Grants Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a grants manager job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a grants manager. Feel free to use our grants manager job description template to produce your own grants manager job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a grants manager.
Who is a Grants Manager?
Grant management refers to the procedures and techniques used by organizations to handle grants. From pre-award research to post-award grant closeout, it covers every stage of the grant lifecycle. The procedure, which incorporates multiple lifecycle activities through its distinctive reward phases, is always changing. Grant management is essentially the administrative work and process involved in obtaining and meeting the terms of a grant. This process requires a great deal of organization from both grantmakers and grant-seekers, which can be enhanced by practical management techniques and technologies. This is crucial since grants are just contracts. And if the grant agreement, or the intended use of the money, implementation practices, reporting criteria, and timetables, are specified in this contract, grant management guarantees that all parties adhere to these conditions. Grant management enables companies to deploy cash wisely to worthwhile initiatives that further organizational goals. Therefore, everyone can gain from a clear, well-managed approach, whether you’re an NGO looking for funding to support your work or a firm wishing to streamline or improve the grantmaking process.
A grants manager can organize all of the grant funding’s phases from beginning to end with the use of a grants management method. The pre-award, award and post-award stages of grants have many moving components, so it’s important to create a procedure that enables everyone involved to stay on track for the duration of the grant period. Without it, businesses and nonprofit partners run the risk of not meeting grant requirements. The tools used for grant administration include those that let you create practical procedures, track impact throughout the grant application process, and communicate clearly. This may also include the resources you employ to enhance internal communication, the grant application procedure, and your techniques for reaching out to the best nonprofit organizations.
An expert who manages funds for an organization is known as a grants manager. Grant managers, also known as award managers, and budget and grants managers, oversee state- or privately-funded initiatives. A Grants Manager is typically tasked with overseeing a portfolio of foundation grants on behalf of an organization’s development team. The key duties of this role include creating plans for securing new grants and preserving existing foundation financing, managing current partnerships with foundations, and cultivating possible new foundation backers. A Grants Manager must fulfill all application, renewal, and reporting requirements for foundation-related fundraising as part of their duties. They must also produce excellent, convincing proposals and reports. Grant managers work in the fields of finance, science, health, and charitable organizations. Assuring compliance with regulations, adhering to grantor requirements, communicating with the grantor, and assessing the success of allocated programs and projects are all their responsibilities. The most crucial function in effectively completing the grant procedure belongs to grant managers. They oversee grant logistics and coordination, including efficient communication, reporting, and administration as the team’s head. Both the corporate and nonprofit worlds have this position. They can also be known as grant writers if they work for nonprofit organizations. A grant manager’s job is to compile pertinent data on the status and outcomes of the grant for reporting to important stakeholders.
Grants Manager Job Description
What is a grants manager job description? A grants manager job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a grants manager in an organization. Below are the grants manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a grants manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a grants manager include the following:
- Oversee and assist with the organization’s grant requirements and application process.
- Determine and create plans to streamline the grants administration procedure.
- Conduct pertinent research, seek funding opportunities, and assess the outcomes.
- Directly participate in grant writing by working with coordinators or grant writers.
- Investigate reputable funding opportunities with a track record of success and legal registration.
- Make sure the grants are used for the organization’s operational and financial requirements.
- Make sure the fundraising team is properly coordinated by supervising them.
- Inform the appropriate staff of approaching due dates and deliverables to ensure that tasks are completed on time.
- Monitor the performance of other grant personnel, including coordinators, authors, and administrators.
- Control the billing, accounting, reporting, and other administrative tasks to guarantee the grant procedure is carried out successfully.
- Prepare financial or budget plans and allocations for each necessity together with the planning and finance departments.
- Make suggestions for cost reduction and cost control for various grants after analyzing the budget patterns.
- Report in-depth information about the organization’s development to the board of directors and funders.
- Keep track of the documentation and other supporting materials for projects financed by grants.
- Keep track of all receipts and payments, and provide a monthly report for all grant-related activity.
- Train the incoming employees on grant management procedures and reporting standards.
Qualifications
- A business administration degree or any related equivalent.
- Outstanding project management abilities and practical management and supervision expertise in administrative projects.
- Accounting and budgeting expertise.
- Computer proficiency.
- Possession of outstanding organizational abilities.
- Effective communication skills, both in writing and speaking.
- Excellent communication and presenting abilities.
- Excellent knowledge of the organization’s goals and overall business operations.
- Thorough understanding of financial and budgeting planning and strategy.
- The capacity to support the less experienced staff members while working in a team.
- Ability to carry out job duties and work in a cross-functional team environment.
- Knowledge of fundamental financial management techniques, such as creating and maintaining budgets and financial reporting.
- A strong multitasker with the capacity to work under duress.
- Understanding of auditing procedures.
- Knowledge of donor organizations.
- The capacity to organize work, adhere to deadlines and deliver high-caliber outcomes on schedule.
- Relevant software and internet expertise.
Essential Skills
- Communication skills: Two crucial abilities that a grant manager must possess are grant writing and proposal writing. The ability to communicate well via email, letters, and other types of written contact is crucial for grant managers because these abilities are frequently proven through written communication. A grant manager must be proficient in verbal communication, both in-person and over the phone, in addition to written communication. Grant administrators may also be required to engage in writing duties, even though grant writers specialize in creating grant submissions and contractual papers. To produce messages that are clear and professional, grant managers should have great written communication abilities.
