Senior Public Assistance Consultant

About the role

The Senior Public Assistance Closeout Consultant / Specialist leads the closeout of FEMA Public Assistance (PA) projects for state, local, tribal, territorial, and other eligible applicants. This is a senior, closeout-focused position: the primary function is to move obligated projects — including the largest, most complex, and most stalled in the portfolio — through final reconciliation, closeout package development, and closeout submission to timely, defensible completion.

This role is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and sound professional judgment. The senior consultant owns a closeout portfolio end to end, makes and defends eligibility and cost determinations on complex projects, resolves the issues that stall closeout, and serves as a closeout subject-matter resource to applicants, the Recipient, and less-experienced team members. While the position supports the broader PA lifecycle as needed, closeout leadership is the core of the job.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage a portfolio of PA projects through the closeout phase, driving obligated projects — including large, complex, and high-value projects — to timely, defensible final completion.
• Own and manage a portfolio of PA projects through the closeout phase, driving obligated projects — including large, complex, and high-value projects — to timely, defensible final completion.
• Reconcile obligated versus actual costs, determine and process the amendments and versions needed prior to closeout, and support deobligation or adjustment of unexpended or ineligible funds.
• Prepare, review, and approve complete and accurate closeout requests and packages for large project, small project, and RPA (Recipient-level) closeout.
• Independently resolve outstanding documentation, cost, and eligibility issues that hold up closeout, coordinating with applicants, FEMA, the Recipient, and specialists to clear them.
• Prioritize a closeout pipeline: proactively identify projects ready for — or stalled in — closeout, triage by risk and deadline, and work them to completion.
• Make and defend eligibility and cost-reasonableness determinations on complex closeout matters, and prepare files that withstand FEMA, state, or federal audit.
• Serve as a closeout subject-matter resource — providing guidance and quality review to applicants and to less-experienced consultants, and helping set closeout standards and processes for the team.
• Assist applicants with closeout submissions in FEMA Grants Portal, including final documentation, uploads, and closeout-related project records.
• Lead and support responses to FEMA Requests for Information (RFIs) issued during the closeout process.
• Maintain closeout trackers, status reports, and issue logs, and report closeout progress and risks to project leadership.
• Advise applicants on FEMA closeout requirements, documentation standards, deadlines, and PA policies.

• Assist applicants with the identification, documentation, and evaluation of disaster-related damages and emergency response costs.
• Conduct or support site inspections and damage assessments, including documenting facility conditions, dimensions, quantities, photographs, and supporting information.
• Assist with development and validation of Damage Descriptions and Dimensions (DDDs), Scopes of Work (SOWs), and cost estimates.
• Evaluate potential eligibility of facilities, work, and costs in accordance with the Stafford Act, 2 CFR Part 200, FEMA PA policy, PAPPG, and applicable state requirements.
• Support project formulation for both emergency work and permanent work, including FEMA PA Categories A–G.
• Collect, organize, review, and reconcile supporting documentation such as invoices,…