Job Title: Data Program Manager / Specialist – Federal Grants & Cost Allocation

Location: Baton Rouge, LA (Onsite)

Duration: 2+ Years

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Data Program Manager / Specialist with strong cost allocation, federal grants, financial analysis, and program management experience to support a Louisiana state government engagement involving multiple federally funded workforce, vocational rehabilitation, employment and training, and assistance programs.

This position will support the development and implementation of a sustainable administrative cost allocation methodology covering USDOL grants, Vocational Rehabilitation grants, SNAP Employment & Training, TANF, and other federal funding sources.

The successful candidate will combine cost allocation plan expertise, data analysis, financial modeling, documentation, stakeholder coordination, and program delivery skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead or support activities associated with assessment and development of administrative cost allocation methodologies.
• Review existing funding structures, cost pools, allocation bases, coding structures, and administrative claiming processes.
• Coordinate with fiscal, program, IT, policy, and management stakeholders to understand operational and financial requirements.
• Evaluate existing time-coding and cost-capture controls and recommend improvements.
• Identify compliance risks, unsupported allocation assumptions, and gaps in existing methodologies.
• Develop and document cost pools, allocation bases, allocation formulas, and distribution methodologies.
• Ensure proposed methodologies are supported by appropriate financial and operational analysis.
• Develop financial models projecting federal and state share impacts.
• Support federal claiming optimization and identification of allowable reimbursement opportunities.
• Lead or materially support development of Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plans (PACAPs) and supporting schedules.
• Coordinate preparation of documentation for federal review and approval.
• Prepare responses to federal reviewer inquiries and support meetings or technical discussions.
• Develop implementation roadmaps, procedures, operational guidance, and transition documentation.
• Coordinate deliverables, milestones, dependencies, assumptions, risks, and stakeholder feedback.
• Monitor implementation of approved methodologies and support post-implementation validation.
• Review and refine allocation methodologies based on operational or federal feedback.
• Prepare executive summaries, status updates, analytical reports, and recommendations for leadership.
• Facilitate working sessions with Louisiana Works fiscal and program personnel.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated cost allocation plan generation experience – mandatory.
• Strong data analysis experience – mandatory.
• Experience supporting or managing complex cost allocation, financial analysis, or federal grant initiatives.
• Experience developing or materially contributing to Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plans (PACAPs).
• Experience working with complex funding structures and shared administrative costs.
• Strong financial modeling and analytical capabilities.
• Experience translating business/program requirements into documented methodologies and implementation plans.
• Strong project coordination and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and deliverables within defined deadlines.

Highly Preferred Experience

• Governmental cost allocation and federal claiming.
• Federal grant administration and reimbursement.
• Active CPA certification/license, preferably with experience in governmental cost allocation and federal claiming.
• 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• 45 CFR Part 95, Subpart E – Cost Allocation Plans.
• Experience with USDOL, RSA, FNS, TANF, SNAP E&T, or other federal grant programs.
• Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan (PACAP) development, revision, submission, or federal approval.
• Experience supporting federal review, negotiation, or responses to federal agency comments.
• Experience with workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, employment/training, or public assistance programs.
• Financial modeling involving federal/state participation, reimbursement, and matching rates.
• Cost allocation involving shared IT systems, personnel, fiscal functions, policy, management, and administrative services.
• Experience with WBS, cost centers, internal orders, time reporting, and financial coding structures.

Key Deliverables

The resource will support delivery of:

• Comprehensive current-state assessment
• Compliance-risk and corrective-action analysis
• Administrative Cost Allocation Methodology
• Allocation matrices and formulas
• Financial impact analysis
• Cost pool reporting and coding matrix
• Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan submission package
• Federal Claiming Optimization Memorandum
• Fiscal Impact Projection Model
• Implementation Plan
• Operational methodology documentation
• Federal review responses and supporting documentation
• Executive reporting and post-implementation validation