Grant Reviewer, Community Schools (CSII)

Job Title: Grant Reviewer, Community Schools (CSII)
Work Arrangement: Remote
Location: Remote, United States
Employment Type: Part-Time, Independent Contractor (1099)
Engagement Type: Short-term, per grant competition; paid per application reviewed
Final Interview:

Position Summary

Dhaka Technologies Limited Company is hiring Grant Reviewers on behalf of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District of Columbia's state education agency, for its Community Schools Incentive Initiative (CSII) grant competition. OSSE is seeking reviewers with hands-on experience in community school models and integrated student supports who can evaluate the quality of school-community partnerships and implementation plans.

Grant reviewers provide independent subject matter expertise to read, score, and comment on competitive grant applications submitted by local education agencies, schools, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities. All reviews are completed remotely in OSSE's online Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS), and reviewer scores are used to recommend applications for funding. OSSE selects reviewers from the qualified pool and gives preference to reviewers who have satisfactorily completed reviews for its competitions in previous years.

Work Schedule

This is a remote, part-time assignment. Reviews are completed on your own schedule within each deadline. The approximate commitment for this competition is:

• Orientation and EGMS training: a virtual webinar held approximately within two weeks of the engagement start date.
• Review window: usually two weeks from the date applications are assigned, unless OSSE specifies otherwise.
• Facilitated discussion (only if needed): a phone or video conference, usually about three business days after the scoring due date, held when panel scores differ significantly.
• Approximate completion of reviewer work: June 15, 2027. Final dates are confirmed before orientation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Complete OSSE's EGMS training and attend the virtual, grant-specific orientation webinar before reviewing any applications.
2. Independently read and conduct a detailed review of each assigned application (typically two or more per competition) as one of three reviewers on an EGMS review panel, working remotely and separately.
3. Assess each application's alignment with community school pillars and the feasibility of its proposed implementation plan.
4. Evaluate partnership quality and collaboration structures, including partnership memoranda of understanding (MOUs), stakeholder engagement plans, community needs assessments, and strategies for shared leadership.
5. Analyze data, budgets, and needs assessments for accuracy, alignment, and responsiveness to identified community priorities.
6. Complete a fully scored rubric for every section of each application, applying the established scoring criteria consistently and objectively.
7. Write clear, constructive comments describing strengths and weaknesses that justify and align with the scores given. Reviews may be shared with applicants on request, with reviewer names and contact information removed.
8. Base all scores and comments only on the content of each applicant's submission in EGMS.
9. Submit all scores and comments in EGMS by the review deadline, usually two weeks from receiving the applications.
10. Participate in a facilitated panel discussion by phone or video conference when scores differ significantly, then submit a final rubric with updated scores and comments reflecting any changes.
11. Disclose any conflict of interest with applicant organizations and do not review any application where a conflict exists.
12. Direct EGMS technical questions to the EGMS manual, the resources at grants.osse.dc.gov, or the EGMS call center at (202) 719-6500, and direct questions about the grant or about scoring to OSSE grant program staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher.
• Demonstrated experience with community school models or integrated student supports, such as community schools, wraparound services, family engagement, or school-community partnerships.
• Knowledge of whole-child and whole-family approaches, including strategies that address academic, social-emotional, and non-academic needs such as attendance interventions, health services, mental health supports, and community resource coordination.
• Ability to review and score applications objectively, applying scoring rubrics consistently, assessing alignment with community school pillars, and evaluating the feasibility of implementation plans.
• Skill in assessing partnership quality and collaboration structures, including partnership MOUs, stakeholder engagement plans, community needs assessments, and shared leadership strategies.
• Strong analytical skills for reviewing data, budgets, and needs assessments for accuracy, alignment, and responsiveness to community priorities.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to provide clear, constructive, objective written feedback that helps applicants strengthen program design and implementation.
• Reliable access to a computer, the internet, and a phone.
• Availability for the full review process, including EGMS training, the orientation webinar, the complete review window, and a facilitated discussion if one is required.
• No conflict of interest with any applicant organization in this competition, confirmed through a signed Conflict of Interest Form.
• No unsatisfactory performance evaluation from past grant review work for OSSE or any other grant-making organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience reviewing competitive grant applications for OSSE or another government agency.

Compensation

• $100 per application successfully reviewed. Reviewers are typically assigned two or more applications per competition.
• Payment is made only after OSSE verifies successful completion of the entire review process: EGMS training, the orientation webinar, timely review and rigorous scoring of every assigned application in EGMS, and, if required, participation in a facilitated discussion with final scores submitted.
• Payment is issued by Dhaka Technologies Limited Company by direct deposit or check within 30 calendar days of OSSE's verification.
• Failure to complete timely, high-quality reviews will affect payment and will disqualify a reviewer from future assignments.

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the qualifications should send their resume to talent@dhakatech.us with the job title in the email subject line. Your resume should show your degree and your experience in the field. Qualified applicants will be asked to complete a Grant Reviewer Application and a Conflict of Interest Form before they are recommended to OSSE.

This is a remote position.