Senior Director, Regulatory and Grants Compliance

JSI’s clients are building and running the networks that close the digital divide. Rural incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive carriers, and electric cooperatives have secured historic levels of broadband funding through BEAD, ARPA, and other federal and state programs — and every dollar of it carries post-award compliance obligations that most providers are not staffed to handle alone. That is the work we do. We are hiring a Senior Director, Regulatory and Grants Compliance to lead it. You will own JSI’s grants and post-award compliance practice outright — setting the methodology, carrying the revenue target, writing and closing the work, and serving as the firm’s senior authority on post-award compliance. You will report directly to the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance, sit on the department’s leadership team, and lead a team that includes a Senior Manager as well as individual contributors. You will operate with significant autonomy over how the work gets done. The role exists because the firm is growing and changing at the same time. Broadband funding has expanded what our clients need from us faster than any single leader could absorb, and we are integrating recently combined organizations while that happens. We need a leader who can build the grants practice into something durable while holding delivery quality steady underneath. This is a newly defined role. The colleague who previously led this work is moving into a new position as part of the firm’s next stage of growth and will remain available to support the transition and help you get established. What You Will Own Grants and Post-Award Compliance Practice Own JSI’s grants and post-award compliance practice. Continue to refine the methodology, tooling, and quality standards for how the firm delivers post-award compliance under 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) and the specific terms and conditions attached to BEAD, ARPA, and other federal and state broadband awards. Work alongside a Senior Manager who runs day-to-day practice operations and serve as the firm’s senior escalation point for complex, ambiguous, or high-risk post-award matters, including audits and awarding-agency inquiries. Anticipate where funding programs and their compliance requirements are heading and position the practice ahead of them. Business Development & Revenue Growth Hold accountability for the grants practice revenue and pipeline target, and own the business development cycle end to end in partnership with Sales and other colleagues. Identify and qualify opportunities within existing accounts and with prospective clients. Scope engagements, set pricing, write and present proposals, and close the work, drawing on significant support from a Senior Manager for subject-matter depth, scoping input, and proposal development. Represent JSI’s grants compliance capabilities in client meetings, industry forums, webinars, and written thought leadership. Partner with sales, marketing, engineering, and finance to build and position bundled service offerings. People Leadership Lead, develop, and supervise a team that includes a Senior Manager and individual contributors. Own hiring, onboarding, performance management, and the difficult decisions when service quality or continuity requires them. Build bench strength and technical depth so the practice does not depend on any single individual, including you. Operations, Integrations, & Innovation Lead the integration of people, processes, systems, and client ownership across recently combined organizations, in coordination with the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance. Plan and execute complex initiatives spanning multiple teams, timelines, and dependencies. Identify operational, compliance, and delivery risks and implement mitigation strategies that protect clients, revenue, and the firm’s reputation. Drive process improvement and automation, including practical application of AI tooling, to improve efficiency and the client experience. This is a working leadership role. You will personally deliver client work — complex post-award compliance engagements, audit and awarding-agency response, and senior advisory — and bill that time. The role carries a billable hours requirement alongside dedicated time for business development and practice leadership. What You Bring Required: 8 to 10+ years of people management experience, including managing managers or senior-level professional staff. 12+ years of professional experience in grants compliance, telecommunications regulatory compliance, or a closely related field. Demonstrated expertise in post-award grant compliance, including direct experience applying 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance). Direct, substantive experience with the BEAD program, including its post-award compliance and reporting requirements. BEAD is a significant component of this role. Demonstrated experience with telecommunications regulatory compliance for communications providers, including FCC filings, USAC program requirements, and state PUC or PSC proceedings. Demonstrated track record of closing professional services engagements — not solely supporting a sales cycle, but owning it from qualification through signature. Has personally carried a revenue or pipeline target, rather than participating in a shared team number. Demonstrated ability to operate at a senior leadership level while partnering closely with VP- and C-suite-level colleagues. Experience balancing hands-on client delivery with practice leadership and business development responsibilities. Experience leading teams across multiple locations. Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain regulatory and funding risk to non-specialist audiences and to represent the firm externally. Sound judgment, discretion with confidential and sensitive information, and the organizational discipline to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving and sometimes ambiguous environment. Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat Ability to travel. Preferred: Experience in a consulting or professional services environment serving multiple clients concurrently. Direct experience with ARPA or other federal and state broadband funding programs on the recipient or advisor side. Familiarity with the regulatory environment for rural and incumbent local exchange carriers, including FCC filings, USAC program requirements, and state PUC or PSC proceedings. Experience with post-merger or post-acquisition integration. Experience building or scaling a service line or practice area from an early stage. Familiarity with Smartsheet or comparable project and compliance tracking platforms. Benefits & Compensation Competitive salary + performance-based bonuses. Comprehensive benefits package (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)). Generous PTO and wellness opportunities. Ongoing professional development and educational opportunities.