What are the responsibilities and job description for the Grants Administrator position at Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority?
About Us:
Welcome aboard the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority team, where our work environment resembles a well-oiled aviation crew. As operators of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, we connect central and eastern North Carolina to people and places that matter the most, serving 14.5 million passengers in 2023 and supporting over 85,000 local and regional jobs with a $17 billion annual economic impact. Here, accountability and collaboration are our navigational beacons, guiding us through every task with precision and teamwork. Picture yourself as a vital member of our crew, each role crucial to ensuring smooth operations and safe passage for all. Like a pre-flight checklist, we take workplace safety seriously, conducting thorough pre-hire drug, background, and fingerprint checks to ensure a secure environment for every team member. Whether you're stationed indoors, orchestrating behind the scenes, or outdoors, feeling the rush of the runway, you'll find a supportive atmosphere where your contributions make a real difference. We are committed to delivering excellent airport services, state-of-the-art facilities, and unparalleled customer service, earning a Top Five ranking in passenger satisfaction among large North American Airports in a 2023 J.D. Power survey. At RDU, we believe in investing in our people with a comprehensive benefits package for full-time positions, including professional growth and development opportunities. Join us in this high-flying adventure where accountability, collaboration, and safety are the wings that propel us toward success—watch your career soar with RDU!
About You:
You embody core values that will play a pivotal role in connecting our community to places and the people who matter most. Your commitment to continuous learning will drive innovation and growth, while your unwavering integrity ensures that our brand remains trustworthy and reputable. Your respect for colleagues and clients alike fosters a collaborative and positive environment. Your dedication to excellence in every task you undertake will elevate our brand’s standards. Lastly, your team spirit will unite our efforts and amplify our collective success.
About the Role:
As our Grants Administrator, you’ll be part of the flight crew guiding the Authority’s long-range financial journey. Think of this role as sitting in the cockpit of our multi-year capital program—overseeing a funding plan powered by unrestricted cash, PFC revenue, state and federal grants, and issued debt. You’ll help keep our financial engines running smoothly by managing day-to-day cash flow, monitoring investments to ensure they stay on course with North Carolina regulations and our Investment Policy, and coordinating the critical work of debt service, bond administration, and credit facility oversight. This role is highly collaborative—you’ll work wing-to-wing with teams across Finance, Planning & Environmental, Engineering & Project Management, and Commercial Operations to align funding strategies with the Authority’s Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP/CIP), Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program, and long-range business vision. You’ll also captain the full grant lifecycle—from pre-award planning and application development to award acceptance, compliance management, reimbursement, reporting, and closeout. Your work ensures we meet all grant agreement requirements, PFC regulations (14 CFR Part 158), and Treasury obligations, keeping our capital programs and eligible operational initiatives safely above the clouds.
If you’re energized by complex financial navigation and want to help propel major airport projects from the runway to cruising altitude, this role might be your perfect flight path.
Compensation:
Maximum – Based on experience
Minimum - $75,352.99
What You’ll Do:
Cash and Investment
• Monitor available cash balances and maintain a twelve-month forecast of cash needs and debt requirements.
• Develops multi-year funding plan (cash, debt, AIP, state, BIL Infrastructure, TSA, and more) to maximize investment interest and prepare for funding needs.
Financial Management and Reporting
• Provide summary reports to external auditors and other stakeholders as requested.
• Prepares quarterly and annual PFC reports and maintains Part 158 compliance, including public notice files, project listings, auditing support, and record retention.
Debt, Grant, and PFC Administration
• Coordinates with internal stakeholders to confirm eligibility and maintain accurate project justifications, cost estimates, and schedules tied to the ACIP.
• Submit grant draw requests to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other governmental agencies.
Stakeholder, Systems, and Process Improvement
• Implements and continuously improves standardized grant administration procedures, checklists, and internal controls to reduce errors and audit findings.
• Leads or supports system enhancements (e.g., ERP project accounting, grants management portals, e-invoicing drawdown systems) and trains stakeholders on compliant workflows.
What You Need:
Education
Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business management, finance, or related field
Preferred:
• Master’s degree in finance, public administration, accounting, or related field preferred.
Experience
Required:
• 5 or more years of work experience in grants administration, program development or management, sponsored programs administration or another related field.
Preferred:
• 7 years of progressively responsible experience in public sector grants administration, preferably in aviation transportation infrastructure and capital project environments.
• Demonstrated experience with airport funding programs (e.g., FAA AIP, State aviation grants, PFC administration) and compliance under OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
Licenses or Certifications
Required:
• None
Preferred:
• Relevant certifications such as Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) or Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) preferred.
Location:
On-site RDU Airport Campus
RDU Benefits:
At the Authority, we appreciate you and care about your health, happiness, and future. Our benefits start on day one, including medical, dental, vision, tuition assistance, employee discounts, and perks like an on-site gym, a dedicated wellness team, and frequent company and team outings. For a full list of benefit offerings, check out the RDU.com Careers Page
A detailed job description will be provided during the interview process.
Salary : $17