Grants Program Lead – Community Grants (Hybrid)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Bemidji (MN); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation and sick leave

12 paid holidays each year

Pension plan

Employer paid life insurance

Disability insurance

Health insurance

Job summary

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching the ENRTF Community Grants Program to expand funding for community-based natural resource projects. Grants Specialist 3 will lead grant administration, provide technical assistance, and ensure compliance across a growing portfolio in Bemidji, MN.

This role supports the Community Grants team with RFP development, evaluation, monitoring, and timely reimbursements, while collaborating with partners statewide.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of professional experience in grant, contract, financial, compliance, project, or program administration.
• Experience reviewing financial, programmatic, contractual, or compliance information.
• Ability to interpret and apply laws, policies, contracts, procedures, or program requirements.
• Provide technical assistance, training, or other support to organizations navigating complex requirements.
• Manage projects or workloads with deadlines and accountability.
• Identify and resolve financial, compliance, or administrative issues.
• A bachelor’s degree may substitute for one year of experience.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to assist applicants and grantees.
• Knowledge of grant or government program administration.

Responsibilities

• Perform core aspects of grant administration, including proposal evaluation, grantee communication, payment processing, compliance monitoring, records management, policy adherence, audit support, and grant closeout.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to an assigned caseload of applicants and grantees throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Support continuous improvement of program systems, documentation, and workflows.
• Provide flexible, proactive support to the grants team to ensure smooth operations and timely progress on evolving program priorities.

Skills

Grant administration

Policy interpretation

Technical assistance

Project management

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Database software

Job description

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is launching the ENRTF Community Grants Program to expand funding for community-based natural resource projects. Grants Specialist 3 will lead grant administration, provide technical assistance, and ensure compliance across a growing portfolio in Bemidji, MN.

This role supports the Community Grants team with RFP development, evaluation, monitoring, and timely reimbursements, while collaborating with partners statewide.