Director of Grants Management

Description

• Manage monthly program and quarterly board dockets, including legal review, data quality, grant approval, budget, and coordination with the Communications department.
• Provide grants management expertise as needed when collaborating with leadership in making critical institutional assessments and decisions for SP.
• Direct the design and implementation of efficient and high-quality grants management operations. Establish feedback mechanisms to quickly spot issues for end-users and strategically adjust services to meet evolving SP needs.
• Oversee automatic and manual data import from internal and external sources; resolve issues; and identify root causes to prevent potential future issues.
• Champion and encourage user adoption of the grantmaking system across SP and grantees, and identify and address training and barriers to adoption.
• Provide functional leadership in evaluating and designing systems for collecting, classifying, storing, and reporting on grants data to support grantmaking through automation, collaboration, and transparent workflow.
• Serve as the primary liaison for the Board and Officer Discretionary Grant program.
• Serve on the leadership team (L12) and partner with leadership to co-identify organization-wide priorities.
• Set clear team goals, conduct performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and ensure alignment of the team and SP’s strategic objectives.
• Assess existing grants management processes, resources, and capabilities to advance opportunities for greater efficiency and efficacy. Iterate and refine critical operating structures and processes that support grantmaking across SP.
• Develop and lead the execution of short- and long-term vision and strategy for a strategic grants management function that aligns with SP’s strategies and goals.
• Review the payables dashboard weekly to ensure payments are expeditiously processed.
• Lead or serve on Grantmaking Work Groups in partnership with Programs or MEL.
• Advise and guide program teams on legal compliance, complex grantmaking, and appropriate charitable giving mechanisms to achieve grant objectives and impact. Develop or update grant policies, provide resources, and answer questions.
• Advance a robust reporting approach that provides timely and relevant data to stakeholders across the organization to promote learning, reduce grant processing time, and support internal communications.
• Oversee data management and data quality, including regularly reviewing the applicability and usage of grant codes. Partner with Programs and Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) to develop standards for consistent coding and reporting.
• Manage vendor relationship(s), licensing fees, and appropriate budget for enhancements.
• Promote a culture of learning and knowledge sharing on grants and grantmaking practices; develop curriculum for staff at all levels and provide ongoing training on key topics such as private foundation rules, grantmaking best practices, and grantmaking systems.
• Contribute to and support institutional strategic planning by proactively identifying and implementing grants management tools, practices, and infrastructure that align with the SP’s evolving needs and aspirations.
• Design and manage efficient and transparent workflow to support the full grant lifecycle, including organization verification, pipeline management, grant recommendation, grant approval, grant agreement execution, payments, amendments, and reporting.
• Determine an optimal grants management team structure for the grants management function and oversee hiring, training, and managing staff performance.
• Guide staff in their professional growth based on each member’s unique strengths and perspectives and support continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
• Manage vendor and other partner relationships, such as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, with a focus on quality and timeliness in accordance with the agreed-upon service level agreements.
• Continually stays abreast of new developments in grantmaking systems and technologies and their applicability to the needs of the Foundation. Identify opportunities to evolve or build appropriate and durable tools to support grantmaking.
• Represent SP at grants management (PEAK Grantmaking, TAG) and other philanthropy communities to share best practices and to translate learnings back to SP to support continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of staff management experience, including a proven track record in staff development.
• Skilled in designing and building systems and processes that help scale and strengthen grantmaking; provide positive grantee experience; ensure effective data management and reporting; and support efficient and transparent workflows.
• Effective systems orientation, with a track record of enhancing existing technologies, implementing new solutions, and staying well-informed of emerging options. System administrator experience with complex grantmaking system(s) required. Experience with Fluxx is a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and make sound, timely decisions by considering immediate and long-term implications. The ideal candidate will be a leader who can guide the team through changing circumstances and competing priorities gracefully and effectively.
• Ability to unite and build trust and shared understanding across a variety of stakeholders while nurturing a culture of accountability and impact.
• 10+ years of grants management experience with a deep understanding of the grants lifecycle, policies, and workflow, ideally in a private foundation or complex philanthropic environment, or relevant experience.
• Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a field related to the nonprofit sector.
• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with diverse stakeholders to drive clarity and action. Ability to consider multiple points of view and cultivate a culture where candid and respectful feedback is encouraged.
• Advanced knowledge of legal requirements and compliance rules for private foundation and grantmaking (i.e., 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), commercial, and foreign public charity-equivalent and non-equivalent) is required.
• Strategic and results-oriented leader who can seamlessly operate at both high-level strategic planning and the hands-on level of tactical execution.

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance