Community Development Program Specialist

Posting number: OCD 091826 MDM

Department: Division of Administration

Division: Office of Community Development

Job classification: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SPECIALIST 1

Posting type: Open

Categories: Planning and Development, Management, Community Development, Grants Administration

Summary

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The Division of Administration/Office of Community Development has a vacancy.

The Louisiana Division of Administration’s Office of Community Development administers federal funding through disaster recovery programs and resilience initiatives, as well as local government assistance, strengthening Louisiana communities through recovery, resilience and rehabilitation.

The Division of Administration is the state government’s management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including the following:
•Overseeing the state’s capital construction program
•Working to provide state and federal grants for community development
•Development of the state budget
•Providing technology services
•Giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services
•Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes

AN IDEAL CANIDATE SHOULD POSESS THE FOLLLOWING COMPETENCIES:
Building and Supporting Teams: The ability to combine one's actions and efforts with others to work toward achieving a common goal.
Managing Stakeholders: The ability to identify key stakeholders, manage relationships, and align interests to move work forward.
Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well supported conclusions.

Examples of duties

Three years of experience in community development, contracts or grants management, urban or regional planning, disaster recovery, or legal research; OR

Six years of full-time work experience in any field; OR

A bachelor's degree.

EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION:
Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

Qualifications

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Supplemental information

Job Duties:

As a Community Development Program Specialist, you will manage Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)projects for multiple local governments (cities, towns villages, parishes) across Louisiana. Your work will ensure projects meet state and federal requirements while helping communities improve public facilities and services.

Some examples of duties include but are not limited to:

• Oversee and manage multiple local government grant projects from start to closeout.
• Review budgets, contracts, payment requests, and project reports to ensure compliance.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to local officials, consultants, and engineers.
• Conduct on-site monitoring visits and review records for compliance with laws, regulations, and program requirements.
• Identify and resolve compliance issues, prepare monitoring reports, and recommend corrective actions.
• Assist in the preparation of program documents, applications, and reports.
• Review and score grant applications and participate in the selection process.
• Serve as a subject-matter resource in specialized program areas (such as procurement, financial management, environmental compliance, or labor standards).
• This role combines project management, compliance review, and technical assistance—making it an opportunity to directly support Louisiana communities while ensuring the proper use of federal grant funds.

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: This vacancy will be filled by new hire or by promotion of a current permanent status classified employee.

Career Progressions: This vacancy participates in a career progression group and may be filled from this recruitment as a Community Development Program Specialist 1, 2 or 3.

Louisiana is a “State as a Model Employer” for People with Disabilities.
How To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

*Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

A criminal history check may be conducted on all new hires as well as employees changing positions including promotions, demotions, details, reassignments and transfers.
Also, prospective employees may be subject to pre-employment drug testing. New hires will be subject to employment eligibility verification via the federal government's E-verify system.

Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.

For further information about this posting, please contact:

Danielle Martin
HR Analyst
Division of Administration/Office of Human Resources
Email: Danielle.Martin@la.gov