Director of Grant Strategy and Development

Basic Function and Responsibility:

The Director of Grant Strategy and Development at Oakton College is responsible for overseeing the strategic and operational aspects of the college's publicly-funded grant activities. This includes researching funding opportunities and identifying those that are mission and programmatically aligned, overseeing the grant proposal process, ensuring compliance with grantor and institutional requirements, and management and administration of grant-funded projects through close-out. The Director will provide analyses to inform the college's overall grant strategy and collaborate with a broad range of college and external partners to develop proposals and execute on grant requirements and reporting. The Director will lead and supervise the Grants Office and work as a strategic partner to the Educational Foundation's grants function for private funders - sharing best practices, boilerplate narrative, and project descriptions to maximize funding opportunities for Oakton.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee the preparation and submission of all grant proposals seeking funding from external public agencies and organizations. Ensure final applications are completed according to required formats, including proposal writing and submission to funding agencies.
• Conduct research and disseminate information on grant opportunities. Work closely with the AVP for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning as well as President's Council to analyze potential grant opportunities, assessing their alignment with the college's strategic goals and determining their feasibility and appropriateness.
• Liaise with college personnel involved in grant-funded programs to assist in operational planning and outline fund utilization. Work in cooperation with the Oakton Educational Foundation on joint funding activities.
• Serve as the primary contact with state and federal agency personnel for matters related to grant proposal development, budget negotiations, and grant implementations.
• Establish and implement operational goals for the Grants Office.
• Maintain comprehensive records of all grants, overseeing all administrative paperwork related to grant-funded programs. Ensure adherence to federal and state grant regulations by collaborating with internal college offices to implement effective internal controls for grants. Address and resolve operational and programmatic issues in grant projects, ensuring compliance with grant requirements, including necessary evaluations and reporting.
• Work closely with the Grants Finance Specialist to ensure accurate financial management of grant funds, including budget development with project directors and coordination with the accounting department to monitor expenditures and ensure fiscal compliance.
• Direct, assign, and evaluate the activities and personnel of the Grants Office. Supervise the use of external consultants for roles such as proposal writing, project evaluation, and other relevant duties.
• Develop and manage the budget for the Grants Office.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervision Received:

Administrative supervision is provided by the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning.

Supervision Exercised:

Supervision is exercised over the applicable staff members within the Grants Office.

Qualifications and Working Conditions:

• Master's degree or the equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired is required.
• Five years' work experience in preparing grant proposals, administering grant-funded projects, working with or for funding agencies, and proven success in the ability to secure funding preferably in a higher education setting.
• Three years' experience in managerial or administrative position demonstrating ability to collaborate across functional areas within the organization is required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state granting agency trends, demands, strategies, and legislation required.
• Advanced word processing (Microsoft Word preferred), intermediate spreadsheet application (Microsoft Excel preferred), and intermediate presentation application (Microsoft PowerPoint preferred) skills required. Amplifund knowledge is preferred.
• Exceptional people skills and high level of proficiency in written and oral communication skills. Ability to interact professionally and tactfully with people of different levels of education, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences, and to exhibit an adequate level of respect to fellow employees and the College community at large.

Physical Demands:

Light lifting up to 10 lbs. and light carrying up to 10 lbs. Ability to reach above shoulder. Periods of time spent sitting, standing, walking, kneeling, bending, and stooping. Mobility to move from building to building on-campus. Work is performed in a general office environment and sedentary in nature. Little or no exposure to adverse working conditions.

Salary Range: $95,000-$115,000

A comprehensive benefit package is available which includes medical, vision, and dental insurance; flexible spending; term life insurance; tuition waivers and reimbursement; retirement; paid holidays; sick days.

Appointment to a Administrator position is contingent upon approval by the College's Board of Trustees

For information regarding employment eligibility, please visit our employment at Oakton web page.

Equal Opportunity Employer