Key Advisor

Grant Engine; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 165,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Cash and success-based compensation

Thought leadership promotion on various platforms

Visibility on company website

Job summary

A leading funding advisory firm is seeking a Key Advisor to drive non-dilutive funding strategies for innovative companies. This remote, part-time position demands a proven track record in successful grant acquisition, strong industry connections, and an ability to collaborate with diverse teams to enhance win rates. The ideal candidate will contribute strategic insights on proposal development and client acquisition, while reflecting the company’s core values like trust and excellence.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in consulting or advisory roles in grant funding.
• Experience shaping funding strategies aligning with business objectives.
• Worked as reviewer or applicant with large funding awards.
• Ability to shape funding strategies aligned with business goals.
• Experience with SBIR/STTR, BAA, CDMRP, OTA, or similar solicitations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic advisor for marketing and executive teams.
• Deliver insights enhancing proposal outcomes and client success.
• Engage with funding agency program officers for client benefit.
• Lead new client acquisition and expand strategic partnerships.
• Enhance proposal development framework and risk mitigation.
• Provide industry thought leadership on funding dynamics.

Skills

Excellent communication

Negotiation

Relationship building

Industry expertise

Stakeholder communication

Negotiation

Job description

Key Advisor sought for the highest win rate company that delivers non-dilutive funding to select companies and organizations with a venture‑philanthropy focus from US federal, state, non‑profits and other sources via contracts and grants. We seek an experienced Key Advisor with a proven track record in securing funding across multiple industries.

At Grant Engine, we fund innovative solutions that drive significant advancements. We are committed to supporting groundbreaking projects that address the most challenging problems in our society. Through strategic grant writing and comprehensive funding support, we connect visionary organizations with the resources they need to bring transformative technologies to life. In this mission, we selectively work with clients whose technology has the potential to significantly improve upon the current standards. In this pursuit, we hold the following core values in high regard. Trust, Customer Success, Excellence Without Bias, Teamwork.

To realize this vision, Grant Engine must lead the field. We identify innovation from every corner of our company, and we are committed to innovation in every facet of our work. Each of us works to get results by employing, or pioneering, cutting‑edge techniques in communication and program management to realize our vision. We know that every detail matters. We are committed to successfully delivering on our goals so that our partners can deliver on theirs. Everyone on our team realizes that when clients win, our mission is accomplished.

A key tenet of the Grant Engine team is that we work well together! We trust one another’s judgment and have established an effective team dynamic of delivering on our individual responsibilities to best serve our clients.

Our organization has key expertise and depth in its team and talent in key vertical segments including human health and life sciences, defense technologies, infrastructure/energy, semiconductor, AI, and other verticals, and retains industry leaders from both the public and private sectors.

Job Title: Key Advisor, Grant Engine

Status: Part Time

Location: US Based, remote

Overview

• Serve as a strategic advisor and subject matter expert for our marketing, sales, delivery, and executive Leadership Team.
• Deliver strategic insights that enhance Grant Engine’s organizational and proposal preparation approach, improving key outcomes including team satisfaction, win rate, client success, and productivity.
• Contribute to improving our market‑leading win rate by interpreting funding solicitations, deepening our understanding of real‑world agency review and decision processes, and in certain cases engaging with the program officers/managers of ARPA‑H, DARPA, ARPA‑E, IARPA.
• Primary experience with federal, state, local, accelerators, and non‑profit sources sought:
  • Federal agency experience with one or more of NIH, ARPA‑H, NSF, Dept Defense (Army, Navy, AF, USSOCOM, etc.), DOE/ARPA‑E, BARDA, DARPA, NASA, or any other.
  • State and local via CIRM (CA), CPRIT (TX), State of CO, NC, MN, MA, or any other.
  • Non‑profit foundations such as MTEC, CARB‑X, Gates Foundation, PCORI, MJFF, ADDF, and any other according to our mission.
• Experience with solicitation types including SBIR/STTR, BAA, CDMRP, OTA, etc.
• Work closely with our team to craft tailored funding strategies, leveraging insider knowledge of funding agencies to strengthen Grant Engine’s position as a top‑performing firm.

Key Contributions

As a key contributor to Grant Engine's vision of being the only choice for clients and our team to secure non‑dilutive funding for innovative companies, this role focuses on three primary areas.

1. New Client Acquisition

• Help secure new clients. Collaborate with marketing and sales team to segment, engage, and secure new clients in various vertical industry segments.
• Networking on behalf of Grant Engine. Leverage industry connections to introduce clients to relevant contacts, enhancing their contribution to their space and reach their goals by virtue of their engagement with Grant Engine.

2. Securing Non‑Dilutive Funding

• Agency Insights. Provide deep knowledge of funding agencies such as NIH, ARPA‑H, NSF, Department of Defense (Army, Navy, Air Force, USSOCOM, etc.), DOE, BARDA, DARPA, and NASA, including their priorities and best practices for securing high‑value grants.
• Proposal Development. Improve and deepen Grant Engine’s proven framework for proposal development, program management, and external review to enhance win rate.
• Risk Management. Identify business and project risks associated with grant funding agencies, solicitations, and provide mitigation strategies.

3. Thought Leadership

• Industry Expertise. Offer insights into funding source dynamics, changes, and best practices, that effectively positions Grant Engine as the thought leader in the industry.
• Innovation & Growth. Identify new avenues or strategies for expansion and improvement including company, team, client, and project centric approaches that improve our yield or effectiveness for the resources expended to reach our goals.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven track record in domain expertise, consulting, or advisory roles within the relevant industry segment and grant/contract funding space.
• Experience in client‑facing roles, shaping funding strategies that align with long‑term business objectives.
• Experience working as reviewer, applicant or awardee with grant and contract funding awards ranging from $250K to $400 million.
• Relationship driven, enabling team‑member’s capabilities. A force‑multiplier.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship‑building capabilities.

Commitment & Compensation

• Align with Grant Engine’s mission to save lives and improve the quality of a longer life through strategic funding initiatives.
• Participate in regular strategy meetings, funding planning sessions, team meetings, and client‑facing consultations as needed.
• Agree to be made visible on Grant Engine website, post your Key Advisor role on your LinkedIn profile, and disclose any conflicts in writing.
• Receive cash and/or success‑based compensation for role participation.
• Receive thought leadership promotion via various channels of your own professional brand, and promotion of your contribution on various professional platforms including grantengine.com, LinkedIn, press releases, and other platforms.
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold the highest ethical standards.