Senior Public Assistance Consultant

About the role

The Senior Public Assistance Closeout Consultant / Specialist leads the closeout of FEMA Public Assistance (PA) projects for state, local, tribal, territorial, and other eligible applicants. This is a senior, closeout-focused position: the primary function is to move obligated projects — including the largest, most complex, and most stalled in the portfolio — through final reconciliation, closeout package development, and closeout submission to timely, defensible completion.

This role is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and sound professional judgment. The senior consultant owns a closeout portfolio end to end, makes and defends eligibility and cost determinations on complex projects, resolves the issues that stall closeout, and serves as a closeout subject-matter resource to applicants, the Recipient, and less-experienced team members. While the position supports the broader PA lifecycle as needed, closeout leadership is the core of the job.

Key Responsibilities

Close Out(Primary Focus)

• Own and manage a portfolio of PA projects through the closeout phase, driving obligated projects — including large, complex, and high-value projects — to timely, defensible final completion.
• Own and manage a portfolio of PA projects through the closeout phase, driving obligated projects — including large, complex, and high-value projects — to timely, defensible final completion.
• Reconcile obligated versus actual costs, determine and process the amendments and versions needed prior to closeout, and support deobligation or adjustment of unexpended or ineligible funds.
• Prepare, review, and approve complete and accurate closeout requests and packages for large project, small project, and RPA (Recipient-level) closeout.
• Independently resolve outstanding documentation, cost, and eligibility issues that hold up closeout, coordinating with applicants, FEMA, the Recipient, and specialists to clear them.
• Prioritize a closeout pipeline: proactively identify projects ready for — or stalled in — closeout, triage by risk and deadline, and work them to completion.
• Make and defend eligibility and cost-reasonableness determinations on complex closeout matters, and prepare files that withstand FEMA, state, or federal audit.
• Serve as a closeout subject-matter resource — providing guidance and quality review to applicants and to less-experienced consultants, and helping set closeout standards and processes for the team.
• Assist applicants with closeout submissions in FEMA Grants Portal, including final documentation, uploads, and closeout-related project records.
• Lead and support responses to FEMA Requests for Information (RFIs) issued during the closeout process.
• Maintain closeout trackers, status reports, and issue logs, and report closeout progress and risks to project leadership.
• Advise applicants on FEMA closeout requirements, documentation standards, deadlines, and PA policies.

Broader PA Lifecycle Support (As Assigned)

• Assist applicants with the identification, documentation, and evaluation of disaster-related damages and emergency response costs.
• Conduct or support site inspections and damage assessments, including documenting facility conditions, dimensions, quantities, photographs, and supporting information.
• Assist with development and validation of Damage Descriptions and Dimensions (DDDs), Scopes of Work (SOWs), and cost estimates.
• Evaluate potential eligibility of facilities, work, and costs in accordance with the Stafford Act, 2 CFR Part 200, FEMA PA policy, PAPPG, and applicable state requirements.
• Support project formulation for both emergency work and permanent work, including FEMA PA Categories A–G.
• Collect, organize, review, and reconcile supporting documentation such as invoices, contracts, purchase orders, force-account labor, equipment usage, materials, mutual aid, insurance information, and proof of payment.
• Support cost estimating and cost-reasonableness reviews using actual costs, contractor estimates, historical costs, FEMA cost-estimating tools, or other appropriate methodologies.
• Review procurement and contracting documentation for consistency with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Track projects through the PA lifecycle, including damage identification, project development, validation, obligation, amendments, and reconciliation.
• Identify potential issues involving insurance, environmental and historic preservation, hazard mitigation, duplication of benefits, procurement, or other compliance requirements and coordinate with appropriate specialists to clear them ahead of closeout.
• Lead or support development of appeals, Requests for Equitable Adjustment, or other project-related submissions, as appropriate to the assignment.
• Participate in and, where appropriate, lead meetings with applicants, FEMA, state emergency management agencies, engineers, contractors, and other recovery stakeholders.
• Maintain detailed records of applicant communications, decisions, outstanding actions, and project status.

Qualifications

• Extensive, hands-on FEMA PA closeout experience is the primary requirement for this position. Candidates must have a strong, demonstrated track record of independently taking projects through final reconciliation and closeout — including large and small project closeout, RPA/subrecipient closeout, cost reconciliation, deobligation, and preparation of audit-ready closeout packages — including complex and high-value projects.
• Typically 5+ years of FEMA Public Assistance or disaster-recovery experience, with a significant portion focused on project closeout.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment on complex eligibility and cost matters, manage competing priorities and deadlines, and serve as a resource or mentor to less-experienced staff.
• Bachelor's degree in emergency management, public administration, business, engineering, construction management, finance/accounting, or a related discipline preferred. Additional relevant disaster-recovery or FEMA PA experience may substitute for education depending on the position.
• Deep working knowledge of FEMA Grants Portal, PAPPG, 2 CFR Part 200, project formulation, cost estimating, and procurement compliance. Strong analytical, documentation, communication, and organizational skills, and comfort working directly with governmental applicants and FEMA.
• The position may require deployment to disaster-affected jurisdictions, extended assignments, travel, and work outside normal business hours during periods of disaster response and recovery.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in public sector, disaster response, or emergency management (a plus, not required).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative in fast-paced settings.
• Comfortable adapting to new platforms or project types as needed.

Additional Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Eligibility to work in the United States. Must be located in the United States.

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• Successful completion of company and any applicable client background and reference checks is required as a condition of employment.

• Must be willing and able to travel to various work sites as needed.
• Must be willing and able to work long hours in emergency response environments.