Grant Program Coordinator

Tennessee Aquarium; Chattanooga, Northern (TN, KY); Hybrid; USD 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Tennessee Aquarium is seeking a Grant Program Coordinator to own our enterprise grants lifecycle, coordinating proposal development, budgets, and reporting across Finance, Development, Conservation, Education, and Operations. The role ensures compliance with all award requirements and supports audits and program growth.

Responsibilities include maintaining grant calendars, preparing reimbursements, and coordinating cross-functional activities to ensure timely, accurate submissions through

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in accounting, finance, nonprofit management, or related field.
• 3+ years of grants administration, nonprofit finance, or project management preferred.
• Experience with federal grants and grant regulations preferred.
• Professional certifications (PMP, CGMS, GPC) desirable but not required.
• Excellent organizational and facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of federal grant regulations and Uniform Guidance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the grants lifecycle from opportunity to closeout, coordinating proposal development and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with all award requirements across departments.
• Prepare financial reports, reimbursements, and supporting documentation.
• Monitor budgets, expenditures, and grant revenue with Finance.
• Coordinate with internal teams to gather narratives, attachments, and submissions.
• Support audits and maintain grants management systems.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Budgeting

Spreadsheet skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Facilitation

Education

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

Tools

Grants.gov

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Grants management software

Job description

IMAX 3D Theater
IMAX 3D Theater
201 Chestnut Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

IMAX 3D Theater
IMAX 3D Theater
201 Chestnut Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA

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.
• 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.
• 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.

Qualifications

Skills

Behaviors

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Motivations

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Education

Experience

Licenses & Certifications

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.