State of Maryland

An Agency Grants Specialist Lead is the lead level of work evaluating grant proposals, distributing grant monies and monitoring and reporting on grant programs. Employees in this classification do not supervise, but do assign, review and approve the work of and train lower-level Agency Grants Specialists.

Employees in this classification receive general 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 Lead is differentiated from the Agency Grants Specialist II in that the Agency Grants Specialist Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains Agency Grants Specialists while the Agency Grants Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. The Agency Grants Specialist Lead is differentiated from the Agency Grants Specialist Supervisor in that the Agency Grants Specialist Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Agency Grants Specialists.

Assigns, reviews and approves the work of lower-level Agency Grants Specialists;

Trains lower-level Agency Grants Specialists;

Provides advice and guidance to lower-level Agency Grants Specialists concerning unusual problems in the evaluating and monitoring of grants;

Instructs grant applicants on the proper way to complete grant forms;

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

Participates in the negotiation of grants;

Recommends cost containment measures and changes to grantees’ budgets;

Maintains up-to-date records on grant awards and expenditures;

Monitors and approves grant expenditures;

Distributes grant monies;

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

Analyzes past and present grantees’ budgets to determine if costs are appropriate;

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

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

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

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions 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. 

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

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 not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.