SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GRANTS & FINANCE

Mayor

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$135,700.00 - $198,400.00

contact information

Mayor's Office HR Team
213-978-0600
Mayor.Jobs@lacity.org

job description

LOCATION: Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles 90012

TERMS: Full-time, Exempt

SALARY: $135,700 - $198,400 (Mayoral Aide VIII)

SUMMARY:

The Senior Director of Grants & Finance provides executive-level leadership and strategic direction over the City’s grants administration, fiscal management, contract compliance, and procurement operations within the Grants, Finance & Contracts Unit. This position is responsible for the comprehensive oversight of local, state, and federal funding; ensuring sound fiscal stewardship, regulatory compliance, and alignment with City and Mayoral priorities.

The Senior Director performs complex, high-level administrative, financial, and policy work that requires extensive experience in public sector finance, grants management, and interagency coordination. The position serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership, providing expert guidance on fiscal policy, strategic planning, and resource management.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Oversight. Provide executive-level direction for all functions of the Grants, Finance & Contracts Unit, including grant administration, budget management, procurement, and contract oversight.
Program & Policy Development. Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of financial and administrative policies, internal controls, and strategic initiatives that support the Mayor’s Office
Fiscal Management. Oversee the planning, development, and administration of complex budgets across multiple funding streams, including federal, state, and local sources. Manage the internal operating budget of the Mayor’s Office ensuring fiscal discipline, accurate forecasting, and alignment with organizational priorities.
Grant Administration. Direct all phases of the grant lifecycle—from opportunity identification and proposal development to award management, monitoring, and closeout—ensuring adherence to City, State, and Federal guidelines.
Procurement & Contracting. Manage the development and execution of contracts, purchase agreements, and procurement processes in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and City procedures.
Compliance & Audit Readiness. Ensure internal systems, documentation, and financial practices meet audit standards; oversee the preparation of required reports, reconciliations, and corrective actions.
Interagency Coordination. Serve as the principal liaison between the Mayor’s Office, regional partners, and funding agencies to align grant, budget, and financial strategies with Mayoral priorities.
Performance Monitoring. Establish key performance metrics and regularly assess the effectiveness of fiscal, grant, and procurement operations; recommend and implement process improvements.
Staff Supervision & Development. Lead, mentor, and evaluate management and professional staff; foster a collaborative and accountable team environment focused on service excellence.
External Representation. Represent the Mayor’s Office at intergovernmental meetings, funding agency briefings, and oversight sessions; present complex financial and policy matters to executive leadership and elected officials.

REQUIREMENTS:

An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in public sector financial management, grant administration, or government contracting, including at least three (3) years in a supervisory or management role.
Demonstrated experience managing large, multi-jurisdictional grant programs and internal operating budgets funded by federal and state sources.
Ability to organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
Ability to lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams across departments and jurisdictions.
Ability to develop, manage, and reconcile complex internal and external budgets.
Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, and policies governing grant and fiscal administration.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, auditors, and community partners.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, strategic thinking, and discretion in high-pressure, fast-paced environments.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Experience in municipal finance or grant administration within a large metropolitan government.
Familiarity with City of Los Angeles financial, contracting, and administrative systems.

How to apply

Applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Mayor.Jobs@lacity.org with “Senior Director of Grants & Finance” in the subject line no later than Friday, October 31, 2025. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and suitable candidates may be contacted and hired before the application deadline. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly.

This is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights, or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the hiring authority. The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Please call (213) 744-9300 if you need assistance.

exempt employment

If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a “property interest” in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.

General Information About Exempt Employment

Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.

Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees

There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.

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