Director of Grants Administration & Compliance La Joya Independent School District (ISD) is committed to excellence for students and our community. We have a strong, 100-year legacy in the Rio Grande Valley. The district's vision - Educational Excellence: The Right of Every Student - conveys our urgent focus on students. Our work is rooted in five district priorities, which require collaboration and deep commitment to supporting one another as we serve the community. Customer Service Trust & Transparency High-Quality Instruction Excellence in Leadership Integrity & Accountability We are focused on ensuring every student in La Joya ISD has access to high-quality, best-fit schools as we work to improve from a B-district to an A-rated district. We serve more than 22,000 students in more than 30 schools and span six municipalities, covering more than 220 square miles. We seek an experienced and collaborative leader to oversee the District's comprehensive grants management program, including state, federal, and discretionary funding opportunities. The ideal candidate demonstrates expertise in grant development, compliance monitoring, fiscal stewardship, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic planning. This individual serves as the District's subject matter expert on grants administration, ensuring grant resources advance district priorities while maintaining full compliance with applicable regulations. You will be joining a district that is building on a legacy of achievement while rapidly improving and creating systems to reach new heights for student outcomes and improving the District's overall operational efficiency and effectiveness. You will receive intentional, targeted support in your essential role in serving the Business, Finance and Administrative Services Department of the District. We are also a district focused on continuous improvement and rigorous analysis of the policies and procedures we have in place to ensure that the financial and business operations of the District are transparent to the public and in keeping with generally acceptable accounting principles.
Qualifications
Education:
Master's Degree preferred
Bachelor's required
Special Knowledge/Skills:
Knowledge of Grant administration, public education operations, compliance requirements, financial management, internal controls, and continuous improvement practices.
Strong leadership, organizational, analytical, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to develop systems, improve processes, analyze data, and build collaborative partnerships.
Ability to interpret and apply complex regulations, exercise sound judgment, lead organizational change, build collaborative relationships, and foster a culture of accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement.
Ability to lead change, exercise sound judgment, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Experience:- Five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in public education, governmental administration, finance, budgeting, compliance, auditing, program administration, or a related field.
- Experience administering state, federal, or discretionary grants.
- Experience leading cross-functional projects or initiatives.
- Experience developing policies, procedures, or operational processes.
- Experience monitoring compliance with laws, regulations, or organizational requirements.
- Experience analyzing data and preparing reports for executive leadership.
- Major Responsibilities and Duties
- Program Management:
- Identifies and develops strategies to optimize the grants administration process.
- Plans, organizes, and provides project management leadership for grant administration activities.
- Collaborates and coordinates efforts with other grant writers, program managers, and grant staff.
- Ensures grants are implemented according to the operational and financial needs of the organization and in alignment with the grantor's requirements.
- Leads staff communication about upcoming deadlines and deliverables with grants owners, thereby ensuring smooth completion of work responsibilities.
- Prepares financial or budget plans and fund allocations along with Finance staff in accordance with all Special Revenue program requirements.
- Monitors paperwork and other related document requirements for grant-funded programs.
- Administers the management side of the full cycle of grant activities, from monitoring implementation, supporting audits and compliance visits, and closeout.
- Partner with grant owners, department heads, and stakeholders to ensure that policies and procedures are followed and all grants adhere to federal and state legal and tax requirements as well as organization-defined best practices.
- Monitors funding agencies and legislation for regulation changes.
- Works with Grant Accounting to ensure records are maintained of all payments and receivables and to prepare recurring reports.
- Responsible for training grant owners of all levels and positions within the District on grant policies, implementation, and compliance procedures, including the development of training materials and forms.
- Drafts letters of commitment from the Superintendent, District Leadership, Campus Leadership, the Board of Education, and external partners.
- Operational Systems & Continuous Improvement:
- Develop and maintain the District's comprehensive Grants Management Framework for the administration of federal, state, and discretionary grants.
- Establish and maintain standardized grant management processes, procedures, and documentation that support the full grant life cycle, including planning, application, implementation, monitoring, amendments, reporting, and closeout.
- Develop and maintain operational tools, resources, and guidance, including manuals, templates, calendars, monitoring instruments, and other documentation that promote consistency, compliance, and effective grant administration.
- Develop and maintain management reports and dashboards to monitor grant performance, compliance, operational effectiveness, and organizational outcomes.
- Identify opportunities to improve departmental operations through technology, automation, data analysis, and innovative business practices.
- Evaluate grant management systems and implement continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen internal controls, operational efficiency, compliance, and customer service.
- Strategic Planning, Performance & Reporting:
- Develop and implement the department's annual strategic work plan aligned with the District Strategic Plan, BFAS priorities, and organizational goals.
- Identify funding opportunities and recommend grant strategies that support district initiatives and long-term financial sustainability.
- Establish, monitor, and report department performance measures to evaluate operational effectiveness, compliance, customer service, and grant outcomes.
- Develop and maintain executive dashboards, reports, and performance analyses to support executive decision-making.
- Present grant performance, funding opportunities, compliance status, operational risks, and recommendations to Executive Leadership and other stakeholders.
- Evaluate department performance and recommend strategic and operational improvements based on performance data.
- Grant Writing & Program Development:
- Maintains an understanding of the history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs of the organization.
- Research grants opportunities from government and non-government agencies.
- Evaluates proposed grant opportunities to determine strategic alignment, operational capacity, sustainability, and fiscal impact before recommendation for submission.
- Drafts grant proposals and supporting documents based on the funding requirements of the organization and the needs of District partners.
- Submits proposals to leadership for approval.
- Responds to internal and external queries on drafted and submitted proposals.
- Maintains positive relationships with fund providers and other stakeholders.
- Maintains records and submits reports related to grant opportunities.
- Creates strong proposals with clear budget narratives, logic models, established partnerships and collaborations, and commitments to and proof of compliance with the grantor's requirements as well as state and federal regulations.
- Planning & Administration:
- Serves as liaison for the District to sponsors, faculty, and staff throughout the organization as an expert in the field.
- Maintains an understanding of the organization's history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs.
- Provides technical assistance for the preparation of amendments, programmatic revisions, and clarification of grants funded.
- Monitors and coordinates the administration of post-award grants to ensure that budgeting and administrative problems are addressed and resolved, during the grant period.
- Maintains records, files, reports, databases, and resource materials to ensure effective grants office operation and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Coordinates the implementation of Time Effort, and Job Description Acknowledgment for all grant-funded positions, as required by federal and state grants.
- Generates reports and data analysis for the
