Grant Program Coordinator

Tennessee Aquarium; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Tennessee Aquarium seeks a Grant Program Coordinator to own the enterprise grants process from opportunity through closeout, coordinating proposal development, cross‑department collaboration, financial and programmatic compliance, and grant administration.

The role partners with Finance, Development, Conservation, Education, Animal Care, Operations, and external grant professionals to ensure accurate submissions, compliant administration, and effective grant management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field as listed.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in grants administration or related fields preferred.
• Experience administering federal grants and interpreting grant regulations preferred.
• PMP, CGMS, GPC, or similar certification is desirable but not required.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and facilitation skills.
• Working knowledge of federal grant regulations, Uniform Guidance, and grant lifecycle management.
• Strong budgeting, financial analysis, and spreadsheet skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Grants.gov, and grant/project management software.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the institutional grants calendar and monitor all proposals, reporting, reimbursement, amendment, and closeout deadlines.
• Coordinate grant award kickoff meetings and establish standardized grant files.
• Prepare reimbursement requests, financial reports, supporting schedules, and documentation.
• Monitor compliance with federal, state, local, and private funding requirements, including Uniform Guidance where applicable.
• Coordinate grant closeout activities and retain records in accordance with organizational policies.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Develop and manage proposal workplans and timelines.
• Coordinate activities among departments to ensure timely completion of technical and financial report narratives, reimbursements, contracts, attachments, approvals, and submissions.
• Facilitate meetings and communicate project status to stakeholders.
• Identify schedule risks and recommend corrective actions.
• Coordinate proposal development regardless of writing location.
• Compile organizational information, financial data, budgets, and required attachments.
• Review applications for completeness, consistency, and compliance prior to submission.
• Submit approved applications through Grants.gov and other electronic portals.
• Coordinate with Finance to reconcile grant budgets and expenditures.
• Monitor restricted grant revenue and reimbursement status.
• Support SEFA preparation and other federal reporting requirements when applicable.
• Maintain grants management software, templates, SOPs, policies, and reporting dashboards.
• Recommend workflow improvements and standardization.

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Facilitation skills

Written and verbal communication

Cross-functional influence

Budgeting and financial analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Communications, or related field

Tools

Grants.gov

Grants management software

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

The Grant Program Coordinator serves as the operational owner of the Tennessee Aquarium's enterprise grants process. This position manages the grant lifecycle from opportunity approval through award closeout by coordinating proposal development, cross-departmental collaboration, financial and programmatic compliance, reporting, and grant administration. The position partners with Finance, Development, Conservation, Education, Animal Care, Operations, and external grant professionals to ensure grants are submitted accurately, administered effectively, and managed in compliance with all award requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Administration and Compliance

• Maintain the institutional grants calendar and monitor all proposals, reporting, reimbursement, amendment, and closeout deadlines.
• Coordinate grant award kickoff meetings and establish standardized grant files.
• Prepare reimbursement requests, financial reports, supporting schedules, and documentation.
• Monitor compliance with federal, state, local, and private funding requirements, including Uniform Guidance where applicable.
• Coordinate grant closeout activities and retain records in accordance with organizational policies.
• Support internal and external audits.

Grant Project Management

• Develop and manage proposal workplans and timelines.
• Coordinate activities among departments to ensure timely completion of technical and financial report narratives, reimbursements, contracts, attachments, approvals, and submissions.
• Facilitate meetings and communicate project status to stakeholders.
• Identify schedule risks and recommend corrective actions.

Proposal Development Coordination

• Coordinate proposal development regardless of whether writing is completed internally or externally.
• Compile organizational information, financial data, budgets, and required attachments.
• Review applications for completeness, consistency, and compliance prior to submission.
• Submit approved applications through Grants.gov and other electronic portals.

Financial Management and Reporting

• Coordinate with Finance to reconcile grant budgets and expenditures.
• Monitor restricted grant revenue and reimbursement status.
• Support SEFA preparation and other federal reporting requirements when applicable.

Continuous Improvement

• Maintain grants management software, templates, SOPs, policies, and reporting dashboards.
• Recommend workflow improvements and standardization.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Communications, or related field.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in grants administration, nonprofit finance, project management, or a related field preferred.
• Experience administering federal grants and interpreting grant regulations preferred.
• PMP, CGMS, GPC, or similar professional certification is desirable but not required.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and facilitation skills.
• Working knowledge of federal grant regulations, Uniform Guidance, and grant lifecycle management.
• Strong budgeting, financial analysis, and spreadsheet skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Grants.gov, and grant/project management software.

Full-time, hourly ($24.03 – 26.44/hour, commensurate with education and experience); Monday through Friday schedule, normal business hours.

All submissions must be received by September 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.