Grants and Compliance Officer

The Grants and Compliance Officer leads First Americans Museum’s (FAM) institutional grants program and manages the full grant lifecycle—from prospect research and funding strategy through proposal development, award administration, reporting, compliance, and closeout. This position is FAM’s principal grant writer and grants systems owner, responsible for building a strong pipeline of foundation, corporate foundation, government, and other institutional funding aligned with the Museum’s operating, programmatic, exhibition, capital, and strategic priorities.

The Grants and Compliance Officer works across departments to translate ideas into fundable projects, develop credible budgets and outcomes, maintain disciplined internal processes, and ensure FAM meets every funder commitment. The role requires excellent writing, sound judgment, project management, and the ability to lead complex work without direct supervisory authority.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Strategy and Pipeline Management

· Develop and maintain a diversified pipeline of institutional funding prospects aligned with FAM’s strategic priorities and annual revenue goals.

· Research and qualify foundation, corporate foundation, tribal, state, and federal opportunities; assess fit, competitiveness, timing, restrictions, and return on effort.

· Partner with the Director of Institutional Advancement and executive leadership to establish annual grant priorities, revenue projections, and cultivation strategies.

· Maintain an accurate grants calendar, opportunity pipeline, probability-weighted forecast, and portfolio dashboard.

Proposal Development and Submission

· Lead the development, writing, editing, and submission of letters of inquiry, proposals, concept papers, government applications, and related funder materials.

· Facilitate cross-functional proposal development with program, education, curatorial, finance, operations, evaluation, and executive staff.

· Build clear cases for support that accurately represent First American communities, FAM’s institutional voice, and the intended outcomes of the work.

· Develop proposal workplans, assign inputs, establish internal deadlines, and drive timely completion without relying on clerical support.

· Coordinate proposal budgets, narratives, attachments, approvals, and electronic submissions; confirm completeness and compliance before submission.

Award Management, Reporting, and Compliance

· Own post-award administration for the institutional grant portfolio, including award review, grant setup, deliverables, amendments, reporting, recognition, and closeout.

· Create a concise internal grant brief for each award that documents scope, budget, restrictions, metrics, reporting requirements, and responsible staff.

· Coordinate narrative and financial reporting with program and finance staff; reconcile grant activity and resolve discrepancies before reports are submitted.

· Monitor compliance with award terms, organizational policies, and applicable federal requirements

· Identify schedule, budget, performance, or compliance risks early and recommend corrective action to the Director of Institutional Advancement and Finance.

· Maintain complete, audit-ready digital grant files and a reliable institutional record of proposals, agreements, correspondence, reports, and outcomes.

Funder Stewardship and Internal Leadership

· Support cultivation and stewardship of institutional funders through timely communication, briefings, visits, acknowledgments, and impact updates.

· Prepare leadership and program leaders for funder meetings and participate in meetings when subject-matter or portfolio knowledge is needed.

· Prepare quarterly reports for Board of Directors meetings, or as needed from the board.

· Serve as the internal authority on grant requirements, deadlines, and documentation; provide practical guidance to staff responsible for grant-funded work.

· Improve templates, workflows, reporting tools, and internal practices to increase quality, speed, accountability, and institutional knowledge.

· Stay current on philanthropy, public funding, museum funding, and grant compliance practices relevant to FAM.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

· At least three years of progressively responsible experience in grant writing, institutional fundraising, sponsored programs, or grants administration; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

· Demonstrated success by securing and managing foundation and/or government grants.

· Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to synthesize technical, programmatic, cultural, and financial information into clear and persuasive proposals.

· Strong project management skills and a record of coordinating multiple contributors, deadlines, and approvals across an organization.

· Working knowledge of nonprofit budgets, restricted funding, expense tracking, and financial reporting.

· High proficiency with Microsoft 365 and Excel; experience with a CRM, grant calendar, project-management platform, or grants-management system.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• institutional fundraising, or grants administration: 3 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000