Grant Financial Compliance Lead, Maritime Administration (MARAD)

Grant Financial Compliance Lead, Maritime Administration (MARAD), CFO Budget & Financial Support Services, Washington, DC

Summary:

• Job Title: Grant Financial Compliance Lead, MARAD CFO Budget & Financial Support Services (Key Personnel)
  
• Openings: 1
  
• Security Clearance: Public Trust eligibility required. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust determination; work may begin upon interim suitability approval.
  
• Work Type: Hybrid at MARAD Headquarters, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, onsite a minimum of two to three days per week, with additional onsite time during peak periods such as fiscal year-end closeout (Government-furnished laptop, VPN, and system access)
  
• Job Type: Full-time, dedicated assignment
  
• Benefits: Our client provides full benefits.
  
• Program Name: MARAD CFO Budget & Financial Support Services; one-year base period plus four one-year option periods through September 2031
  
• Agency name: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Maritime Administration (MARAD), Office of the Associate Administrator for Budget and Programs / Chief Financial Officer
  
• Start Date: Anticipated on or about 30 September 2026, upon task order award (position is contingent on award)
  

BizFirst is assisting our client with recruiting a skilled and experienced Grant Financial Compliance Lead. This Key Personnel position supports the following program: MARAD CFO Budget & Financial Support Services, which provides financial reporting, reconciliation, budget execution, grant, reimbursable agreement and revolving fund, payroll, and business analytics support to MARAD's Office of the Associate Administrator for Budget and Programs / Chief Financial Officer. The position is hybrid, based at MARAD Headquarters in Washington, DC, and is contingent on task order award, with an anticipated start on 30 September 2026.

Our client is a boutique consulting firm that employs consultants and professionals with unique skill sets to support the federal government with strategic execution, financial process enablement, IT systems, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software implementation.

What will you do

Lead financial oversight of MARAD's discretionary grant portfolio, which includes more than 300 active, highly sensitive awards across programs such as the Port Infrastructure Development Program, Small Shipyard Grants, and the United States Marine Highway Program. Reporting to the Senior Contractor Program Manager / CFO Strategic Advisor, you will own grant financial tracking, reconciliation, and 2 CFR Part 200 compliance review for the CFO office, run a risk-based approach to in-depth compliance reviews, flag slow-spending and at-risk awards, support timely closeouts, and guide a Grant Financial Analyst while working closely with the budget execution and business analytics teams. This role suits a federal grants financial management professional who knows the Uniform Guidance in depth and prepares clear grant financial analyses and briefings for CFO leadership.

Responsibilities:

• Track obligation and outlay plans for more than 300 active grant awards, and reconcile grant-related financial activity each monthly and quarterly cycle.
  
• Design and run a risk-based sampling approach for in-depth 2 CFR Part 200 financial compliance reviews, while keeping routine execution tracking across all awards.
  
• Review grant financial activity for allowability, monitor drawdowns and outlays, and identify slow-spending, unliquidated, or at-risk awards for Government attention.
  
• Develop and apply grant closeout checklists and support timely, well-documented closeouts.
  
• Support budget execution and funds control during grant obligation windows, and flag potential over-obligation risk.
  
• Coordinate with the reimbursable and revolving fund analysts on grant-related reimbursable activity and reconciliations.
  
• Partner with the Business Analytics Lead on the Grant Outlay dashboard, including data definitions, validation, and anomaly rules.
  
• Guide and review the work of the Grant Financial Analyst, and prepare grant financial analyses and briefing materials for CFO leadership.
  

Requirements:

• Public Trust eligibility; must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust determination.
  
• Minimum eight (8) years of federal grants financial management experience, including financial monitoring of grant awards.
  
• In-depth working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), including cost principles, allowability, and closeout requirements.
  
• Experience reconciling grant obligations, drawdowns, and outlays to the agency general ledger.
  
• Experience with federal accounting and budget execution concepts, including the U.S. Standard General Ledger (USSGL) and funds control.
  
• Experience designing or performing risk-based grant compliance reviews or monitoring programs.
  
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, public administration, or a related field.
  
• Ability to work onsite at MARAD Headquarters in Washington, DC, a minimum of two to three days per week, with additional onsite time during peak periods such as fiscal year-end closeout.
  
• Availability to begin work on or about 30 September 2026 and to serve full-time for the base period and any option periods the Government exercises.
  

Desired Skills

• Experience with Department of Transportation discretionary grant programs, especially MARAD's port, shipyard, or marine highway programs.
  
• CGFM, CPA, or Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) credential.
  
• Familiarity with Oracle Federal Financials (DOT Delphi) and federal grant payment and management systems.
  
• Experience leading or mentoring grant financial analysts.
  
• Experience defining metrics or data requirements for financial dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, or similar).
  

Benefits (provided by our client):

• Family Health Care (54% cost covered for the entire family)
  
• Family Dental (54% cost covered for the entire family)
  
• Family Vision (54% cost covered for the entire family)
  
• Flexible Spending Account
  
• Overutilization bonuses for Time and Materials (T&M) contracts
  
• Lifetime Event Bonuses (e.g., child, marriage)
  
• Profit-sharing arrangement for any work brought into the company
  
• Unlimited Leave with Approval
  
• 401k 100% employer match on first 4% invested
  
• $1,000 training budget