What are the responsibilities and job description for the Strategic Initiatives and Funding Manager position at Defender Association of Philadelphia?
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The Defender Association of Philadelphia is seeking a strategic and highly motivated Strategic Initiatives and Funding Manager for our development and policy efforts. This role acts as a critical link between executive vision and financial execution, managing all aspects of institutional grant activities in strict alignment with the organization’s strategic goals. The Manager will provide executive oversight for the entire external funding portfolio, operating as a trusted partner to leadership to offer guidance on non-public budgets and align funding with macro and micro-level policy initiatives.
What You’ll Do:
- Strategic Leadership & Strategy: Direct institutional grant strategy and serve as the principal architect for narrative frameworks. Discuss available sources of funding with the executive and management teams to prioritize funding needs and authorize submissions.
- Financial & Budget Analysis: Partner directly with the Chief Defender, Chief Financial Officer, and executive team to review confidential, non-public organizational budgets. Analyze personnel costs, projected staffing restructures, and labor allocations required to execute grant deliverables. Evaluate the fiscal impact of collective bargaining agreements on future programmatic sustainability.
- Grant Management & Compliance: Oversee the grant application process from research to inception to reporting, and handle government RFPs. Establish and govern institutional compliance protocols, data integrity standards, and master tracking systems for all external funding instruments. Ensure compliance with all awarded grant requirements and coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of funded programs.
- Research & Collaboration: Research various types of grants to further strategic initiatives, including criminal justice reform, indigent defense, youth justice, child advocacy, community education, and non-profit leadership. Work closely with the Finance Department to develop grant budgets, and with data analysts to implement program data collection. Deepen relationships with current foundation funders and potential funders to drive sustainable growth.
What You’ll Need
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher education is required. A Master’s degree is
- Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of experience with a proven track record of organizational development and fundraising management is required. Demonstrated experience with, or strong knowledge of, the non-profit fundraising landscape is also required.
- Writing & Editing Skills: Demonstrated proposal writing skills, verifiable by the submission of a writing portfolio containing at least two successful, professional proposals. Robust editing skills with sharp attention to detail are a must.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools and familiarity with publishing software. Familiarity with grant management systems such as eGrants or JustGrants is highly preferred.
- Professionalism & Logistics: Excellent interpersonal skills, strong problem-solving capabilities, and prior experience actively collaborating in multidisciplinary teams. Proven ability to independently oversee grant management, track deadlines, and handle prolonged periods of sitting at a desk working on a computer. Willingness to occasionally travel to community events, which may require occasional nights and weekends
Benefits & Perks
- Comprehensive Benefits: Affordable medical care options plus employer paid vision, dental, life and long- term disability insurances
- Generous Time Off: 25 days of paid time off (PTO) annually, in addition to all federal holidays
- Wellness Initiatives: Dedicated, separate sick leave policy alongside organizational programming to support your physical and mental health
- Family Support: 10 weeks of paid parental leave
- Retirement: Generous retirement savings plan with Employer Match
- Commuter Benefits: Free Septa All Access Key card
- PSLF: We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer
- Culture: Meaningful, mission-driven work within a supportive, learning-focused, and collaborative environment.
To apply
Please apply online with resume and cover letter detailing your interest and relevant experience. Please include at least two samples of successful proposals in writing submission.
Who is the Defender Association?
The Defender Association of Philadelphia is more than just a law firm. We’re the community’s lawyers. The Defender team – more than 500 attorneys, social workers, investigators, administrators, and other staff – make sure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to high-quality defense when facing criminal charges. Our mission-driven, client-centered model focuses on outcomes that support a system that is fundamentally fair and creates safer, stronger communities. Follow us @PhilllyDefenders (Twitter, Instagram & TikTok) and on LinkedIn.
The Defender Association provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, The Defender Association complies with applicable state and local laws governing