Grant Operations Lead

Prison Fellowship Financial; Lansdowne (VA); Remote; USD 56,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Up to 5% travel

Comprehensive benefits

Competitive salary

Job summary

Prison Fellowship is seeking a highly organized grants operations professional to oversee the full grant lifecycle—from planning to closeout—acting as the main operational liaison to Relationship Managers and cross-functional teams. This role emphasizes proactive project management, accurate record-keeping, and donor-centered proposals and reporting.

The position supports remote work with up to 5% travel, and is eligible for comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of progressively responsible experience in grant administration, institutional fundraising, development operations, project management, or related nonprofit functions.
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, project management, communications, public administration, or equivalent experience (Master’s degree preferred)
• Experience coordinating complex, deadline-driven projects with multiple stakeholders
• Experience conducting foundation prospect research
• Experience working with CRM or grants-management systems (Salesforce preferred)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional attention to data accuracy and confidentiality
• Ability to collaborate across functional areas without direct supervisory authority
• Familiarity with funder portals, project-management tools (Smartsheet), and prospect research platforms (Foundation Directory, iWave)
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines

Responsibilities

• Grant Planning, Project Management & Coordination: Manage grant requests from intake through proposal development and approval; establish timelines and responsibilities; coordinate across departments.
• Grant Review, Submission & Award Administration: Facilitate proposal submission; ensure funder and organizational requirements are met; manage submissions.
• Post‑Award Management, Reporting & Closeout: Monitor commitments, deliverables, and deadlines; lead reporting and closeout processes; gather required information.
• Grant Systems Management & Continuous Improvement: Maintain grant records in Salesforce/SharePoint; document rules and performance measures; identify efficiency opportunities.
• Foundation Prospecting & Pipeline Development: Research prospective funders; collaborate with teams; translate research into cultivation opportunities

Skills

Grant administration

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

CRM systems

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management or related field

Tools

Salesforce

SharePoint

Smartsheet

Foundation Directory

iWave

Job description

Want to make a difference? Join an organization committed to sharing the hope of true transformation with those impacted by incarceration for nearly 50 years. Prison Fellowship® is the nation's largest Christian nonprofit equipping the Church to serve currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families, and to advocate for justice and human dignity.

Prison Fellowship and its church partners encounter Jesus with those behind bars, breaking cycles of crime and prayerfully anticipating a revival of justice, mercy, and hope in our culture.

Prison Fellowship® is an organization committed to the highest standards of conduct, ethics, and Christian values. Our conduct is guided by and grounded in the Bible, as reflected in our Statement of Faith below.

What We Are Looking For

A highly organized, detail‑driven professional to provide operational leadership across Prison Fellowship’s full grant lifecycle—from proposal planning and development through award administration, reporting, and closeout. This individual will serve as the primary operational liaison to Relationship Managers, functioning as the “air traffic controller” who keeps timelines, reviews, submissions, and documentation coordinated and on track.

The ideal candidate excels at project management, cross‑functional collaboration, and maintaining accurate records across multiple systems. The right fit for this role is proactive, deadline‑driven, and committed to ensuring that every grant proposal and report is timely, accurate, donor‑centered, and aligned with Prison Fellowship’s mission.

Role Responsibilities

Grant Planning, Project Management & Coordination

• Manage grant requests from intake through proposal development and approval
• Establish clear timelines, responsibilities, dependencies, and communication structures
• Coordinate participation across Relationship Managers, Grant Writers, Program Leads, Finance, Marketing & Communications, Development Services, Legal, and senior leadership

Grant Review, Submission & Award Administration

• Facilitate the transition from proposal development to final submission
• Ensure proposals meet funder and organizational requirements
• Manage technical submissions through funder portals
• Oversee award documentation and operational setup for successful implementation

Post‑Award Management, Reporting & Closeout

• Maintain visibility of grant commitments, deliverables, and deadlines
• Lead operational reporting and closeout processes
• Work across departments to identify risks, gather required information, and ensure timely, accurate reporting

Grant Systems Management & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate grant records in Salesforce, SharePoint, and grants‑tracking platforms
• Steward documentation, business rules, and performance measures
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accountability, and technology utilization
• Gather stakeholder feedback to strengthen grant processes

Foundation Prospecting & Pipeline Development

• Identify, research, and evaluate prospective foundation funders
• Partner with Relationship Managers, Development Services, Prospect Research, and Program teams
• Translate research into actionable cultivation and qualification opportunities

Key Qualifications

• 2–5 years of progressively responsible experience in grant administration, institutional fundraising, development operations, project management, or related nonprofit functions
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business administration, project management, communications, public administration, or equivalent experience (Master’s degree preferred)
• Experience coordinating complex, deadline‑driven projects with multiple stakeholders
• Experience conducting foundation prospect research
• Experience working with CRM or grants‑management systems (Salesforce preferred)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy
• Proven ability to collaborate across functional areas and maintain accountability without direct supervisory authority
• Familiarity with funder portals, project‑management tools (e.g., Smartsheet), and prospect research platforms (e.g., Foundation Directory, iWave)
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
• Ability to handle sensitive information with appropriate confidentiality

Work Arrangement

• Remote/work‑from‑home position
• Up to 5% travel required

Salary at Prison Fellowship is determined by a variety of factors. For this full-time position, the budgeted salary is projected to be $56,000-$65,000 annually.

Why Join Prison Fellowship

At Prison Fellowship, we're committed to supporting the overall well‑being of our employees through comprehensive benefits, generous paid time off, and opportunities for professional growth.

Full‑time employees enjoy:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement account funding
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid maternity and parental leave
• Generous paid time off, including:
  • 14 paid holidays
  • 15 vacation days
  • 10 sick days
  • 39 total paid days off annually after one year of employment
• Additional benefits and wellness resources

Part‑time employees who regularly work 20 or more hours per week are eligible for select benefits on a prorated basis (excluding health insurance).

Beyond our benefits, you'll find a collaborative, mission‑driven culture, supportive teammates, innovative technology tools, and meaningful opportunities for personal and professional development.Join us in making a lasting impact while building a rewarding career.

Our Statement of Faith

The Foundation of What We Believe

As a Christian organization, Prison Fellowship believes in the full authority of the Bible as God's inspired Word and the complete tenets of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.

We believe in one God, Creator and Lord of the Universe, the co‑eternal Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary atoning death on the cross, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended to heaven where, as truly God and truly man, He is the only mediator between God and man. We believe that the Bible is God's authoritative and inspired Word, without error in all its teachings.

How We Are Compelled to Live and to Act

We believe that Christians, both individually and corporately, must submit to the Bible as God's authoritative, divine, and inspired Word in all matters of belief and conduct.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment laws:

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)