Grant Development Associate

Grant Development Associate

Hale Innovation, LLC | Orlando or Tallahassee, Florida

Location: Orlando, FL (preferred) or Tallahassee, FL | Hybrid (2 days per week in office required)

Schedule: Full-time, 32 hours per week, Monday–Thursday

Salary: $55,000–$65,000 annually

Experience: Entry-level; no prior professional experience required

Start Date: January 4, 2027

Application Deadline: Sunday, November 29, 2026

Build a Career That Makes a Difference

Are you looking for a career where your work shows up in the places people live, work, and play?

Hale Innovation is hiring a Grant Development Associate to help Florida communities find, win, and manage funding for better water systems, more resilient infrastructure, and stronger neighborhoods.

No prior experience is necessary. We're looking for ambitious, career-minded individuals who enjoy learning, want to make a meaningful impact, and are excited to grow with a company where they can build a long-term career.

At Hale Innovation, we believe great people deserve great opportunities. That's why we offer a true 32-hour workweek with comparable full-time salaries, exceptional benefits, and a career path built around skills and performance rather than years of experience.

About Hale Innovation

Hale Innovation is a Florida-based funding advisory and technical services firm helping municipalities transform community needs into funded projects. We combine experience in engineering, environmental science, planning, and grant management to deliver innovative funding strategies and results.

Our work spans four core functions: Grant Development, Grant Administration, Technical Services, and Business Administration. Together, these functions support projects from initial funding strategy through implementation and completion.

We're a growing small business where employees have opportunities to contribute beyond their primary responsibilities, learn new skills, and understand how every part of the company operates.

Although this position is primarily focused on Grant Development, you'll have opportunities to gain experience across all four functions and explore where your strengths and interests can take you.

What You'll Do

As a Grant Development Associate, you'll work alongside experienced professionals to help Florida cities, counties, and utilities pursue state and federal funding for infrastructure, environmental, and community improvement projects.

Your responsibilities will include researching funding opportunities, evaluating eligibility requirements, monitoring application deadlines, and helping develop competitive grant and loan applications.

You'll assist with writing project narratives, developing budgets, preparing maps and supporting documentation, and gathering technical information from clients, engineers, planners, scientists, and other partners.

You'll also review applications for completeness and alignment with scoring criteria, participate in client meetings and funding strategy discussions, and support other areas of the company as you develop professionally.

This is a collaborative, hands-on position where you'll be trusted with meaningful work while receiving guidance and training from experienced team members.

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for a curious, motivated, and dependable individual who takes pride in producing excellent work and wants to make a difference.

Successful candidates will enjoy writing, researching, solving problems, and transforming complex information into clear, compelling narratives. They'll be organized, attentive to detail, comfortable managing multiple deadlines, and confident enough to ask questions when learning something new.

We especially value people who work well with others, take ownership of their responsibilities, welcome feedback, and actively seek opportunities to improve.

You might be passionate about infrastructure, environmental protection, public service, or strengthening communities. Ideally, you have an interest in all three.

Above all, we're looking for someone who wants to build a career rather than simply find their next job.

Qualifications

No prior professional experience is required.

A college degree is preferred, particularly in public administration, engineering, planning, environmental science, or a related discipline.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, organizational abilities, and proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, are important.

Experience with ArcGIS, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Civil 3D, ClickUp, virtual reality technology, or AI tools is beneficial but not required.

Candidates must be able to work from our Orlando office (preferred) or Tallahassee office on Mondays and Wednesdays.

A Skills-Based Organization With Real Career Opportunities

Hale Innovation is a skills-based organization. We hire, develop, and promote employees based on their capabilities, performance, and readiness to take on greater responsibility, not simply their years of experience.

Our career progression includes Associate, Senior Associate, Manager, and Director. Advancement is driven by demonstrated skills and responsibility rather than a predetermined timeline.

Your initial focus will be Grant Development, but your long-term career doesn't have to remain there. As you grow, opportunities may emerge in Grant Administration, Technical Services, Business Administration, or future leadership positions.

We want the people joining us today to help lead our company tomorrow.

Why Hale Innovation Is a Great Place to Work

We believe exceptional service starts with exceptional treatment of employees. Our benefits reflect our commitment to work-life balance, financial security, professional growth, and building a company where people want to stay.

A True Four-Day Workweek

At Hale Innovation, 32 hours is full-time. Employees work Monday through Thursday, eight hours per day, with Fridays off and a full-time professional salary comparable to a traditional 40-hour workweek.

Our hybrid schedule includes office days on Monday and Wednesday, with the flexibility to work remotely or in the office on Tuesday and Thursday.

Generous Paid Time Off

Employees receive 96 hours of annual paid time off, equivalent to three full Hale Innovation workweeks, in addition to paid holidays.

We also provide two fully paid office closure weeks, Thanksgiving week and Christmas week, without requiring employees to use PTO.

Full time employees receive 12 weeks of paid parental leave at 60% of pay, available to both birth and non-birth parents.

Exceptional Healthcare and Insurance Benefits

Hale Innovation pays 100% of employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance, including a choice of Platinum-level HMO or POS medical plans.

We also provide 100% company-paid $100,000 basic life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, along with company-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage.

Employees receive a $500 annual company contribution to a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, with additional voluntary life insurance and Dependent Care FSA options available.

Retirement and Profit Sharing

Our Safe Harbor 401(k) provides a dollar-for-dollar company match on employee contributions up to 5% of compensation.

We also provide a generous profit share among eligible employees.

Professional Development and Career Growth

We invest in employees through funded professional development, including professional licenses, certifications, continuing education, conferences, and other learning opportunities.

Employees receive hands-on experience across multiple functions and have the opportunity to pursue advancement based on demonstrated capabilities and performance.

A Company Built for the Long Term

We're building a firm where people can develop meaningful careers, contribute to important projects, and help shape the company's future.

We haven't had an employee resignation since 2023, something we're proud of and committed to maintaining as we grow.

How to Apply and Stand Out

Submit your resume through LinkedIn no later than Sunday, November 29, 2026.

Because of our exceptional benefits, four-day workweek, and opportunities for career advancement, we anticipate strong interest in this position.

We encourage applicants to show us what makes them different. While not required, you may strengthen your application by including a thoughtful cover letter demonstrating your writing abilities. Writing is central to grant development, so this is an opportunity to show us how you communicate and tell a compelling story. Professional graphics are welcome.

You may also include an example of a meaningful accomplishment, such as a project, writing sample, research paper, community initiative, or other work you're proud of, along with a brief explanation of your contribution.

Creative, professional approaches to distinguishing your application are welcome. However, please do not visit or call our offices regarding this position. We want to provide every applicant a fair opportunity and will review all applications received.

Equal Opportunity and Additional Information

Hale Innovation, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without discrimination based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process. Please contact us through LinkedIn if you need assistance.

This description summarizes the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Benefits reflect planned 2027 offerings and are subject to eligibility requirements, governing plan documents, and company policies. Profit sharing varies based on company performance. Employment is at-will. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.