Budget Specialist: Educator Preparation Innovation and Improvement Center (EPIIC)

Budget Specialist: Educator Preparation Innovation and Improvement Center (EPIIC)
Reports To: Senior Coordinator of Statewide School Improvement Initiatives

Salary: This is a (40 hours a week-12 month) full-time position at 232 days with a minimum annual salary of $46,000.

Primary Purpose:

• Coordinate with the Educator Preparation Innovation and Improvement Center (EPIIC) within Region 13 and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to meet grant initiative needs of the EPIIC grant
• Develop clear understanding of current grant and contract processes within ESC 13 and of outside organizations, including developing and responding to RFPs; setting up and managing contracts, and capturing data to update required metrics and deliverables
• Provide verbal and written communication between TEA and ESC Region 13 on program progress and needs

Education/Certification:

• Minimum of 3-5 years in the field of grants, business management, and/or finance strongly preferred
• Bachelor's degree in business or finance not required, but preferred
• Experience and education may be substituted for one another

Experience:

• Strong Knowledge of school finance and budget monitoring
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Multi-phase program development, implementation, and evaluation
• Experience working collaboratively with staff, clients, and external partners; and facilitating shared decision making
• Proficient in the use of technology for workplace productivity and presentations

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of federal, state, and local funding source requirements
• Understand grant-funded programs and experience collaborating with multiple funding entities
• Knowledge of invoicing protocols
• Knowledge of the Request for Proposals (RFP) and Request for Quotes (RFQ) processes
• Motivation to research, recommend and develop expertise around grant and contract management systems
• Ability to operate within a complex initiative, defining and prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines
• Interpret multiple sources of data for organizational improvement
• Visionary planning with the ability to successfully manage details of multiple tasks
• Systematic planning practices and systemic change processes
• Promote organization, communication, and interpersonal relations
• Possess effective presentation skills and produce effective training materials
• Ability to build trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and remain calm while exhibiting a problem-solving mindset.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a representative of ESC Region 13, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration and discretion in all interactions with other members of the educational community and with the public
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate and evaluate grant requirements
• Manage and monitor large state/federal/local budgets
• Work in partnership with Strategic Initiatives business office and outside partners to successfully implement the EPIIC grant deliverables
• Provide technical support to the technical assistance providers
• Anticipate internal and external client needs
• Collaborate with internal and external clients to define project goals and deliverables to support EPIIC programming
• Manage multiple projects to completion while meeting mandated timelines
• Communicate with an external pool of consultants to support financial processes in a timely manner, such as contracts and payments
• Organize and accurately manage grant/program budget spreadsheets and contracts
• Prepare weekly budget summaries/updates to internal and external stakeholders
• Perform other duties as assigned

Equipment Used:

• Computers, peripherals and software, listserv technology, webinars and other online learning tools, printers.

Working Conditions:
Mental:

• Communicates effectively (verbal and written)
• Follows policies and procedures

Physical:

• Lifting and carrying (0-30pounds)
• Hearing, speaking, visual acuity

The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills that may be required.

Frequently asked questions:

1. What are my opportunities for development and advancement at Region 13? We budget in professional development for you to learn new skills and stay current with the industry. This could include attending conferences and/or enrolling in online courses. New or advanced positions are generally added based on workload growth and statewide budget decisions.
2. What types of benefits does Region 13 offer? Region 13 employees pay into Teacher Retirement System of Texas (www.trs.texas.gov) and social security. Blue Cross Blue Shield is our primary healthcare provider and we offer supplemental benefits for vision, dental, etc. We offset the cost of this healthcare with a substantial employer contribution.
3. How much time off does Region 13 offer? Region 13 is closed for about 25 days in observance of major holidays. Employees also receive 12 vacation days and 10 personal leave days. We are a 7am-6pm organization with an 8 hour work day within that timeframe, but we honor a healthy work-life balance.

The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills that may be required.