Director of Institutional Grants & Contracts

Description

Summary of position: Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement for Foundation Relations, the Director of Institutional Grants & Contracts is a key member of the Advancement team responsible for revenue generation through effective development and management of sustainable relationships with foundation and government partners, corporate charities, and other institutional funders. The Director of Institutional Grants & Contracts will play a key role in developing a grant and contract funding plan to sufficiently resource unrestricted, restricted, and capital projects and to help carry out the organization’s strategic plan to increase advancement revenue.

Core responsibilities include:

• Researching potential funding sources and developing funding concept ideas.
• Writing foundation, government, corporate and other grant proposals
• Stewarding and managing funder relationships and writing grant reports
• Leading and supporting the development, writing and submission of state and federal grant applications and contract bids.
• Overseeing the grant spend-down process for all restricted grants and contracts in coordination with Walker’s finance team and program managers.

Essential functions:

• Build and Maintain Funder Relationships: Cultivate and manage relationships with foundations, government agencies, and other funders to support the organization’s programs and funding needs. Prepare and submit well-researched, tailored proposals that align with funder requirements and reflect organizational priorities. Act as a key point of contact for funder communications.
• Lead and Support Grant and Contract Submissions: Collaborate with Advancement leadership and senior staff to prepare competitive grant applications and bids for local, state, and federal contracts critical to sustaining and expanding services. Ensure compliance with all RFR or RFP guidelines and submission requirements.
• Prepare Competitive Proposals: Conduct all necessary pre-submission activities, including attending bidders’ conferences, submitting written inquiries to clarify requirements, gathering internal data, and coordinating with stakeholders to strengthen applications.
• Sustain Program Operations: Manage recurring RFR submissions and other funding applications essential for maintaining core programs and services. Identify opportunities to improve processes for recurring submissions to increase efficiency and competitiveness.
• Identify and Cultivate Funding Opportunities: Research potential funders and funding streams through outreach, online tools, and networking to develop a robust pipeline of funding prospects. Monitor trends in public and private funding to identify emerging opportunities.
• Align Proposals with Organizational Goals: Collaborate with program directors and senior leadership to identify funding priorities, align proposals with program goals, and ensure applications address both operational and strategic needs. Incorporate relevant programmatic data and evidence-based practices into narratives.
• Foster Stewardship: Ensure funders receive timely and appropriate recognition, updates, and reports to maintain strong relationships and encourage continued support. Develop personalized stewardship plans for key funders as needed.
• Manage Deadlines and Deliverables: Oversee a comprehensive calendar of deadlines for proposals, reports, bidders’ conferences, and funding-related activities. Proactively track internal and external deadlines to ensure timely and compliant submissions and deliverables.
• Coordinate Budgets and Compliance: Work with finance and program teams to develop accurate and competitive budgets. Ensure all submissions meet funder requirements, including compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Track and document expenses as required by funders.
• Oversee Restricted Funding Management: Monitor and manage the spend-down process for restricted funds, ensuring alignment with program deliverables, compliance requirements, and organizational goals. Collaborate with program and finance teams to address any challenges.
• Contribute to Organizational Success: Support the Advancement team and organizational goals by taking on additional tasks as assigned. Actively contribute to cross-departmental initiatives, training sessions, and organizational priorities.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Education and Licensure: Bachelor’s Degree    

Skills & Qualifications:

• 5–7 years of experience in grant writing, including complex government proposals, with a proven track record of securing funding.
• Familiarity with state procurement systems (e.g., COMMBUYS) and expertise in interpreting and responding to RFRs/RFPs.
• Exceptional writing skills and experience developing detailed, compliant budgets in collaboration with finance teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority projects and meet deadlines.
• Skilled at ensuring submissions meet regulatory and funder requirements, with experience in post-award reporting.
• Proficient in researching funding opportunities and incorporating data and evidence-based practices into proposals.
• Strong interpersonal skills to engage with internal teams and external funders effectively.
• Proficiency in grant management software, online submission platforms, and advanced Excel for budget preparation.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to respond to and follow through with requests quickly and professionally.
• Must be able to sit at workstation for prolonged periods of time, consistent with OSHA standards.
• Must have ability to access different building locations, equipment, mailboxes, etc.
• Must have ability to access off campus programs.

Supervision to be received: Senior Director of Advancement

Supervision to be exercised: N/A

Qualifications