Career Opportunity

Loans and Grants Director - SFPUC (0933) - (127051)

Recruitment: RTF0127050-01152137

Published: December 26, 2022

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Application Opening: 12/23/2022
Application Filing Deadline: 1/16/2023
Annual Salary: Range A compensation for this classification is between $163,800 and $209,118. Further compensation information about this class is available in the compensation manual.
Recruitment ID: PBT-0933-127051

WHO ARE WE?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.org/.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.org/about-us/careers-sfpuc

Role description

The Loans and Grants Director oversees and manages the pursuit, capture, execution, and on-going administration of the SFPUC grants and loans portfolio.  This includes managing the negotiation, coordination and facilitation of funding agreements with federal, state and local agencies to finance SFPUC’s capital programs and emergency management / cost recovery efforts; ensuring compliance with and timely completion of all monitoring and accounting requirements; and developing or facilitating the completion of reports on expenditures and outcomes.

This position develops the overall SFPUC funding strategy working in tandem with the SFPUC Loans and Grants Steering Committee to ensure alignment of strategies with executive leadership and SFPUC divisions.

The Loans and Grants Director also serves as the SFPUC’s primary liaison with funding partners on all aspects of the pursuit and management of grants and loans, including building partnerships with state and federal agency staff and articulating complex capital program issues to funding agencies and elected officials.  

The ideal candidate will have experience supporting and leading a grants and loan function within a large complex municipal organization and have a deep understanding of the administration of state and federal grants.  They will have experience negotiating, coordinating and facilitating funding agreements with state/federal agencies and be able to work across the functional areas of the organization.  The ideal candidate will also have exceptional written and verbal communication skills; have the ability to represent the SFPUC to stakeholders inclusive of the Commission, Board of Supervisors and state/federal agency contacts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Grant and Loan Opportunity Identification, Strategy and Applications

1. Leads and coordinates the identification of Federal, State and Local loan and grant opportunities, including the development of annual and ten-year plans to maximize funds; develops and oversees a portfolio of opportunities for consideration with executive and senior management teams; coordinates applications to ensure alignment across all participating SFPUC divisions. 
2. Leads the SFPUC Loans and Grants Steering Committee to ensure alignment of grant strategies with executive leadership and SFPUC divisions.
3. Develops and manages strategy for engagement; collaborates with SFPUC External Affairs on policy/legislative initiatives, identifies partnership opportunities, and supports relationship development.
4. Leads and provides advice and guidance as needed for all Federal, State and Local loan and grant funding applications, agreements, requests for approvals, allocations, etc, including budget considerations; leads and helps define grant funding strategies based on an understanding of eligibility and guidelines; writes proposals/applications, Letters of Intent (LOI) and other materials as needed.
5. Serves as primary liaison with funding partners and lead for pursuit, capture, execution, and ongoing administration / compliance; negotiates funding agreements with funding partners.
6. Coordinates negotiations with attorneys, mediators, and project managers; ensures representation of SFPUC financial interests.
7. Develops grant funding strategies for emergency management/ cost recovery with SFPUC divisions including financial planning, emergency planning and as well as other City Departments for the pursuit of joint opportunities. 

Grant and Loan Management

1. Oversees appropriate use and tracking of all Federal, State, and local loans and grants received through the use of effective program and project management skills; includes setting up regular meetings to check-in on progress, establishing common protocols for grant, loan and records management, and communicating clearly and regularly with all stakeholders.
2. Manages, facilitates and ensures compliance with all loan and grant requirements (e.g. monitoring, accounting, procedures and guidelines, etc.) across all phases with participating SFPUC divisions (from award through payment, final audits and close out); develops or facilitates the completion of reports on payments, expenditures, outcomes, etc., and ensures all fund expenditures remain in compliance with terms and conditions; coordinates with highly skilled administrative engineers, auditors and construction managers to document eligible costs required for proof of eligibility.
3. Develops SFPUC loan and grant application and administration policies and processes; seeks opportunities for ongoing optimization of procedures and alignment across the SFPUC.
4. Manages complex audits as necessary for grant programs; reviews all audit reports; responds to audit questions, and potential audit findings on behalf of the SFPUC; works with project managers, accountants and auditors to produce audit documentation.

Other

1. Procures and manages professional services for loan and grant consultant support, as needed.  Works with the Loans and Grants Steering Committee to determine appropriate staffing to manage loan and grant requirements and advocates for staffing from supporting SFPUC divisions or positions through the budget process, if needed. 
2. Employs a continuous improvement mindset for all loan and grant components. 
3. Serves as the liaison with other divisions, departments and outside agencies for all grant-related matters; negotiates and resolves sensitive and controversial issues.
4. Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of loan and grant development and funding for utilities.  

Performs other related duties as required.

COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record and ability to exercise the following competencies:

• Strategic Planning
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Business Acumen
• Relationship Management
• Political Savvy

How to qualify

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience in managing state and federal grants and loans, including at least three (3) years of experience supervising professionals in the area listed above. 

SUBSTITUTION

Education Substitution: May substitute up to two years of education with additional years of experience on a year-for-year basis. One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester or forty-five (45) quarter units.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Desirable Qualifications:

The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Familiarity with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and experience with grants and loans acquisition and management for large utilities (SRF and WIFIA preferred)
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships and partnerships with key staff at the federal and state level and other funding entities  to anticipate and act upon emerging opportunities and manage existing grants and loans

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures:

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ): Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Online Supplemental Questionnaire (weight: 100%): The purpose of the Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) is to evaluate the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities that candidates possess in job-related areas, which have been identified as critical for this position and include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the principles and practices of grants and loans management; Knowledge of the principles and practices of program management; Leadership/Management Skills; Knowledge of the principles and practices of Capital Programs; Analysis and Reporting Skills; Communication and Relationship Building Skills.

Qualified candidates will be sent email notices to complete the MQSQ and SQ exam. Failure to complete these steps by the established deadlines will result in disqualification.

A passing score must be achieved on the exam to be placed on the eligible list and continue in the selection process. Additional selection processes, like interviews, may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of six (6) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2021-22.pdf.

What else should I know?

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

·       Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Janina Villanueva at jvillanueva@sfwater.org.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.