CDBG Program Specialist

Company Overview

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

The City and County of San Francisco promotes diversity and encourages applications from women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. All applicants will be evaluated without regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disabilities, medical conditions, HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military, and veteran status, or any other protected category under the law.

About the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD)

The San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) plays a crucial role in maintaining the City's economic health through various initiatives aimed at enhancing neighborhood commercial areas, workforce development, collaborative development projects, targeted business recruitment and retention, small business support, and international business outreach. OEWD is dedicated to continually improving San Francisco as a desirable place for living, working, and conducting business.

About the Community Economic Development Division (CED)

The Community Economic Development Division of OEWD is dedicated to fostering neighborhood economic growth by supporting small enterprises, enhancing storefronts, and cultivating vibrant commercial districts.

Position Overview

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX) Appointment. This role is not subject to the competitive civil service examination process and is appointed at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Reporting to the Small Business Programs Administrator, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Specialist will manage a portfolio of nonprofit organizations that provide essential technical support to small businesses regarding the reporting and compliance of CDBG-eligible activities. The ideal candidate will possess knowledge of federal regulations pertaining to Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the primary funding source for CDBG initiatives. The CDBG Specialist will collaborate with the team to establish and evaluate key performance indicators and assess the effectiveness of grantees in delivering technical assistance to small businesses throughout San Francisco.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of nonprofit agency grantees that facilitate technical assistance to small businesses.
• Assist in the drafting and execution of grant agreements.
• Aid in the compilation, drafting, and review of federally mandated reports.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with grantees providing technical assistance and capacity-building support as necessary.
• Review and analyze monthly reports submitted by providers, organizations, and agencies to ensure compliance with contracts.
• Conduct audits of nonprofit grant projects to verify adherence to federal requirements.
• Collaborate with the Small Business Programs Administrator to perform on-site evaluations of individual projects.
• Assess client eligibility and approve monthly invoices submitted by providers.
• Oversee data entry for agencies in the internal client data management system.
• Provide troubleshooting assistance for system errors and clarify program requirements to providers.
• Organize and maintain records of required documentation for each project.
• Continuously conduct program evaluations to offer recommendations and operational improvements that enhance program performance and better serve community needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Skills

• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local guidelines related to CDBG-eligible projects.
• Familiarity with providing technical assistance to small businesses in low to moderate-income neighborhoods.
• Ability to creatively solve problems and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Attention to detail with basic knowledge of data management.
• Project management skills, including budget tracking, timeline creation, and stakeholder coordination.
• Proficiency in data management and visualization tools such as Excel, Airtable, Power BI, ArcGIS, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar software.

Work Style

• Ability to work effectively within a diverse team environment.
• Experience in navigating complex relationships with stakeholders, including external partners and community members.
• Resourceful and creative in overcoming obstacles to achieve objectives.
• Capable of understanding overarching goals while maintaining meticulous attention to detail.
• Actively engages in cross-disciplinary collaboration to provide and receive feedback and share knowledge.

Applications will be screened based on relevant experience. Additional screening methods may be employed to assess candidates' qualifications. Only those applicants who closely align with the Agency's needs will be invited to participate in the selection process. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement to the interview stage.

The stated desirable qualifications may be utilized to identify job finalists at the conclusion of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

These minimum qualifications serve as a guideline for establishing the education, training, experience, special skills, and/or licenses that may be required for employment in this position. While these qualifications are typical for the role, additional requirements may apply to specific positions and will be detailed in the job announcement.

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution AND two (2) years of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, youth work, criminal justice, or elections-related work; OR

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a major in public or business administration, urban planning, government, social work, education, finance, or criminal justice AND one (1) year of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, youth work, criminal justice, or elections-related work; OR

3. A Master's degree from an accredited institution in public policy, planning, social work, public administration, finance, education, criminal justice, or business administration; OR

4. A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited institution.

SUBSTITUTION:

Relevant administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, youth work, criminal justice, and/or elections-related work may substitute for the educational requirement in Minimum Qualification #1 on a year-for-year basis.

Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualification requirements by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION

None

VERIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION: Applicants may be required to provide verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is necessary, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at

Note: Providing false information regarding education, training, or work experience or attempting to deceive during the application process may result in disqualification from this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Additional Information

Application Process

Applications for positions with the City and County of San Francisco are only accepted through an online process. Please visit the appropriate portal to begin the application process.

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers in accordance with state and local law. Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.