Grants Manager

The Lemelson Foundation; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully paid health care for employees &

dependents

403(b) plan with generous employer  

20 paid time off days per year

Job summary

The Lemelson Foundation is seeking a Grants Manager in Portland, Oregon. You will lead the grants management function, oversee the grants lifecycle, and collaborate with staff, grantees, and external partners to ensure effective administration and compliance.

You will work with the legal and program teams to document regulations, develop templates and reports, and support evaluation and learning across the foundation.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years grants management experience in a private foundation context.
• Experience with Salesforce's Foundation Connect and related tools.
• Proven ability to manage the complete grant management cycle.
• Ability to educate and support colleagues and grantees in grants management systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the grants management function.
• Manage grant portfolio lifecycle with transparency and best practices.
• Educate and collaborate with colleagues and grantees on grants systems and templates.
• Support governance, reporting, and communications with internal teams and external partners.
• Contribute to leadership and strategic planning for equity and inclusion.

Skills

Grants management

Stakeholder coordination

Policy development

Compliance oversight

Tools

Salesforce Foundation Connect

Job description

The Grants Manager works with all members of The Lemelson Foundation team to provide management and support of Foundation grants and administration. The Grants Manager will have primary responsibility for ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the grants function. This position requires close coordination with staff, grantees and other partners to ensure the grants management and contracting processes are operating smoothly and meeting the needs of all parties. The Grants Manager takes a lead role in working with Foundation legal counsel to understand and document legal regulations and guidelines that affect grant making and contracts.

The Grants Manager reports directly to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. The Grants Manager will participate in and provide support to internal working groups and team projects related to the annual management and programmatic priorities of the Foundation.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the grants management function.
  • - Manage and facilitate the Foundation's grants and contracts portfolio and life cycle with transparency, attention to detail, and in accordance with accepted and evolving best practices;
  • - Design, manage, and monitor policies, processes, and workflows consistent with a high performance, high value grants management function;
  • - Recommend, integrate, and employ systems, platforms, and products for effective management of grants and contracts;
  • - Monitor and help ensure compliance with legal regulations and standards; ensure expenditure responsibility for domestic and international grants, Program Related Investments (PRIs) and other relevant foundation investments.
• Educate and collaborate with colleagues and grantees.
  • - Educate and collaborate with colleagues in the development and implementation of grants management systems and tools to support strategic priorities and goals;
  • - Develop, and assist colleagues and grantees in the development and use of grant templates, budgets, financial schedules and reports, including reports to the board;
  • - Facilitate transactions and maintain effective communications between and among finance, programs, grantees, and prospective grantees; support evaluation and learning;
  • - Engage and coordinate with legal team and other external consultants and vendors.
• Contribute to Foundation leadership and effectiveness.
  • - Manage grant portfolio in accordance with the Foundation's enduring and emerging priorities, consistent with values and mission;
  • - Serve as the Foundation's authority on best practices, issues and trends in grants management; introduce, propose, and adopt new approaches and practices as indicated for continual improvement;
  • - Contribute to Foundation strategic and operational planning processes;
  • - Contribute to Foundation goals, strategies, and accountabilities with respect to equity, justice, and inclusion.

Qualifications

Lemelson welcomes expressions of interest from candidates with the expertise and ability to deliver against the above responsibilities, typically consistent with 7-10 years grants management experience in a private foundation context. Representative qualifications include experience:

• managing and/or delivering on the complete grant management cycle, demonstrating both conceptual mastery of the whole and technical proficiency in execution;
• educating and supporting both colleagues and grantees in the effective use of grants management systems (The Lemelson Foundation uses Salesforce's Foundation Connect) and tools;
• developing or adapting grants management systems, processes or tools to better serve the needs of both colleagues and grantees;
• contributing to organizational strategy and learning;
• participating in professional education and leadership activities.

Familiarity with grantmaking to research universities and to entities outside the United States is highly relevant for this position, as is familiarity with PRIs.

The Lemelson Foundation has engaged consultants to provide an assessment of its performance with respect to indicators of equity, justice, and inclusion, and intends to use the findings of that assessment to develop goals and target investments. The Foundation encourages interest from candidates with a desire to fully participate in this ongoing, collaborative work.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $120,000-140,000.

The Lemelson Foundation offers employees an exceptionally generous benefits package including fully paid health care coverage for employees and dependents, a 403(b) plan with a generous employer match, and 20 paid time off days per calendar year.

The Foundation is currently operating remotely, pending return to a hybrid workplace environment. The Grants Manager will be expected to work in an office part-time. Relocation assistance will be provided should the successful candidate reside outside the Portland, Oregon area.