Government Grant Writer

Northern Virginia Family Services; Falls Church (VA); Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Virginia Family Services in Falls Church, VA seeks a Government Grant Writer to develop compelling proposals and secure funding for NVFS programs. You will manage the grant lifecycle from prospecting through submission, focusing on federal, state, and local opportunities.

Responsibilities include researching funders, coordinating requirements with program, finance, and grants teams, and producing high-quality narratives and budgets for timely submissions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Nonprofit Studies, Marketing, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3 years experience writing, compiling, and submitting government grant proposals.
• Experience with federal, state, and local government funding sources; familiarity with agencies such as HUD, HHS, DOJ, or VA equivalents preferred.
• Demonstrated project management experience coordinating multiple stakeholders and deliverables.
• Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Ability to translate data into compelling narratives and ensure compliance with funder requirements.
• Oral and written fluency in English; additional languages welcome.

Responsibilities

• Manage the grant proposal process from prospecting through submission.
• Research, identify, and evaluate prospective funding opportunities.
• Coordinate application requirements and timelines with program, finance, and administration teams.
• Write and manage proposal content, including narrative and budget components.
• Establish timelines and assign responsibilities across staff for timely submissions.
• Maintain grant files and monitor progress through the grants workflow system.

Skills

Strong writing

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Research & analysis

Time management

English fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in English/Communications/Nonprofit Studies/Marketing

Tools

GrantNavigator

Monday.com

Microsoft Office

Job description

Join the NVFS Family: The Grants Administration team is looking to hire a skilled, organized, and collaborative Government Grant Writer to develop compelling proposals that secure funding for NVFS programs and services. This role offers the opportunity to use your writing, research, and project management skills to help generate critical funding that advances NVFS’s mission and strengthens the communities we serve.
Why This Role Matters:
As the Government Grant Writer, you will manage the grant proposal process from prospecting through submission, with a primary focus on federal, state, and local government funding opportunities. You will research funding opportunities and community needs, develop high-quality proposals, coordinate application requirements and timelines, and collaborate across teams to submit accurate and competitive grant applications.
Benefits and Compensation:
We want you to be well, have work/life flexibility, grow your career with us, and have the resources and support you need. Check out our comprehensive benefit offerings here in support of various dimensions of your wellbeing.
This position has a starting salary in the high 60s to low 70s.
In this role, you will:

• Develop a strong understanding of NVFS programs, client barriers and needs, and broader human services and systemic issues impacting the communities served by actively engaging in internal program planning and grants team meetings.
• Research, identify, and evaluate prospective funding opportunities, including attending pre-application webinars and conferences and synthesize key information for grants and program teams.
• Manage tracking of prospective funders utilizing the team’s grants workflow tracking system.
• Communicate funding opportunities to the Director of Institutional Grants and recommend grants to pursue based on eligibility, alignment, and competitiveness.
  

Writing:

• Research and analyze local and regional community needs data for use in grant proposals.
• Manage the full grant proposal process, collaborating with grants, program, and finance teams to develop, write, compile, and submit grant applications in a timely and efficient manner.
• Create application checklists based on Requests for Proposals/Notice of Funding Opportunities and establish timelines, clearly communicating roles and responsibilities to relevant staff across the organization.
• Author and manage proposal content, ensuring the submission of complete, accurate, and high-quality grant applications.
• Responsible for completing and/or compiling all application components, which may include letters of intent/inquiry, full proposal narratives, budget narratives, and other requirements as specified by the funder.
  

Management:

• Maintain grant files from initial review through closeout using the agency’s grant management database, including uploading documents, applying established naming conventions, and regularly updating grant/project information based on internal and external communications.
• Facilitate the internal review process for award documents by program, finance, administration, and executive staff prior to signature.
  

Other:

• Conduct peer review of other Grant Writer’s proposals and provide clear, constructive feedback to help improve the quality and competitiveness of submissions.
• Participate in regular supervision with the Director of Institutional Grants and provide updates on progress and priorities.
• Support the Development and Communications department with events and activities, as needed.
• Enter data for record keeping and reporting to meet relevant guidelines.
  

Your Background: We understand that you may obtain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences.

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Nonprofit Studies, Marketing, or related field preferred
• Minimum three (3) years experience writing, compiling, and submitting government grant proposals, preferably for human services, housing and homelessness, behavioral health, victims’ services, family services, and/or related programs
• Experience developing grant proposals for federal, state, and/or local government funding sources; familiarity with funding from agencies such as the U.S. Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, or Virginia agencies such as the Department of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Social Services, and Department of Housing and Community Development, preferred
• Demonstrated project management experience, including the ability to independently manage complex, multi-step project from initiation through completion while coordinating multiple stakeholders and deliverables
• Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent deadlines
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple programs and departments with diverse staff at all levels to effectively gather information and move projects forward
• Proven ability to research, analyze, and systematically compile information from a variety of sources into clear, cohesive materials with strong attention to detail, including translating data and program information into compelling narratives
• Ability to interpret federal, state, and local government laws and regulations in relation to grant requirements
• Familiarity with GrantNavigator and/or Monday.com a plus, but not required
• Oral and written fluency in English; additional language skills always welcome
• Digital and technical proficiency, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
  

Additional Requirements:

• Successful completion of background checks upon hire.
• May be called upon to work beyond normal working hours.
• Work is done primarily in an office and remote environment, but some travel to community locations, agency office sites and meetings may be required.