Job Details

Introduction

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.

At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve.

Our employees enjoy an exceptional employee assistance program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote wellness. We have a team-oriented atmosphere, focus on work-life balance, and offer flexible work schedules for most positions. Click this video to learn more about the benefits of working at DPI.

The Federal Formula Grants Section in the Bureau of Grant Administration and Monitoring is seeking applicants for a Grants Specialist-Advanced position. This position works on the cutting edge of career and technical education that provides relevant hands-on skills training combined with academics to prepare students for postsecondary education, training, or the workforce. This position collaborates cross-agency and with school district staff and federal colleagues. In this role, you will problem solve, have autonomy and influence over how the Perkins V grant is administered, and work alongside a team of experience grant administrators. Please apply if this sounds like work you would like to do!

Position Summary

This position provides leadership for and management of grant programs, state and local plans to improve Career and Technical Education (CTE), and related projects for local education agencies (LEAs), Cooperative Education Service Agencies, and districts in 66.30 agreement and others. These grant programs include the Strengthening CTE for the 21 st Century Act (Perkins V) and related federal or state programs. The Perkins grant provides over $11 million support for secondary Career and Technical Education programs and initiatives. The grants specialist shall:

1) Design, develop, implement, and maintain systematic processes and procedures for the effective administration of the Perkins V grant. This includes providing technical assistance to LEAs and DPI staff in the assessment of program needs, development of applications, application review, improvement plans, and on improving outcomes for members of special population groups, and the collection, analysis, and presentation of related data.

2) Lead the statewide planning and implementation of any new or reauthorized legislation for secondary Career and Technical Education subawards.

3) Assure quality of grant/project management processes and record systems through coordination of program support functions.

4) Monitor and evaluate grant and project implementation.

5) Provide leadership on assigned committees.

6) Provide leadership for the DPI portion of the federal consolidated annual report (CAR).

For more information, please view the complete position description .

Salary Information

Depending on qualifications, the salary will be between $31.24-$39.00 per hour (approximately $64,979 - $81,120 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 07, range 03. A one-year probationary period will be required.

This position offers excellent benefits . The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program .

Job Details

Remote Work : This position allows for up to 100% remote work within the State of Wisconsin, with the expectation that the employee maintains secure, high-speed internet access. Remote work from neighboring states may be approved only in very rare and limited circumstances. Please note that remote work arrangements may be rescinded at any time based on business needs, and employees may occasionally be required to report to a Wisconsin work location on short notice.

Travel : This position will travel in-state and overnight approximately once or twice per quarter for site visits to school districts and to attend professional development sessions.

Headquarters : The position is headquartered at 201 W. Washington Ave. in Madison, WI, and employees are required to report there on their first day of employment. In addition, the employee may need to report to their headquarter location as operational needs require. Reimbursement for traveling to or from the employee's headquarters is not provided (e.g., mileage, meals, parking, lodging, etc.).

Pre-hire requirements : A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire. A TB screen will be required prior to start.

Legal authorization : Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Qualifications

Please address the following in your resume and/or letter of qualifications .

A minimally qualified applicant must have experience with all the below:

• Providing technical assistance to grant applicants (Technical assistance may include providing individual support; creating written documents, online training modules, or other tools; presenting information to small or large audiences; etc.)
• Interpreting or implementing federal or state rules, regulations, policies, or procedures
• Using spreadsheet software to analyze data or create reports on program implementation or evaluation
• Importing or exporting data from spreadsheets, databases, or statistical software

Please note that a college degree is not required for this position.

Well-qualified applicants will also have:

• Training or experience with a state or federal grant program supporting K-12 education, such as Perkins V or similar
  
• Training or experience with the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), General Education Provision Act (GEPA), or Federal Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR § 200)
  
• Experience managing systematic procedures for a grant application process, such as awarding grants, reporting, monitoring requirements, monitoring or evaluating grant subrecipients, grant closeouts, or reviewing grant applications
  
• Experience or training in developing or supporting equitable and sustainable practices or structures related to reviewing and approving grant budgets
  
• Developing program policies or procedures that align with federal legislation to support program implementation, such as Perkins V guidelines
  

How To Apply

For this position, please submit an updated resume and letter of qualifications. View our Application Tips page on the DPI website for additional guidance.

Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place.

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program. Once you have applied, please send an email indicating your interest in being considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program to the HR staff listed in the job posting.

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions? Please contact the recruiter at:
Maria Butters
DPI Human Resources Specialist-Senior
Email: ...@dpi.wi.gov

Deadline to Apply

The deadline for this announcement is 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, April 17, 2026 .