Openings as of 10/8/2025

Grants Specialist

JobID: 514

Position Type:
Civil Service/Full-Time/Non-Bargaining Unit


Date Posted:
10/7/2025


Location:
Urbana City Building


Date Available:
When filled


Closing Date:
See below for details


Join Our Team!
Grants Specialist
Are you looking for a position where you can make a meaningful contribution to our community?

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Annual Salary Range
$50,120.91-$77,826.92 ($24.0965-$37.4167)


Starting Salary Range
$50,120.91-$64,018.92 ($24.0965-$30.7783)


Compensation and Benefits
The City of Urbana offers competitive compensation and benefits to our employees. The starting hourly rate for this position is $24.0965. The City of Urbana provides its employees with a robust benefits package that includes the following options:

• Health insurance through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, including a no-cost premium option for employees
• Dental insurance options through Delta Dental
• Vision, Voluntary Life, Short/Long-term Disability, Accident, and Critical Illness insurance options
• Flexible Spending Plan option
• Paid holidays
• Generous vacation and unlimited sick leave accruals

For more information about City benefits for this position, please visit Non-Union Benefits | City of Urbana Careers | Urbana, Illinois.


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Department/Division:
Community Development Services Department – Grants Division

Position Summary:
The Grants Specialist performs a variety of general administrative functions in support of the Grants Management Division. Responsibilities include program management support and planning, monitoring grant recipients and members, preparation of reports, grant application management, and building and maintaining relationships with non-profit and governmental partners and consortiums. No prior experience with grants is required, however the incumbent must demonstrate strong organizational and administrative aptitude, and the ability to independently manage assigned work projects, adhere to regulatory compliance, and model excellent public service.

Ideal Candidate:
• Actively listens and responds with empathy, especially when dealing with sensitive or emotionally charged situations
• Maintains professionalism and focus even amid frequent interruptions or shifting demands
• Consistently adheres to schedules, timelines, and work plans
• Consistently adheres to rules, policies, and ethical standards – even when no one is watching

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
HUD CPD PROGRAMS (HOME AND CDBG)
• Implements programs funded through the Department of Housing and Urbana Development, including CDBG and HOME Investment Partnership programs, through:
  • Supports the Housing Rehabilitation program by maintaining and updating application materials, reviewing applications for assistance, and overseeing home repair projects in coordination with the City’s Building Official and approved contractors.
  • Processes reimbursement requests from contractors and subgrantees and reviews requests for compliance with program regulations.
  • Communicates program contract and regulatory requirements to partner agencies, program contractors, and community members, and assists in reviewing and monitoring current and prospective partner agency documents and programs for regulatory compliance.
  • Tracks and reports project progress and accomplishments to HUD.
  • Conducts outreach to community members and partners to promote awareness of programs and to inform plans and reports.

COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM
• Coordinates City of Urbana grant opportunities for social service agencies, including but not limited to grants through the Community Services Grants Program, through:
  • Prepares application forms.
  • Notifies to social service agencies regarding fund availability.
  • Provides technical assistance training to applying agencies.
  • Assists with application review process.
  • Processes reimbursement requests.
  • Tracks program data and outcomes.
HOUSING AND HOMELESS INNOVATIONS GRANT PROGRAM
• Implements grants for homeless services and shelter programming, including but not limited to grants through the Housing and Homeless Innovations Grant Program, through:
  • Assists Division Manager and division staff with preparation of program materials, including applications forms and subrecipient agreements.
  • Tracks and reports progress and accomplishments to funding agencies.
  • Reviews and processes reimbursement requests.
• Assists Grants Management Division Manager in representing the City on the Continuum of Services Providers to the Homeless Service Providers to the Homeless and Human Service Council.


Required / Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Knowledge typically acquired through completion of a bachelor’s degree in public administration, urban planning, community development, or equivalent experience directly related to the previous degrees.
• One year of related professional experience.
• Familiarity with HUD grant programs, including CDBG, HOME, and McKinney-Vento (HEARTH) Act
• Familiarity with environmental review guidelines is desirable.
• Must possess, or obtain within fifteen (15) days, and maintain a current State of Illinois Class D Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), particularly for home repair projects, HOME Investment Partnership, Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO), and professional work with social service agencies.

For a complete list of duties and qualifications, please refer to the job description.

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To Apply:
Click the red "Apply" button on the upper-right hand side of this page. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, however the date of first application review will occur after October 28, 2025. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply prior to this date for priority consideration.

Selection Process:
The application will serve as the Civil Service exam; applicants meeting or exceeding the passing score will be placed on an open competitive register to fill current and/or future vacancies that may occur within approximately the next two years; this register may be extended or voided as needed by the Civil Service Commission. Questions may be directed to Ranija Turner, Human Resources Coordinator, at: Ranija.Turner@urbanail.gov or call (217) 384-6295. The City of Urbana provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; if you need information, please contact the Human Resources Division at the number or e-mail above.

What happens after I submit my application?
You will be contacted by e-mail regarding your status once a decision has been made in the selection process. Once you apply, almost all communication regarding the status of your application will be by email through the City's applicant management platform, so please add the domain "@applitrack.com" to your address book to prevent any emails from going to your Spam/Junk folder.

The Organization
The City of Urbana, founded in 1833 and the county seat of Champaign County, is a home-rule municipality situated in east central Illinois, approximately 135 miles south of Chicago and 45 miles west of the Indiana border. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the state's flagship university, is located in both Urbana and Urbana's twin city of Champaign. Urbana's population is estimated at 38,336 and 11.9 square miles are within the City boundaries. The City is led by Mayor DeShawn Williams and operates under the mayor-aldermanic form of government. On average, Urbana employs 260 full-time personnel. For more information about the City of Urbana, visit: www.urbanaillinois.us.

About the Urbana Community
Award-winning dining. Cutting-edge technology. World-class education. Gigabit-speed fiber network. Urbana is a city where artists, thinkers, and innovators thrive. And we’re just getting started!
Urbana boasts a history built on innovation. From the famed Morrow Plots, a National Historic Landmark, to the groundbreaking research conducted every day on the flagship campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana embraces creative thinking and diversity to drive innovation and advancement. We’re connected to each other and the world thanks to an award-winning mass transit district, Amtrak rail, a regional airport, and three major interstates. Prefer to get around on two wheels? We are proud to be the first Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community in Illinois. Our West Urbana neighborhood has been named of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association, and together with our twin city Champaign, we’ve been recognized as the Greatest Food Town in the Midwest by Midwest Living Magazine, as well as an AARP Age-Friendly Community. Led by Mayor DeShawn Williams, Urbana’s progressive values include civic engagement, celebrating entrepreneurs and innovators, smart growth, and transparent governance. Award-winning schools, outstanding parks, a mosaic of diverse and engaged neighborhoods, a robust array of businesses located throughout the city, and reliable public services committed to the best possible quality of life for residents serve to make Urbana a great place for all to thrive.


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The City of Urbana Welcomes Diversity!
We foster an environment that values and encourages mutual respect, inclusion of all people, and utilizing differences and similarities as an organizational asset. EOE.
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