Grants and Contracts Compliance Support Specialist / State Program Administrator Principal

Working Title: Grants and Contracts Compliance Support Specialist

Job Class: State Program Administrator Principal

Agency: Children Youth & Families Dept

• Job ID : 97093

• Location : St. Paul

• Telework Eligible : Yes*, up 50%

• Full/Part Time : Full-Time

• Regular/Temporary : Unlimited

• Who May Apply : Open to all qualified job seekers. This vacancy is open for bids and for all qualified job seekers simultaneously. Bidders will be considered through 9/24/2026 date. Please note that to be considered a bidder, you must be a permanent, non-probationary DCYF employee in the same job classification as the position posted.

• Date Posted : 09/17/2026

• Closing Date : 10/07/2026

• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit : DCYF / MAPE

• Division/Unit : DCYF / Grants & Contracts Support

• Work Shift : Day Shift

• Work Hours : 8:00 AM - 4:30PM

• Days of Work : Monday - Friday

• Travel Required : No*

• Salary Range: $32.97 - $48.60 / hourly; $68,841 - $101,476 / annually

• Classified Status : Classified

• Bargaining Unit/Union : 214 - MN Assoc of Professional Empl/MAPE

• FLSA Status : Nonexempt

• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : Yes

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families is unable to provide sponsorship for work visas. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States at the start of employment. DCYF does not participate in E-Verify.

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

* Telework (https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/policies/1422-telework.pdf) (Within Minnesota or neighboring states) and flexible hours options are available.

This position provides strategic leadership and expertise for the oversight of grant and contract management work throughout the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to ensure DCYF compliance with federal and state regulations, statutory requirements, and internal policies and controls. This position leads proactive risk assessment, specialized oversight projects, and the implementation of internal controls to mitigate systemic risks and safeguard DCYF’s financial and operational integrity.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead agency-level oversight, compliance monitoring, and risk assessment of DCYF grants and contracts functions to ensure agency alignment with federal and state requirements and internal standards. Develop and implement agency-wide strategies to address any vulnerabilities identified in grants and contracts practices.

• Ensure that compliance, risk mitigation, and program integrity practices are integrated into DCYF contract and grant functions to establish a culture of accountability that effectively meets requirements and safeguards public funds. Identify and recommend long-term, agency-wide changes. Exercise necessary leadership to ensure that recommended changes are implemented.

• Provide technical assistance, general support, and specialized guidance to DCYF contract and grants staff to ensure staff across the agency have resources and information needed to achieve high quality contracting and grantmaking work.

Minimum Qualifications

_To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month, day and year for each job held._

Three (3) years of experience in issuing and managing public sector and/or government grants and/or contracts

Experience must demonstrate the following:

• Extensive knowledge of the full lifecycle of state and/or federal grants and/or contracts, including solicitation, evaluation, negotiation, contract execution, monitoring, payment and closeout including applicable state statutes and federal regulations.

AND

One (1) year performing internal compliance monitoring and risk assessment.

Applicants who meet the above experience requirements may be further evaluated based on the following during the interview process:

• Working knowledge of grant and contract management software systems and public sector accounting systems.

• Demonstrated experience evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls, policies, processes, and procedures.

• Strong ability to collaborate with others to design and implement effective strategies that increase compliance, mitigate risk, and strengthen program integrity.

• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing; ability to respond openly to requests and concerns; experience translating technical information into plain language for a variety of audiences.

A bachelor’s degree in public policy or a related field may substitute for 12 months of experience OR a master’s degree in Public Policy or a related field may substitute for 18 months of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor's or master’s degree in public policy, legal studies, business administration or a related field.

• Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) Certification or similar compliance certification.

• Experience implementing formal compliance analyses such as descriptive analytics, diagnostic analytics/root cause analyses, predictive analytics, regulatory requirement mapping, or risk scoring.

• Experience implementing new processes utilizing Continuous Improvement and/or Change Management principles within large cross-functional teams.

• Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures.

Additional Requirements

It is the policy of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families that the individual selected for this position successfully complete a background investigation prior to employment, that may include the following components:

• Reference check

• Criminal Background check

• Fingerprinting check (MNJIS/CJIS)

• Driver’s License Check

• Personnel File Review: all current and former public sector employees

• Additional assessment may be required during the interview process

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email [email protected] . Please indicate what assistance is needed.