State of Maryland

An Agency Grants Specialist Trainee is the entry level of work evaluating grant proposals, distributing grant monies and monitoring and reporting on grant programs. Employees in this classification do not supervise other Agency Grants Specialists.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from an Agency Grants Specialist Supervisor or higher-level administrator.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Agency Grants Specialist Trainee, Agency Grants Specialist I and Agency Grants Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Agency Grants Specialist Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision. The Agency Grants Specialist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Agency Grants Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to instruct grant applicants on the proper way to complete grant forms;

Learns to review grant applications and budget proposals to determine financial stability and adherence to established policies and procedures;

Learns to participate in the negotiation of grants;

Learns to recommend cost containment measures and changes to grantees' budgets;

Learns to maintain up-to-date records on grant awards and expenditures;

Learns to monitor and approve grant expenditures;

Learns to distribute grant monies;

Learns to prepare reports regarding grant expenditures that are used to make budget projections;

Learns to analyze past and present grantees' budgets to determine if costs are appropriate;

Learns to meet with program staff to discuss appropriateness of services to be provided by grantees;

May learn to communicate with federal, State, local or private foundations to research funding opportunities for grants;

May learn to provide training to departmental and community units regarding developing and implementing grant opportunities;

Performs other related duties.

Ability to learn the principles and practices of business and public administration, budgeting and governmental appropriations accounting;

Ability to learn the analytical procedures and techniques and mathematical concepts used in evaluating and monitoring agency grants;

Ability to learn the Maryland State procurement processes;

Ability to learn to interpret and apply laws, rules, regulations and policies related to agency grants;

Ability to learn to apply various technical guidelines and methodologies in deciding among various alternatives for the resolution of grant issues;

Ability to learn to organize and present accurate and concise reports of findings, conclusions and recommendations related to agency grants;

Ability to learn to use computers and the software related to the management and administration of agency grants;

Ability to learn to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, agency program staff and grantees.

Experience: Four years of experience in grant evaluation and monitoring or budget preparation, presentation and execution.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in the Budget Officer classifications or Financial Management specialty codes in the Budgeting field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience. 

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.  

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.  

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation. An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.    

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and   class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the   Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.