SENIOR GRANT SPECIALIST
City of Los Angeles, New York, NY, United States
SUMMARY:
The Mayor's Office of Grants Administration provides administrative oversight of grants and general fund expenditures. The team is committed to ensuring that public funds are managed and spent in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, City policies, and grant requirements. Responsibilities include reviewing budgets, monitoring grant performance, managing contracts and procurements, and promoting financial accountability across City departments and special funded programs. The office helps safeguard federal, state and local grant funding supporting transparency, efficiency, and compliance in local government operations.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Grant Specialist will plan, organize, and manage grant administration systems, processes, and resources. Key responsibilities include directing professional, technical, and clerical personnel in administrative, financial, legislative, and personnel tasks. The specialist will perform more complex assignments, conduct independent research, data analysis, serve as an advisor to colleagues, and apply sound supervisory techniques to maintain an effective workforce. This position is responsible for administering a variety of local, state, and federal grants focused on homeland security, emergency preparedness, public safety, and homelessness.
A strong candidate applies major principles, practices, and methods of public administration, budgeting and financial control, personnel administration, administrative analysis, and records management. Underlying this, the candidate has a solid understanding of the City's legislative process, interrelationships and responsibilities of City departments, the City Council and its Committees, and other governmental and public organizations as provided for by the City Charter, City ordinances, and pertinent City codes. The City has a complex system of administrative policies, procedures, rules, and the Mayor's Executive Directives.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
Analyze and evaluate tangible and intangible data and draw sound conclusions; Ability to effectively train staff on grants processes and procedures Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action; Review, edit, and prepare written reports and recommendations concisely, logically, and convincingly; Deal tactfully and effectively with elected officials, commissioners, bureau and department heads, supervisors, and other employees; Ability to conduct compliance assessments and budgetary analyses REQUIREMENTS:
Three (3) years of full-time paid experience as a Grant Specialist, or commensurate role or responsibility which provides professional experience in administrative, financial, grants, legislative or personnel work. An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university Excellent communication skills and ability to work with Grantors, City department staff, community representatives, and elected officials Experience and strong track record working as part of a team, while also demonstrating initiative and ability to work independently Strong research and writing skills Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software programs. PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:
Master's Degree preferred
How to apply
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Mayor.Jobs@lacity.org with "Senior Grant Specialist" in the subject line by end of day, Sunday, March 22, 2026 . Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and suitable candidates may be contacted and hired before the application deadline. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly.
This is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights, or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the hiring authority. The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Please call (213) 744-9300 if you need assistance.
exempt employment
If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process. General Information About Exempt Employment
Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest. Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees
There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.
The Mayor's Office of Grants Administration provides administrative oversight of grants and general fund expenditures. The team is committed to ensuring that public funds are managed and spent in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, City policies, and grant requirements. Responsibilities include reviewing budgets, monitoring grant performance, managing contracts and procurements, and promoting financial accountability across City departments and special funded programs. The office helps safeguard federal, state and local grant funding supporting transparency, efficiency, and compliance in local government operations.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Grant Specialist will plan, organize, and manage grant administration systems, processes, and resources. Key responsibilities include directing professional, technical, and clerical personnel in administrative, financial, legislative, and personnel tasks. The specialist will perform more complex assignments, conduct independent research, data analysis, serve as an advisor to colleagues, and apply sound supervisory techniques to maintain an effective workforce. This position is responsible for administering a variety of local, state, and federal grants focused on homeland security, emergency preparedness, public safety, and homelessness.
A strong candidate applies major principles, practices, and methods of public administration, budgeting and financial control, personnel administration, administrative analysis, and records management. Underlying this, the candidate has a solid understanding of the City's legislative process, interrelationships and responsibilities of City departments, the City Council and its Committees, and other governmental and public organizations as provided for by the City Charter, City ordinances, and pertinent City codes. The City has a complex system of administrative policies, procedures, rules, and the Mayor's Executive Directives.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
Analyze and evaluate tangible and intangible data and draw sound conclusions; Ability to effectively train staff on grants processes and procedures Analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action; Review, edit, and prepare written reports and recommendations concisely, logically, and convincingly; Deal tactfully and effectively with elected officials, commissioners, bureau and department heads, supervisors, and other employees; Ability to conduct compliance assessments and budgetary analyses REQUIREMENTS:
Three (3) years of full-time paid experience as a Grant Specialist, or commensurate role or responsibility which provides professional experience in administrative, financial, grants, legislative or personnel work. An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university Excellent communication skills and ability to work with Grantors, City department staff, community representatives, and elected officials Experience and strong track record working as part of a team, while also demonstrating initiative and ability to work independently Strong research and writing skills Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software programs. PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:
Master's Degree preferred
How to apply
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Mayor.Jobs@lacity.org with "Senior Grant Specialist" in the subject line by end of day, Sunday, March 22, 2026 . Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and suitable candidates may be contacted and hired before the application deadline. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly.
This is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights, or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the hiring authority. The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Please call (213) 744-9300 if you need assistance.
exempt employment
If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process. General Information About Exempt Employment
Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest. Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees
There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.