Technical Assistant, Grants and Related Programs

Grant Technical Assistant

Under the direction of the Chief Equity and Innovation Officer, this position provides central support for the Howard County Public School System's grant initiatives, facilitating collaboration between internal staff, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and community stakeholders. The role is responsible for the technical and administrative support for grant awards, from assisting with applications and reporting to maintaining detailed budget trackers and processing financial transactions within the Workday system.

By providing technical assistance and reviewing diverse datasets, including financial, demographic, and academic metrics, the Technical Assistant will support compliance with regulations while driving continuous improvement in grant management and resource allocation.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Five years of administrative support/clerical experience including experience monitoring budgets, performing account reconciliation, and creating financial reports.

Experience requirements may be met by substituting education (up to a bachelor's degree) for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• Experience using Workday or similar enterprise-wide accounting software.
• Experience with budget and grant management including reporting and compliance.
• Experience providing technical support to internal and external stakeholders and using independent judgement to solve problems.
• Experience working with a variety of stakeholders in a public school system.

Essential Position Responsibilities

• Collaborates with, and liaises between, fiscal and program teams to establish, maintain, and communicate key information and processes for grant award budgeting and expenditures.
• Initiates, processes, and tracks grant-funded requisitions, purchases and invoice payments in Workday.
• Ensures grant-funded procurement processes comply with applicable federal, state and local guidelines.
• Provides technical assistance and administrative support to grant managers, grant project managers, and fiscal clerks.
• Analyzes financial, demographic, workforce, attendance, and academic data and determines inconsistencies to support continuous improvement in grants management.
• Assists with annual development of grant applications.
• Assists in ongoing state and federal grant reporting.
• Collaborates on shared projects both within the division and across the school system.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, including community partners.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge

• Thorough understanding of federal (EDGAR/2 CFR 200), state, and local grant regulations, including procurement standards and allowable costs.
• Knowledge of governmental accounting principles, specifically regarding budget formulation, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting.
• Proficiency in enterprise resource planning software, specifically Workday, for requisitioning, purchasing, and invoice processing.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data sets, including demographic, workforce, attendance, and academic metrics used for educational evaluation.
• Knowledge of the grant application lifecycle and the administrative requirements for state and federal reporting.

Skills

• Advanced skill in using Workday or similar financial management platforms to track complex fiscal cycles.
• Analyzes large datasets to identify inconsistencies, trends, and areas for continuous improvement in program management.
• Expert interpersonal and liaison skills, acting as a bridge between technical fiscal teams and program-oriented teams to ensure mutual understanding.
• Strong organizational skills used to provide technical assistance to grant managers and fiscal clerks.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for reporting results and collaborating with community stakeholders.

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively within a diverse division to align shared policies and goals.
• Meticulous attention to detail and ability to ensure all procurement and financial actions remain strictly compliant with varying regulatory guidelines.
• Ability to detect fiscal inconsistencies and develop proactive solutions to improve grant management efficiency.
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with stakeholders, community members, and external partners.
• Ability to manage multiple grant timelines and reporting deadlines simultaneously while maintaining high levels of accuracy.