Grant Manager I

State of Colorado; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) in Colorado administers grant programs within the Global Business Development Division, including CHIPS, AIA, and STEP. The Grant Manager I supports contract management, reimbursements, and tracking to ensure compliance with state fiscal rules and grant requirements.

The role requires strong organizational skills, precise documentation, and coordination across internal procurement and accounting teams, grantees, and external partners

Qualifications

• Strong understanding or ability to learn public sector procurement processes.
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail and timelines.
• Budget expertise: track expenditures and financial reconciliations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with state officials.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and technical guidance to stakeholders for grant programs.
• Conduct preliminary compliance reviews of grant applications.
• Assist in drafting statements of work and define project scope with procurement.
• Proactively check-in with grant recipients on progress and reimbursements.
• Review reimbursement requests for documentation and compliance.
• Manage operational close-out process including final reconciliations and payments.
• Maintain master files and tracking in Salesforce, Drive, and state systems.
• Evaluate workflows to improve grant reimbursement processes.
• Collaborate with internal staff and external partners to align programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Manager and Directors.

Skills

Project Management

Results Driven

Process Improvement

Relationship Management

Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking

Public sector procurement

State fiscal rules

Budget Tracking

Communication skills

Job description

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) was created to foster a positive business climate that encourages quality economic development through support of local and regional economic development activities throughout the State of Colorado. A comprehensive slate of programs within OEDIT’s divisions work together to offer economic development services for all Colorado businesses – new and expanding, traditional and emerging, small and large – including retention programs to ensure continued competitiveness of Colorado’s economic base, and job training to keep Colorado’s workforce the best in the nation.

This position is part of the Global Business Development (GBD) division within OEDIT. The GBD division elevates Colorado businesses and communities by offering programs, services and incentives that foster an innovative and healthy economy where people, businesses and communities thrive. Such offerings include tax incentives and grant programs related to business recruitment, retention and expansion, foreign direct investment and data analytics services.GBD’s programs include, but are not limited to, Colorado’s CHIPS semiconductor programs and the Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) Program Grants, and the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP):

• The CHIPS Semiconductor programs include the Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program which is a suite of three grants that support the development of semiconductor and advanced industry ecosystems.
• The AIA Program promotes the commercialization of innovative technologies in Colorado’s seven advanced industries. Non-dilutive funding is provided through the following opportunities: Proof of Concept Grant, Early Stage Capital and Retention Grant, Collaborative Infrastructure Grant, Global Consultant Network, and Export Grant.
• STEP is a federally funded export grant that helps small businesses expand internationally by funding international business development activities.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Grant Manager I is a vital operational and administrative role within the GBD Division. This position provides critical technical and administrative support for state funding programs managed by GBD, guiding applicants through the entire grant lifecycle from initial application compliance to final operational close-outs.

This role will primarily support programs including Colorado's CHIPS semiconductor programs, AIA Program grants, and STEP. Key daily responsibilities include managing contracts, processing reimbursements, maintaining accurate tracking databases, and proactively monitoring grantee progress to ensure all statutory and financial requirements are met.

The ideal candidate is a driven, detail-oriented problem solver who thrives when managing complex workflows, coordinating project logistics, liaising across state business units, and ensuring strict compliance with state fiscal rules and procurement guidelines.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Technical Assistance & Applicant Support: Provide administrative and technical guidance to business stakeholders, local partners, and companies seeking to qualify for state funding programs managed by the Global Business Development Division, such as the Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program, Dept. of Commerce trade and investment shows and Advanced Industries Accelerator Program grants.
• Application Compliance & Review Support: Conduct preliminary compliance reviews on grant applications to ensure submissions adhere to statutory and program requirements. Prepare review packets, organize review committee logistics, and issue reviewer invitations.
• Contracting and Amendments: Assists in drafting statements of work in collaboration with the procurement team to define project scope, deliverables, timelines and compliance standards for grant contracts and amendment requests as needed.
• Grant Monitoring: Proactively check-in with grant recipients on a routine basis, giving them status updates and reminders about their progress to date in the completion of the award.
• Reimbursements: Reviews all grantee reimbursement requests for appropriate documentation and compliance prior to preparing the reimbursement package for processing.
• Grant Close-Outs: Manages the operational close-out process for completed grants. Conducts final financial reconciliations, verifies that all contract deliverables and reporting requirements have been met, and processes final payments.
• Grant Tracking & Record Keeping: Maintain master documentation files and tracking databases in Salesforce, Google Drive, and the state accounting system in full accordance with program policies and state fiscal rules. Track and provide quarterly updates on grant program awarding, reimbursement, and remaining funds.
• Process Optimization: Evaluates workflows to develop efficient and effective processes for the overall grant reimbursement cycle
• Collaborative Alignment: Works in a professional, collaborative manner with internal program staff, procurement and accounting teams, external program partners, and grantees.
• Other Duties: Performs other duties as assigned by the Advanced Industries Senior Manager, GBD Division Director, and GBD Deputy Director.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Project Management: Plans, directs, and monitors multi-faceted projects and administrative workflows effectively while meeting quality standards and deadlines.
• Results Driven: Conveys a sense of urgency, moves tasks toward closure, and holds high standards for accuracy and quality.
• Process Improvement: Continuously evaluates internal workflows, challenges the status quo, and identifies opportunities to streamline procurement and grant tracking systems.
• Relationship Management & Collaboration: Builds and maintains productive, collaborative working relationships across internal divisions, fiscal agents, vendors, and external program partners.
• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Uses logic and critical thinking to resolve complex operational or financial discrepancies and navigate state administrative procedures.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong understanding or ability to learn public sector procurement processes, contracting workflows, and state fiscal rules.
• Exceptional organizational skills, high attention to detail, and proven ability to prioritize multiple complex tasks under strict timelines.
• Demonstrated Budget Expertise. Proven ability to accurately track program expenditures, conduct financial reconciliations, and actively monitor overall spend-down rates.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required to interact effectively with state officials