A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Office of Director of Finance was created by the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, adopted by the electors of the City on April 17, 1951, to give the Mayor and the City government a principal officer responsible for the financial, accounting, and budgeting functions of the executive branch. The Director of Finance is thus the chief financial officer of the City and all powers and duties concerning finances, accounting, and budgeting in the executive branch are directly or indirectly the Director's. The Director of Finance is also the Chairman of the Board of Pensions and Retirements and an ex-officio member of the board of various quasi-governmental agencies, including the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. The City of Philadelphia operates on a fiscal year between July 1st and June 30th.

The Grants Office, within the City’s central Budget Office, oversees certain major federal and state funding that the City receives; supports the pursuit of grants that align with the Mayor’s priorities; increases the federal, state, and philanthropic funding that is available to the City and to agencies and organizations that benefit the City; and supports City agencies and departments in their applications for grants and in their management of grant funding to ensure compliance with grant guidelines and fiscal policies.

The Chief Grants Officer leads the Grants Office, which includes staff dedicated to pre- and post-award work for major federal, state, and philanthropic grants; and chairs and/or participates in key working groups and steering committees related to major interdepartmental grants and related initiatives.

This position is a hybrid remote/onsite position and reports directly to the City’s Budget Director.

Essential Functions

Oversight of COVID-19 Recovery Grants and Associated Reporting: The Chief Grants Officer is responsible for management of and mandated reporting on the City’s COVID-19-related grants, which include:

• $276M in Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars;
• $163M in Emergency Rental Assistance funds;
• $1.4B in American Rescue Plan Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds; and
• Reimbursements from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance.

The Chief Grants Officer also provides general oversight over the City’s Recovery grants portfolio and other major grants, including Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding.

Management of City Staff and Consultant Support: The Grants Office includes several other positions that support day-to-day operations and projects. The Chief Grants Officer is also responsible for overseeing a team of external disaster recovery consultants who are supporting the City’s grants portfolio.

Communication and Engagement with Key Stakeholders: The Chief Grants Officer provides ongoing updates, including making policy and process recommendations, to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Budget Director, Finance Director, Managing Director, and other key Administration leaders.

With support from staff in the Grants Office, the Chief Grants Officer prepares reports for the public and City Council on use of major grant dollars, handles press questions and interviews, advises leadership on strategy to maximize use of federal funding, responds to inquiries from the City Controller’s Office, and communicates directly with fiscal staff across the City’s operating departments to ensure that they have the guidance that they need to manage City grants appropriately.

Augmentation of the City’s Capacity to Pursue, Obtain, and Manage Grants: With support from colleagues in the Grants Office, Grants Accounting, and key fiscal staff in operating departments, the Chief Grants Officer oversees the City’s federal, state and philanthropic funding, supports departments in applying for competitive grant opportunities, and implements training and process improvements to the City’s grants management practices from application to audit.

Modernization and Streamlining of City Grants Processes: The City is engaged in a multi-year project to upgrade and modernize key business processes, reporting, and analytics capabilities, including for grants. The Chief Grants Officer is the Business Process Owner (BPO) for pre-award grant activities. The BPO works with the project team and other key stakeholders to recommend the final pre-award business process for the new system. Additionally, the Chief Grants Officer will assign staff to participate in the project’s design and testing phases.  Lastly, the project will look to the Chief Grants Officer to bring ideas and recommendations on how to best leverage the new platform to optimize both pre- and post-grant award business processes.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience with federal and state grants, grant audits, disaster recovery funding, and budgeting
• Familiarity with City accounting and budgeting systems and processes preferred, but not required
• Experience working within government and with elected officials, constituents, and advocacy organizations
• Ability to work independently and with a team to achieve goals
• Ability to problem-solve and think creatively to produce solutions
• Proven track record in establishing and sustaining collaborative and effective working relationships with leadership, direct supervisor(s), peers, staff, consultants, service providers, and vendors
• Ability to communicate effectively – verbally and in writing – with a variety of stakeholders
• Strong public presentation skills and experience, strategic thinking, and high professional ethics
• Experience identifying relevant performance and outcome metrics and using the information for improvement and evaluation purposes

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Master’s degree in related field preferred
• 8-10 years of government experience, including experience in a financial leadership role

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, references and resume.

Salary Range: $130,000 - $140,000 

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. 

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx