OPS Special Grants Specialist

OPS Special Grants Specialist -

The Florida Division of Emergency Management plans for and responds to both natural and man‑made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. FDEM is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.

FDEM serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state's efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, the FDEM manages the State Watch Office; the 24‑hours a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide.

After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the State of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds.

This position serves as a Special Grants Specialist for the Special Grants Unit in the Bureau of Recovery. The Special Grants Unit is responsible for managing disaster recovery grants and appropriations programs including, but not limited to Recovery Block Grants, Local Match Waiver Program, and the Legislative Appropriations Programs. Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Assist the Special Grants Supervisor with administration, management, and closeout of special grants and programs, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal and state laws.
• Manage all aspects of contract/grant management, including preparation of funding agreements, processing of requests for reimbursement, and monitoring project agreements.
• Assist the Special Grants Supervisor in providing oversight of FDEM contracted staff that provides technical, fiscal, and grant management assistance to sub‑recipients related to the receipt and use of federal and state funding.
• Review all workflow documentation submitted by contractor staff to ensure the technical correctness, numerical accuracy, and completeness before submission for payment approval or closeout.
• Assist with reviews and validations of applicant documentation, as it relates to the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (F‑ROC) program.
• Assist supervisor with tracking ongoing audits.
• Provide technical assistance relating to the receipt and use of federal and state emergency management funding to assure the completion of activities specified in the contracts awarded by the bureau.
• Ensure all records are maintained and relevant correspondence recorded in the appropriate database(s).
• Prepare required reports regarding the status of awarded agreements.
• Maintain an automated logging system for tracking all agreement payments.
• Prepare required financial reports, as assigned.
• Perform assigned duties during State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) activation in support of emergency response and recovery efforts.
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

In response to emergency events, Florida Division of Emergency Management employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee's position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to understand, interpret, and apply relevant Florida Administrative Code, Florida Statutes, and Code of Federal Regulations as well as FDEM policies and procedures related to contract/grant development, contract/grant management, and payment processing procedures.
• Ability to provide technical assistance to state and local governments and other entities on contracts/grants and payments.
• Abi…