DEPT OF EMERGENCY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

Papago Park Military Reservation (PPMR), Phoenix, AZ

Salary: UP TO $24.7086 per hour (DOE) 

Grade: 19

Closing Date: March 6, 2026

The Grants Project Specialist performs essential financial and cost-auditing functions, including coordinating grants and managing program processes and procedures. This role oversees federal and state program funds and manages related tasks for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP). The Specialist monitors training expenses and conducts monthly reconciliations of SHSGP and the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness(HMEP) grant, as well as the financial monitoring of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP, HMGP-Post Fire), the Emergency Operations Center Grant Program, National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and the Emergency Management Preparedness Grant (EMPG). The role involves collaboration with agency staff and coordination with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to design, develop, modify, and implement agency projects and programs. The position involves assisting in preparing funding proposals and grant applications, managing fiscal controls, and developing comprehensive operating procedures, plans, and manuals. The Grants Specialist skillfully interprets federal and state regulations governing these programs and may represent the agency at key meetings with other governmental entities and community groups. In addition to these responsibilities, the Specialist prepares a range of technical reports and processes reimbursement requests in accordance with grant guidelines, ensuring timely payment to stakeholders. The role also includes providing administrative support to the Assistant Director of Grants and Finance, assisting sectional staff with their daily operations, and offering programmatic and financial expertise to grant teams. The Grants Specialist conducts thorough research and prepares detailed reports for agency grant programs and completes special projects that support the mission of the Assistant Director. This role includes drafting correspondence and reports, contributing to the development of policies and procedures, and preparing quarterly and annual reports. Additionally, the Specialist schedules, coordinates, and attends various meetings, conventions, and conferences. The Grants Specialist manages the division's purchasing through established channels, including the state purchasing card and Arizona Procurement Portal accounts, while carefully reviewing, collecting, reconciling, and submitting the monthly purchasing card report to the appropriate purchasing, contracting, and accounts payable departments. Prepares for immediate, around-the-clock response and no-notice recall to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), the Alternate Emergency Operations Center, and/or the Joint Field Office (JFO) during disaster activations or drills/exercises. Engages in training for designated SEOC positions and executes assigned responsibilities in alignment with internal agency policy. Actively participates in promoting a continuous improvement workplace culture, through the use of teamwork, root cause problem solving, standard operating procedures, and review of performance metrics.

Responsibilities include:
• Collaborates with Grants and Finance, Resource Management, Contracting, Audit Staff, and sub-recipients to process, track, and monitor financial documents and agreements for applicants and programs. Process reimbursement requests from sub-recipients in accordance with the grant guidelines.
• Prepare and maintain comprehensive monthly and quarterly financial reports for grant programs to ensure accurate and up-to-date cost accounting.
• Research information to create reports, documents, to include purchase orders; assist in policy and procedural development. Administrative management in support of the Assistant Director of Grants and Finance and sectional staff, to include coordinating and conferring with Assistant Director.
• Processing and submitting Quarterly Reports in electronic systems. Ensuring e-files and hard copies regarding project information are properly filed and updated per document retention requirements.
• Provide excellent customer service and maintain professional interactions with applicants, internal and external individuals, and stakeholders.
• Conducts monitoring visits with sub-recipients and stakeholders to ensure fiscal compliance with federal and state guidelines.
• Coordinates and facilitates fiscal meetings and activities with stakeholders as assigned.

Knowledge of:
• Arizona laws related to emergency management, rules and regulations including the Arizona Administrative Code,
• Procurement process related to State of Arizona and Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, and EM policies and procedures
• Principles and practices of organizational management and audit
• Auditing and accounting methods and techniques.
• Modern office and records management methodology and technology
• Data collection and summarization methods and techniques
• Methods or communication with the Governor's Office, legislative and/or other national, regional, state, and local stakeholders.

Skilled in:
• Microsoft excel, Microsoft word, and Google suite
• Adobe Acrobat
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Oral and written communication
• Exercises good judgment and discretion. -Anticipates the needs of the stakeholders and grant administrators and adjusts to their work style as necessary
• Exercises organizational skills including prioritizing business items for the branch and prioritizing individual workload to meet business needs
• Excellent coordination skills for facilitating intra-agency, inter-agency, and other agency meetings, conferences
• Acting as a primary point of contact for inter-agency communications
• Examining accounting records and evaluating compliance for reimbursement given a set of guidelines and regulations

Ability to:
• Listen effectively and take action based on communication received
• Work independently in a highly demanding environment and capable of handling tasks with varying deadlines
• Review and understand contracts/agreements
• Review and understand financial documents and processes
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contracted in the course of work
• Ability to deal in a positive manner with internal and external personnel and agencies
• Combine pieces of information to form conclusions and to make informed decisions to solve problems.
• Communicate effectively when working under stressful conditions
• Maintain accurate and orderly records, including hard copy files and e-files.

Desired qualifications include any combination of experience, education, and training that meets the knowledge, skills, and abilities as described. The preferred candidate should have completed training programs or college-level coursework in office administration, accounting, finance, grant management, auditing and budgeting. A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, public administration, or a related field is recommended, or 4 years of relevant experience. Preference will be given to individuals with Emergency Management Grant programs experience.

Special Job Requirements:
• This position requires possession of and ability to retain a current, valid Arizona state-issued driver's license appropriate to the assignment. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver's license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records and must complete any required driver training (see Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207.12.)
• In State travel required.
• Individual is required to pass a criminal background investigation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:
• Sick leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Eligible DEMA employees participate in excellent retirement programs provided by the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and for fire personnel the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact hr@azdema.gov.
DEMA is a smoke-free work environment.
ADA/EEO Employer
The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Employer