Director of Grants & Contracts
Our Mission:
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is to create and support 1-to-1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. It is our vision that all youth achieve their full potential.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is the oldest and largest mentoring organization in the State serving over 2000 youth and mentors each year in King, Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound partners with volunteer mentors, families, and the community so youth in our programs-particularly young people furthest from opportunity-can achieve higher aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, positive behavior choices, improved mental health, and educational success. We accomplish our mission through programs held in schools, workplaces, and the community.
Each employee in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound helps to extend the mission of the agency in particular ways as outlined in the position description.
Job Summary:
The Director, Grants & Contracts leads the full process of grant seeking from public and private funding sources (including federal, municipal, United Way, private foundation, and corporate foundation sources). The individual in this role both initiates grant work and receives assigned funding opportunities; in both cases, they are responsible for vetting, preparing, and writing LOIs and proposals as well as reports. The Director, Grants & Contracts manages all grant deliverables; serves as the primary point of contact for grant-funded activities; and collaborates with agency staff, grantors, and external partners to meet grant requirements.
The Director, Grants & Contracts works closely with the agency's executive leadership team to align grant request efforts with our agency's strategic plan and mission. The individual in this role is expected to stay up-to-date on agency programming as well as upcoming initiatives and priorities.
The Director, Grants & Contracts is part of a Community Philanthropy team with colleagues dedicated to individual giving and corporate partnerships and led by a Chief Development Officer. The Director, Grants & Contracts reports to the Sr. Director, Institutional Giving and works collaboratively with the entire team as appropriate. As needed, outsourced vendors may be used to support additional work.
The nature of Community Philanthropy work requires availability on some nights and weekends in order to meet deadlines, help with special events, and support the overall work of the team.
Job Responsibilities
Essential Functions, Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
- Manage and track all steps of grants process including research, inquiry, application, stewardship and reporting
- Research and identify potential private, corporate, city, state and federal funding sources
- Work closely with the CEO, Chief Program and Impact Officer (CPIO), Chief Development Officer (CDO) and additional members of the executive leadership team to identify, discuss, and submit appropriate number and range of grant applications in order to ensure budgeted return
- Prior to proposal submission, ensure that organization has capacity to meet grant deliverables and secure buy-in from CDO, CPIO and CEO
Write and submit proposals based on grant guidelines and submission deadlines - Calculate funding projections based on known grant opportunities and expectations of award receipt, update the leadership team monthly on progress and changes to projections
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with funders through site visits, letters of inquiry, etc
- Upon award notification, coordinate timelines, deliverables, and other grant requirements with leadership team and program, marketing, and finance staff for implementation and administration
- Oversee grant award process including completion/signing of contracts, issuing acknowledgments, writing and submitting reports, coordinating with staff on budgets and invoicing
- Maintain outcomes data as well as research data related to the field of mentoring and the populations served by BBBSPS
- Maintain accurate electronic grant files in Sharepoint and Salesforce, including creation of digital versions of physical files
- Collect and maintain organizational documentation for external use, such as board lists, program outcomes, budgets, etc.
- Maintain agency accounts including grant-making websites, donor portals, volunteer portals, government connection points, Sam.gov, Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau, and other related registrations
- Attend agency fundraising events and provide support as requested
- Other duties as assigned by the CEO, Chief Development Officer, or Sr. Director, Institutional Giving.
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- Bachelor's degree in English, Marketing, Communications, or a combination of education and related professional experience
- 5 - 7 years of successful grant writing and management experience, including federal and municipal grants
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including strong proficiency in synthesizing complex information from multiple sources
- Strong analytical skills; demonstrated ability to manage and interpret data for varied audiences
- Demonstrated experience advancing equity/equitable practices and supporting diverse communities and/or populations
- Detail-oriented, organized self-starter; able to prioritize and perform multiple tasks with varying levels of urgency to meet deadlines with no loss in accuracy
- Ability to maintain professionalism and confidentiality in sensitive, complex, and/or controversial situations
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively, exercising good judgment, decision-making and problem-solving skills to achieve team goals
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office with an emphasis on Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, demonstrated experience with fundraising software, ideally Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)
- Valid US driver's license, insurance coverage, and consistent access to a reliable mode of transportation: the job requires occasional travel for local meetings and events
Preferred Job Qualifications:
- Program development experience
- Passion for youth mentorship
COMPETENCIES NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION: We seek to hire for, and further develop with each employee, the following competencies that we have identified as critical to success for individual employees and for achievement of the BBBSPS mission:
- Core Competencies
- Accountability / Workload Management
- Customer Service Orientation
- Growth Mindset, Adaptability
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Collaboration
- Expertise in Area of Focus
- Leadership Competencies
- Develops & Motivates Others
- External Relationship Builder
- Team Effectiveness
- Emotional Intelligence
- Organizational Growth Orientation
- Problem-Solving
- Initiative & Results Driven
Work Environment:
The environmental conditions described are representative but not all-inclusive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.
- Hybrid work environment for the foreseeable future, with 2 days in-office and 3 days remote
- Position is based in Seattle, with ability to work from Tacoma office as needed
- Physical demands: while performing duties of job, employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear.
- Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, physical demands and required skills. BBBS Puget Sound may at its discretion add to or change the duties of the position at any time.
Employment with BBBS Puget Sound is "at will," meaning that either the employee or BBBS Puget Sound may end the employment relationship at any time and with or without cause.
Equal Employment Opportunity
BBBS Puget Sound is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all qualified individuals. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Applicants as well as employees who are or become disabled must be able to perform the essential duties & responsibilities either unaided or with reasonable accommodation. The organization shall determine reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law.