- Interpersonal skills: A grant manager’s job involves regular communication and collaboration with program staff, grant funders, accounting and finance experts, and grant and fundraising workers. They must therefore be able to modify their interpersonal techniques to deal effectively with people of various personalities.
- Budgeting: The operations and projects of grant-making organizations frequently have a defined budget. An organization’s grants can be budgeted for by a grant manager with superior budgeting abilities. This can involve being aware of how much the projects they support cost and the amount of money they have available for distribution. Budgeting is a skill that grant managers can use to plan their spending as well. Grant managers must be able to budget the money they receive from outside sources to use for internal projects or activities. Grant administrators can guarantee they have a sufficient supply of cash to see a program through to completion by understanding how to distribute funds throughout a program.
- Leadership skills: The initiatives that are supported by grant-making organizations frequently have a team of persons working on them. A grant manager’s duties may include managing a group of employees, interns, or volunteers. You may encourage your team and make sure they finish their assignment on time by using leadership abilities. Leadership abilities can also be used to assign tasks and inspire your team to complete them.
- Financial analysis skills: The capacity to assess financial data is a crucial talent for a grant manager because grant-making organizations frequently have a budget for their daily operations. Grant managers utilize financial analysis to calculate the amount they need to ask for from donors and the amount they will have after paying for specific expenses. A project’s success and whether the organization should keep funding it are also determined using financial analysis.
- Fundraising: Grants managers must have a thorough knowledge of fundraising efforts, including planning and implementation techniques. Having this ability helps grant managers conduct profitable fundraising campaigns for their businesses.
- Computer literacy: The ability to use a computer to conduct research, enter data, create word documents, or communicate via email is referred to as computer literacy. Given that grant managers utilize computers daily in their work, computer literacy is a useful ability.
- Project management skills: Grant managers frequently have project management experience, which can be beneficial to their employment. Planning, arranging, and supervising the completion of a project are all part of project management. Grant managers supervise the development of grant applications, the application procedure, and the disbursement of funding using their project management abilities.
How to Become a Grants Manager
- Earn a bachelor’s degree
A four-year bachelor’s degree program in a field like business communications, business management, accounting, finance, public relations, or fundraising is required before one may become a grant manager. Prospective grant managers study a variety of subjects in these bachelor’s degree programs, including business fundamentals, financial planning, and business writing.
- Acquire professional and experience
Prospective grant managers must obtain relevant job experience after completing a bachelor’s degree program. People can gain better knowledge of the grant management and fundraising industries by working in grant writing positions. Jobs in company development or charitable work are also excellent options for preparing people for a career in grant management. A lot of grant managers get on-the-job training when they start a new job. During this training, which could span a few months, you might get to work with a senior employee or current grants manager. The training could also cover the specific practices and procedures followed by the organization. Through conferences or seminars, certain grant managers could acquire further training. A grants manager can benefit from these training opportunities by learning about emerging market trends and by keeping their skills and knowledge up to date.
- Earn a master’s degree (Optional)
This is an optional step, but some employers prefer candidates who are holders of master’s degrees in business administration (MBA). However, obtaining a two-year master’s degree can improve your professional readiness for employment in grant management. Additionally, master’s degree programs give students more in-depth training. Business administration, grant writing and management, or nonprofit management are all excellent choices for master’s degree programs for aspiring grant managers.
- Fill out entry-level grant management job applications.
Think about the kind of company you’d like to work for when applying for grant management roles. You can use this to focus your job search on openings with nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, governmental agencies, or other kinds of businesses.
- Earn a professional certification
Obtaining a professional certification is another optional step, but it can further your career and let you hold more senior grant management jobs. The National Grants Management Association’s Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) credential is advantageous for those with a few years of experience in a grant management position (NGMA). After working as a grant manager for at least three years, professionals can obtain this credential. Professionals can demonstrate their qualifications to potential employers by obtaining certifications. Grants managers who want to improve their theoretical understanding of their duties, demonstrate their professional abilities, and develop their careers can consider earning certificates.
Where to Work as a Grants Manager
Grant managers are employed by several organizations, including nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions. The majority of the time, they are employed full-time during regular business hours, but they occasionally work on the weekends or at night to attend events or meetings or to meet deadlines. Grant administrators may travel to conferences or potential grant recipients’ locations. Grant managers occasionally work remotely, however, this is more typical in the nonprofit industry. Although their work may require them to go to other places, such as the homes of grant beneficiaries or the offices of grant-making organizations, grant managers often work in office environments.
Grants Manager Salary Scale
In the US, the average Grants Manager pay is $77,040. Between $67,500 and $90,427 is the usual range. In Nigeria, the average salary for a grants manager is about 450,000 NGN per month. From the minimum of 250,000 NGN to the maximum of 800,000 NGN, salaries are offered. A grants manager’s income is mostly determined by their level of experience, their area of specialization as a grants manager, the salary structure common to their industry, their organization’s payment capacity or salary structure, and the geographic location of their employer. The candidate’s training, abilities, and proficiencies. Some companies offer a pay scale that can be either higher or lower than the cited average salary. A grants manager additionally receives advantages including a yearly bonus, gratuity, conveyance, allowances, etc.