Senior Advisor - Community Grants

Hamilton City Council; Waikato; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Professional development

Wellbeing days

Health insurance

Annual health checks

Eye care support

Additional annual leave

Local discounts

Job summary

Hamilton City Council is seeking an experienced Senior Advisor – Community Grants to lead delivery of our community grants programme and ensure funding drives meaningful outcomes. You will act as the Council's grants expert, advise panels, manage funding assessments and build strong partnerships across the sector.

The role covers the full grants lifecycle from supporting applicants and evaluating requests to monitoring outcomes and refining our funding frameworks.

Qualifications

• Around 5–7 years’ experience in grants management, funding allocation, community development funding or related area.
• Experience assessing funding applications and making well-reasoned funding recommendations.
• Experience managing funding rounds, grant agreements and funding frameworks.
• Confidence reviewing budgets, financial accounts and other information as part of funding assessments.
• Strong report writing skills, including preparing advice and recommendations for governance groups, panels or decision-makers.
• Experience working with community organisations and providing funding advice and support.
• Experience monitoring funded projects and evaluating outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills across community, government and funding sectors.
• Sound judgement, integrity and ability to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead community grant funding rounds, assessments and recommendations.
• Review applications, budgets and financial information to support fair and robust funding decisions.
• Prepare clear reports and recommendations for panels, committees and decision-makers.
• Develop and manage funding agreements and monitor funded projects and outcomes.
• Build relationships with community organisations, NGOs, government agencies and other funding partners.
• Provide practical advice and support to grant applicants.
• Deliver workshops and initiatives that build community capability around funding and accountability.
• Support other areas of Council with grant and funding allocation processes.
• Look for opportunities to strengthen funding frameworks and programme effectiveness.
• Support governance, record-keeping, compliance and risk management across grants programmes.

Skills

Grants management

Funding evaluation

Stakeholder relations

Budget review

Report writing

Public sector experience

Education

Tertiary qualification

Tools

SmartyGrants

Job description

He angituutanga: The opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Advisor – Community Grants to lead the delivery of our community grants programme and help ensure Council funding is directed where it can achieve meaningful outcomes.

As Council’s subject matter expert for community grants, you'll be providing trusted advice, leading funding assessment processes and building strong relationships across our community and funding networks.

This is a varied role where you’ll work across the full grants lifecycle, from supporting applicants and assessing funding requests through to monitoring outcomes and continually improving how our funding programmes operate.

day to day you will:

• Lead community grant funding rounds, assessments and recommendations.
• Review applications, budgets and financial information to support fair and robust funding decisions.
• Prepare clear reports and recommendations for panels, committees and decision-makers.
• Develop and manage funding agreements and monitor funded projects and outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with community organisations, NGOs, government agencies and other funding partners.
• Provide practical advice and support to community organisations and grant applicants.
• Deliver workshops and initiatives that build community capability around funding, accountability and sustainability.
• Support other areas of Council with grant and funding allocation processes.
• Look for opportunities to strengthen our funding frameworks, processes and overall programme effectiveness.
• Support strong governance, record-keeping, compliance and risk management across our grants programmes.

Qualifications

We’re looking for someone who combines strong grants and funding expertise with excellent judgement and a genuine ability to build trusted relationships.

You’ll bring:

• Around 5–7 years’ experience in grants management, funding allocation, community development funding, philanthropic funding or a related area.
• Experience assessing funding applications and making well-reasoned funding recommendations.
• Experience managing funding rounds, grant agreements and funding frameworks.
• Confidence reviewing budgets, financial accounts and other information as part of funding assessments.
• Strong report writing skills, including preparing advice and recommendations for governance groups, panels or decision-makers.
• Experience working directly with community organisations and providing practical funding advice and support.
• Experience monitoring funded projects and evaluating outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills across community, government and/or funding sectors.
• Sound judgement, integrity and the ability to manage competing priorities.

A relevant tertiary qualification would be an advantage, as would experience within local government or the wider public sector. Experience with grants management systems such as SmartyGrants, delivering community funding workshops, or developing and reviewing funding policies and frameworks would also be valuable.

He aha te wariu o te utu kaimahi? | What’s the salary?

Circa 100k dependent on skills and experience.

Ngaa waahi whakarato painga kei a maatou: What we offer

We invest in our people, their wellbeing, and their future. That's why we offer a range of benefits designed to support you both inside and outside of work, including:

• We support flexible ways of working that balance individual wellbeing, team and business needs. And great outcomes for our community.
• We support professional development and opportunities to grow your career.
• Two wellbeing days each year to focus on what matters most to you (after one year of service).
• Fully funded Unimed health insurance, including hospital and surgical cover, with discounted rates for family members.
• Free annual health checks and flu vaccinations.
• The option to purchase additional annual leave for greater flexibility.
• Eye care support, including reimbursement towards eye testing and prescription glasses.
• Access to a wide range of local discounts, including gyms, healthcare providers, retail stores, and more.

Applications close on the: 12 November 2026

Note: We will be shortlisting as we receive applications.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome on their application via email. Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role.

It is important to us that we support you throughout our selection process (interview and assessments). If you have any access needs during this process, let us know in advance so we can make sure these are met.

As a council, we believe in creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and belongs. We value inclusiveness (Kotahitanga) – we respect and value the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents that everyone brings.

This role is being sourced directly. If/where Hamilton City Council requires the support of a recruitment agency, we will seek this support from our panel of selected agencies. Hamilton City Council will not be responsible for, and will not pay, any commissions, fees or other payments related to unsolicited contact.