Public Assistance Program Specialist - American Technology Consulting

Title: IN-DHS-Public Assistance Program Specialist (742995)Location: 302 W. Washington St Indianapolis, IN 46204Interview: Phone and in-personPublic Assistance Program (PAP) Specialist is to assist the program, the programdirector, and the grant applicants through consistent communication andorganizationPurpose of Position/Summary:Working under the guidance of the Recovery Director, the objective of the PublicAssistance Program Specialist is to assist the program, the program director,and the grant applicants through consistent communication and organization. ThePAP Specialist will accomplish this by working within the FEMA Grants Portal.Tasks include registering new applicant organizations in the system, review andapprove/deny RPA (Request for Public Assistance) submissions to make sure theregistering organization is eligilble under Public Assistant program guidelines.The position will have a minimum of a 6-month contract with the potential of itbeing extended.Location:This position is located in Downtown Indianapolis at the Indiana GovernmentCenter South building. There is free parking for most positions. Has potentialfor flexible work scheduling options, including the potential for hybrid remotework for employees after a 30-day period of employment.Essential Duties/Responsibilities:The mission of Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance(PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal and localgovernments, and private non-profit organizations so that communities canquickly respond to and recover from man-made or natural disasters or emergenciesdeclared by the President of the United States. Through the PA Program, FEMAprovides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance to account for variousdisaster recovery activities including debris removal, emergency protectivemeasures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged,publicly owned/eligible private non-profit facilities.The PA Program also encourages the protection of these damaged facilities fromfuture events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during therecovery process.After a Presidential Disaster is declared, the program specialist will spend aconsiderable amount of time working in the FEMA Grants Portal system, which is awebsite where all PA grants are tracked and administered. This is a system thatis used by the state, FEMA, and local applicants alike. Below is a list ofcommon tasks associated with this system:• Register new applicant organizations in the Grants Portal system• Review and approve/deny RPA submissions to make sure the registeringorganization is eligible under PA program guidelines.• Review and approve/deny project applications associated with a disaster event• Update contact information listed in the Grants Portal• Assist applicants in the upload of disaster-related documentation• Assist with system access issues• Pull disaster data from Portal to build reports for agency leadershipIn addition to the items listed above, the program specialist also has to remainavailable for questions that come from applicants. PA staff will regularlyreceive phone calls and emails from applicants who have questions ranging fromprofile creation issues all the way down to the steps needed to update a contactphone number in the Portal. Most often, we receive questions about the status ofsubmitted project applications and their ongoing reviews. This task ismultiplied by the number of applicants and the number of projects each applicanthas. In a “normal” disaster declaration, IN/FEMA Public Assistance Program canhave up to 600 applicants and each applicant has up to 10 or more projects.Working with FEMAPA Program Specialists must work with FEMA to accomplish a variety of tasksassociated with the PA program. Below is a breakdown of the regular tasks theposition will be involved in:• Participate in a weekly call with FEMA staff related to an open disaster event• Participate in a monthly call with FEMAs closeout team related to pastdisasters• Update/submit quarterly report documentation to FEMA staff• Discuss any significant applicant project issues with appropriate FEMA staff• Communicate all relevant policy/programmatic updates with relevantstakeholdersIn addition to the items listed above, the program specialist also has to beavailable to answer any questions that may come from our FEMA contacts, as weoften see issues come up with project applications or RPA submissions fromapplicants. It is the specialist’s responsibility to address these issues onbehalf of the state. Not doing so could mean an applicant missing out onpossible funding.Disaster project closeoutIn addition to the work done with disaster projects in the Grants Portal, thereare several tasks that program specialists are responsible for outside of thatsystem, which usually come up when a project is ready to be closed out. Beloware some of the major tasks that have to be addressed away from the GrantsPortal:• Closeout document review• In-person project site visits• Assembling/sending the closeout packet• Work with fiscal to make sure the applicant is reimbursedThe added challenge is that many projects take months, if not years, to completegiven the complex nature of the work that is required. In that time, staffturnover on all sides (applicant, state, and FEMA) may delay some of this workbeing completed.General Programmatic ResponsibilitiesAway from the work in the Grants Portal, regular correspondence with FEMA, andthe work associated with project closeouts, there are other general programmatictasks that have to be addressed. Below is a breakdown of the more common itemsthat have to be considered:• Keeping the PA webpage up to date• Collect applicant quarterly report data• Contributing to/participating in recovery training sessions• Assisting in response activities• Assist with state-level exercises• Assist in the revision/maintenance of the State PA Administrative Plan andTask Book• Assists in the collection of data to be included in FFATA reportingPreferred Experience:A basic knowledge of local, state and federal government programs andprocedures. General knowledge of the administrative requirements of state andfederal governments as well as a general knowledge of the duties andresponsibilities of all state and federal emergency responseagencies/departments. Experience working with state and federal grants and grantprogram management. Ability to multi-task, and work in high pressure situationsand environments. In addition to having a background in emergency management, itis recommended that a candidate for PA program specialist have some backgroundin financial bookkeeping, as this experience may prove to be useful during thecloseout of a project. The candidate will also need to have or develop anunderstanding of the various legal codes/statutes/guidance that serves as theframework of the PA program, which includes but is not limited to the following:• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (StaffordAct)• The current and disaster-specific versions of the Public Assistance Programand Policy Guide (PAPPG)• Code of Federal Regulations, Stafford Act Title 44, Chapter 1, Part 201 (44CFR Part 201)Other state and federal policies may be implemented as time passes, and theprogram specialist will be expected to keep up to date on all relevant changes.Must have proficient knowledge of Microsoft Suite programs. A bachelor's degreeis preferred.Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:None.Difficulty of Work:The position requires, at certain times, long hours and the ability to workunder adverse and stressful conditions for extended periods. The positionrequires you to be available for duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Personal Work Relationships:In order to function efficiently, the position requires the ability to work witha number of personnel with various backgrounds and abilities. The positionrequires you work with other Federal/State/Local Personnel from variousdepartments and divisions. A professional attitude as well as a courteousrelationship is needed to foster a spirit of unity of purpose toward all publicassistance goals. The PA program specialist may also be asked to address otherIDHS response and recovery tasks as assigned.Working Conditions:The position would normally be stationed in an office environment. However,there will be times in which the duties of the position require travel tocommunities throughout the state. These duties include meetings, seminars, siteinspections, and trainings. Agency requirements could include working underemergency/disaster field conditions, in field office locations throughout thestate for extended periods of time. This may include a requirement to departupon short notice from home to the site of an incident or disaster.Equal Employment Opportunity:The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed torecruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individualability and job performance. Our policy is to provide equal employmentopportunity to all people in all aspects of employer-employee relations withoutdiscrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin,ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mentaldisability, or veteran status. We will comply with the spirit as well as theletter of all applicable state and federal laws.The State of Indiana has established a culture that welcomes equity, inclusion,and opportunity for all employees and applicants. We encourage you to apply ifyou feel you have the transferrable skills to be successful in this position andwe look forward to reviewing your application.