Director of Government Programs and Grants

Job Description

Position Description
The mission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is to spread the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. In the faithful pursuit of this mission, the archdiocese is seeking a full-time Director of Government Programs and Grants.
Responsibilities
• Support advocacy efforts in Maryland and Washington, DC, for school choice programs, and federal and state legislation that supports non-public schools, including, but not limited to:
o DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP)
o Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST)
o Non-public Aging Schools Program (NASP) in Maryland
o Non-public Textbook Program (NSPT) in Maryland
o Non-public Health & Security Grant (NSHS) in Maryland
• Maximize the participation of more than 50 Archdiocesan schools in the above programs, ensuring schools understand and follow program requirements, providing technical assistance during the application process and through program implementation, & ensuring maximum Archdiocesan participation & funding.
• Serve as the official Archdiocese private schools liaison between Archdiocesan schools, the Catholic Schools Office and district grant managers. In this capacity, advocate for services and resources from local and state education agencies responsible for administering federal funds to more than 50 Archdiocesan schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
• Lead Archdiocesan participation at all Title I, II, III, and IV consultation meetings with six local school districts (DC, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Charles & Calvert Counties in Maryland). Facilitate school participation and feedback in the consultation process to ensure federal funds are used to meet the needs of students, their families and teachers.
• Lead Archdiocesan participation at IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) consultations with six local school districts and facilitate school and family feedback in the process. Be a source of knowledge to explain to school administrators, teachers and families how the Child Find process and equitable services program operates.
• Track federal and state grants over multiple fiscal years and ensure complete grant spenddown & maximize unspent funding to support student needs.
• Provide real-time information, analysis and oversight of legislative issues and pending bills related to the education field to diocesan leadership.
• Monitor, analyze and assess legislative developments to identify impact and opportunity.
• Manage an annual teacher grant program including application creation, advertising, budget monitoring, technical assistance, implementation, and closeout.
• Serve on the Advancement, Enrollment & Marketing team and help develop strategies for including school choice programs and government funding opportunities in the overall diocesan marketing strategy and outreach materials with a focus on affordability.
• Work collaboratively with the Advancement, Enrollment & Marketing team, the Academics team and other members of the Catholic Schools Office to make decisions how to maximize pooled federal funding in support of the greatest student needs across the diocese.
• Work with supervisor, and members of the legal team, to review and make decisions about grant opportunities, with a lens of considering impact before approving school participation.
• Attend principal meetings and provide updates and trainings on government programs, and how schools can participate equitably

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Knowledge and respect for the Catholic faith and teachings.
• Strong public speaker and negotiation skills, with the ability to build bridges and relationships with public agencies while also ensuring compliance with federal law and guidance.
• Knowledge of government programs you will be responsible for and experience with federal equitable services under ESEA & IDEA, and Maryland state programs supporting non-public schools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Tactful and diplomatic
• Driven and dependable
• Excellent ability to explain complex programs to school leaders and give clear direction
• Ability to balance multiple grants and projects with different timelines
• Able to travel locally

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in education, curriculum, administration or related field. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years' experience in an educational setting with an emphasis on administration.
• Experience in a Catholic Schools setting.
• Experience working the arena of government relations; specifically federal and state (MD & DC) programs made available to non-public schools.
• Demonstrated awareness of ongoing activity in the legislature at federal, state and local levels.
• Experience with government advocacy.
• Experience in grant writing.
• Project management experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as phones, computers, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and scanners.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, bend, use hands to handle documents, type on a keyboard and reach with hands and arms.
• Employee must be able to lift up to 20 pounds.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Regular full-time employee (40 hours/week); occasional evening work may be required. This role includes travel to Archdiocesan schools and meetings.

About the Employer

https://adw.org/