several projects or issues simultaneously
• Ability to work independently or in a team environment as needed
• Must have working proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, including Excel. Knowledge of state and federal reporting systems highly valued
AA/EOE employer.