Grant Officer and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator

MISSION
Discovery Place brings science, nature, and design together to create transformative experiences that enable our community to understand, enjoy, and apply science to their lives. Operating four museums across North Carolina, the institution has an annual operating budget of $19M and serves more than 600,000 people each year through Museum visits, interactive in-school educational programming, and community outreach initiatives. Founded in 1946, Discovery Place is shaping a future where people embrace science to create opportunities, build hope, solve problems and bring positive change for our world. Come science with us!

POSITION SUMMARY
The  Grant Officer and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator is a key member of the Advancement team, responsible for producing high-quality, persuasive, and funder-aligned written materials that secure philanthropic support from foundations, corporations, and public-sector funders. The Grant Officer and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator manages the full lifecycle of institutional grant writing – including prospect research, strategy development, proposal preparation, submission, compliance, and reporting – while supporting relationship development and stewardship efforts that strengthen and expand sustainable funding partnerships.

Beyond grant writing, this role offers a unique opportunity to help design and grow Discovery Place's corporate volunteer engagement program. Working closely with colleagues across the organization – including educators, museum directors, animal care professionals, exhibit teams, and operations staff – the Grant Officer and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator will help create meaningful volunteer experiences that connect corporate partners to Discovery Place's mission while advancing institutional priorities. The position offers significant visibility and collaboration with leaders from both Discovery Place and the corporate community, making it an ideal opportunity for a relationship-oriented professional seeking to build expertise in institutional fundraising, partnership development, and community engagement.

The Grant Officer and Corporate Volunteer Coordinator reports to the Director of Institutional Gifts and collaborates closely with a dynamic team of Advancement colleagues, museum directors, program staff, and community partners. Exceptional writing skills, attention to detail, project management abilities, a spirit of collaboration, and the ability to translate programmatic impact into clear and persuasive narratives are essential for success.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop, write, and manage competitive grant proposals, letters of inquiry, sponsorship requests, and funding applications for corporate, foundation, and public-sector funders.
• Prepare high-quality grant reports, stewardship communications, impact updates, and other written materials that demonstrate outcomes, maintain compliance, and strengthen institutional partnerships.
• Lead the development and management of Discovery Place's corporate volunteer engagement program, creating meaningful opportunities for employees to contribute their time, talents, and expertise in support of the museum's mission. 
• Partner with colleagues across Discovery Place – including education, animal care, exhibits, operations, guest experience, and museum leadership – to identify, design, and implement innovative volunteer experiences that advance organizational priorities and community impact. 
• Support the growth and retention of the Partners in Discovery corporate engagement program through volunteer initiatives, special events, stewardship activities, and partner communications 
• Coordinate and participate in meetings, site visits, tours, and presentations with corporate and foundation representatives to support relationship development, proposal strategy, and donor stewardship.
• Conduct prospect research and funding analysis to identify new opportunities, inform fundraising strategies, and support institutional partnership development.
• Maintain accurate records of grants, proposals, volunteer activities, funder interactions, and institutional partnerships in Salesforce and related systems.
• Track proposal deadlines, reporting requirements, volunteer engagement metrics, and fundraising activities to ensure strong project management and organizational accountability.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of proposal templates, impact messaging, stewardship materials, volunteer programs, and fundraising processes. 

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Promote and assist with donor, public relations, and advocacy events at Discovery Place Museums.
• Represent Discovery Place at institutional, civic, and community events, where appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Institutional Gifts.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree or work-related experience that would qualify a candidate for the role.
• Minimum of 2-5 years of experience in fundraising, grant writing, nonprofit partnerships, volunteer engagement, project management, or related fields.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to adapt tone and content for varied funders and audiences.  
• Experience working with volunteers. Comfortable interacting with external partners, facilitating meetings, conducting site visits, and representing Discovery Place in a professional manner.
• Strong organizational and project management skills. Ability to manage multiple deadlines, prioritize competing projects, and work effectively in a deadline-driven environment.  
• Ability to communicate Discovery Place’s mission and programs with enthusiasm, sincerity, persuasion, and passion.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Some nights and weekends will be required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to lift boxes up to 20 lbs.
• Must be able to drive to off-site meetings and Discovery Place site locations.

This position description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and may be modified as organizational needs evolve.

DISCOVERY PLACE GUIDING VALUES

SCIENCE LEADS US

We are "learn-it-alls." If we don't know the answer to something, we ask questions, conduct research, create hypotheses, and experiment. We know science is powerful, and it can be used to create opportunities, build hope, solve problems, and bring positive change in our world.

INTEGRITY GUIDES US 

We bring our best selves to work each day and treat each other with respect, communicate honestly and openly, and hold each other accountable for living our values. As employees of Discovery Place, we're committed to living our values, however, we know none of us are perfect. When we see a teammate

drift away from our values, we provide grace and a gentle reminder and keep moving forward - together.

EQUITY DRIVES US

Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are part of our DNA. All teammates and departments are treated equitably and held to the same standards. We find more value working together to leverage diverse knowledge and experience; we know the group is always smarter than the individual.

INNOVATION ENERGIZES US

We always have our eyes on the future and seek to make a bigger impact on our community. We’re consistently innovating. Have a light bulb moment? Share it! No matter your role, everyone is encouraged to innovate. We learn from our failures and celebrate our successes. After all, that is what science is all about.

Employees of Discovery Place should uphold the mission, vision and values of the organization. We strive to provide exceptional service through four core values: uncommon courtesy, the pursuit of personal excellence, teamwork and inclusion. We value the diversity of opinions and intellectual thought and encourage an environment where employees can share ideas openly.

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities of this job. Other duties may be assigned. This job description may be changed to include new responsibilities and tasks or change existing ones as management deems necessary.