Funding & Infrastructure Coordinator

As Central Ohio’s regional council, MORPC is an association of cities, villages, townships, counties, and regional organizations, serving rural, suburban, and urban areas. We take pride in bringing communities of all sizes and interests together to collaborate on the best practices and plans for the future of our growing region. We do this through several programs, services, projects, and initiatives – all with the goal of improving the lives of our residents and making Central Ohio stand out on the world stage.

One of Central Ohio’s greatest strengths is the variety of our communities and to best serve our region MORPC strongly values a wide range of perspectives. MORPC strives to reflect those values in our workforce, our endeavors, and our positive impact on the region. Our work progresses when our team can draw on a broad spectrum of personal experiences and backgrounds, and when each member is open to learning from the experiences of others, both internally and externally. As an equal opportunity employer, we fully support all applicable state and federal laws and regulations and do not discriminate against applicants for employment or employees based on race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical conditions, age, disability or other handicap, genetic information, marital/familial status, veteran status, military status, or income or status with regard to public assistance in any aspects of our personnel policies, working conditions, or hiring and recruitment.

MORPC recognizes the value of a healthy work/life balance for our team members and, as such, we provide a variety of benefits to promote that balance. Eligible employees receive a free system-wide transit pass and discounted access to other alternative transportation modes to provide options for commuting to work. MORPC encourages opportunities for career advancement through generous tuition and professional development incentives, leadership programs, and participation in local and national organizations. For eligible permanent positions, MORPC also offers flexible schedules and remote work options as well as paid time off and holidays. MORPC employees may also be eligible for excellent health, vision, and dental insurance, employee assistance programs, employer-paid short-term & long-term disability coverage, employer-paid life insurance in the amount of $50,000 coverage, participation in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, plus two Deferred Compensation Plans that employees can opt into for additional retirement funding.

POSITION INTRODUCTION:

The Funding and Infrastructure Coordinator (Coordinator) assists the Economic Development Director & Regional Innovation Officer (Director) in providing funding and infrastructure investment assistance to communities in the MORPC service area. This includes overseeing the Competitive Advantage Projects (CAP) program, the Drive Investment Portal (Portal) and assisting the Director in activities related to the Regional Economic Development Academy. The position works closely on all funding opportunities the Economic Development team is engaged in as well as supporting, in some capacity, funding opportunities MODE is engaged in. Additionally, the Coordinator is the main point of contact with member communities on their grant-related inquiries. This position also assists the Economic & Community Development Specialist (Specialist) in issuing the bi-monthly Drive Investment Newsletter.

The US Economic Development Administration (EDA) is MORPC’s institutional partner for the EDD designation and the coordinator supports delivery of EDA resources to the EDD region along with applying to relevant ODOD, USDOT, DOC, EDA, US EPA, and foundation grants.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Program Management

• Administer the Competitive Advantage Projects (CAP) program, including maintaining an updated webpage; communicating with member communities; providing technical assistance on the nomination form; evaluating all nominated projects and selecting the final list of projects. The coordinator will also prepare factsheets on CAPs for senior leadership’s Capitol Hill visits, determine pathways such as MORPC’s Community-Based Planning Assistance and Technical Assistance programs, among others, to help execute selected CAPs and monitor any progress on the projects over time.
• Oversee the update and management of the Drive Investment Portal to ensure the grant and loan opportunities reflected on the Portal are accurate and complete. To include consulting with interested member communities on the next steps.

Grants Assistance

• Act as the main point of contact on member-driven grants assistance, including (as needed) identifying relevant funding opportunities; developing fact sheets on the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO); meeting with the member communities; creating a workspace on SharePoint; consulting on project development; working both internally and externally on obtaining letters of support; reviewing the final application; and submitting the application on the federal grant site.
• Assist the Director and Specialist on major regional competitive grant applications in the Economic Development team, especially those related to current programs in Freight Planning, Brownfield Redevelopment and US EDA’s federal grants.
• Support grant submissions in MODE in partnership with the Subject Matter Expert.
• Support agency-wide grant submissions, as needed, depending on capacity.
• Monitor online systems like Candid and Grants.gov for potential funding opportunities.
• Attend conferences, webinars, and trainings to learn and apply knowledge relevant to funding opportunities.
• Attend the agency-wide Leadership Grants Support meetings, including preparing and sharing a meeting agenda in advance.

Community/External Engagement

• Work with central Ohio residents, MORPC members and partners to 1) gather input on community needs and concerns and 2) include their perspectives in shaping a project’s implementation.
• Represent MORPC in various public forums including inter-agency coordination meetings.
• Attend and support all Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy committee meetings.

Miscellaneous

• Conduct research and analysis, as needed, to benchmark program offerings and new legislations to provide background information to the Director and/or the Chief Mobility and Development Officer on topics related to economic development.
• Maintain working knowledge of federal and state guidelines.
• Provide management of intern(s) within the team (as needed).
• Other duties as

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• A working knowledge of the federal, state, and local resources for economic and community development and/or infrastructure planning.
• Must be skilled in program or project management, grant research and application preparation.
• An understanding of available resources to help identify solutions for those seeking economic development project assistance in central Ohio.
• Ability to communicate effectively, and collaborate with MORPC members, peers partner organizations, state, and federal agencies.
• Organizational skills are essential and the ability to use Microsoft Office Suite Programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Must possess strong oral and written communication skills and an ability to work independently and on a team.
• Experience with visualization tools such as ArcGIS, Canva, and Adobe Suite.
• Ability to conduct virtual meetings and webinars.
• Proactive, analytical, and creative problem solver.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree in either City and Regional Planning, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science or comparable subject matter from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum four years of related work experience is required.

LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• The successful candidate must have reliable transportation to report to MORPC's office location and to attend off-site meetings, events, or client visits as required. A valid driver's license and access to a personal vehicle may be necessary depending on the specific needs of the role. Mileage reimbursement is available when an agency vehicle is not accessible.

Please apply online at http://www.morpc.org/careers/ or you may mail a resume to:

MORPC Attn: MD-6-25

111 Liberty St., Suite 100

Columbus, OH 43215

www.morpc.org

No phone calls please.