Manager, Federal Funding

National Council on Aging; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid work schedule

Professional growth opportunities

Collaborative work environment

Job summary

A leading nonprofit organization in Arlington, Virginia, seeks a Manager of Federal Funding to lead its revenue strategy. This position involves securing and managing federal grants, building partnerships with agencies, and developing compelling proposals. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in federal funding, exceptional strategic thinking, and a commitment to advancing equity in aging populations. The organization offers a flexible hybrid schedule within a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience securing and managing federal grants/contracts.
• Deep knowledge of federal grant lifecycle and compliance.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills for proposals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organization’s federal revenue strategy and execution.
• Develop and execute a multi-year federal revenue strategy.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with federal agency staff.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Leadership

Problem Solving

Interpersonal Skills

Initiative

Innovation

Business Acumen

Ethics

Judgment

Planning/Organizing

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in public administration, nonprofit management, or related field

Tools

Grants management systems (e.g., Salesforce, Grants.gov)

Job description

National Council on Aging

We believe every person deserves to age well. That’s why we’re on a path to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Come join an awesome team and learn about the work we do, the people we serve, and why equitable aging matters now more than ever. At NCOA, we represent the interests of the aging population across the nation, while striving to live out our core values of equity, excellence, and innovation. This is meaningful work where we put “people first” and our employees can learn and grow, where work/life balance is prioritized, and have a flexible hybrid work schedule while being part of a dynamic, collaborative team. We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals.

Manager of Federal Funding

Role: The Manager of Federal Funding leads the organization’s federal revenue strategy and execution. Reporting to the CDO, this role will secure and steward NCOA’s largest revenue stream by cultivating relationships with federal agencies, crafting competitive grant proposals, and aligning federal funding opportunities with organizational priorities. The ideal candidate balances innovation with compliance, is strategic and results‑driven, collaborates across teams to amplify impact, and ensures federal investments advance NCOA’s mission and equity goals.

Key Responsibilities

Federal Funding Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute a multi‑year federal revenue strategy aligned with NCOA’s goals.
  • Proactively identify, assess, and prioritize federal funding opportunities (grants, contracts, cooperative agreements) from agencies including ACL, CMS, DOL, HHS, and others.
  • Lead cross‑functional teams (Programs, Policy, Finance) to align proposals with organizational priorities and community needs.
  • Monitor federal budget trends, legislative changes, and agency priorities to anticipate risks and opportunities.

Proposal Development & Submission

• Oversee end‑to‑end federal grant processes, including opportunity analysis, proposal writing, budget development, and submission.
• Ensure proposals reflect NCOA’s evidence‑based practices, equity lens, and innovation while meeting rigorous compliance standards.
• Collaborate with program teams to design compelling narratives, logic models, and evaluation plans.

Federal Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with federal agency staff, program officers, and key decision‑makers.
• Position NCOA as a trusted partner through regular engagement, briefings, and thought leadership on aging‑related priorities.
• Represent NCOA at federal meetings, conferences, and technical panels.

Compliance & Stewardship

• Ensure adherence to federal grant regulations (e.g., Uniform Guidance), reporting deadlines, and audit requirements.
• Partner with Finance to monitor grant expenditures, re‑budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Lead post‑award debriefs to refine strategies and improve success rates.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Chief Customer Officer and program leads to align federal funding with service delivery and impact goals.
• Advise the Policy team on funding implications of legislative priorities.
• Support the CDO in board and executive‑level briefings on federal revenue performance.
• Other responsibilities as required.

Competencies and Expectations

• Strategic Thinking – Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization’s strengths & weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Leadership – Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well; effectively influences actions and opinions of others; accepts feedback from others; gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem‑solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Interpersonal Skills – Focuses on solving conflict; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
• Initiative – Volunteers readily; undertakes self‑development activities; seeks increased responsibilities; takes independent actions and calculated risks; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.
• Innovation – Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others’ attention.
• Business Acumen – Understands business implications of decisions and profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Ethics – Treats people with respect; works with integrity; upholds organizational values.
• Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgement; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision‑making process; makes timely decisions.
• Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.

Professional Experience / Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in public administration, nonprofit management, or related field preferred.
• 10+ years of experience securing and managing federal grants/contracts (e.g., HHS, ACL, CMS), with a proven track record of multi‑million‑dollar awards.
• Deep knowledge of federal grant lifecycle, compliance, and agency cultures.
• Experience in aging, health, economic security, or related social impact fields strongly preferred.
• Strategic thinker with ability to translate complex federal priorities into actionable revenue strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills for proposals and reports.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget development and variance analysis.
• Collaborative leadership style with experience working across matrixed teams.
• Proficiency with grants management systems (e.g., Salesforce, Grants.gov) and data‑driven decision‑making.
• Existing relationships with federal aging/disability agencies strongly desired.
• Commitment to equity and addressing disparities in aging populations is strongly desired.

Physical Demands

• Occasionally required to sit.
• Occasionally required to walk.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to bend, lift, or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

Work Environment

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Finance and Sales

Industries

Non‑profit Organizations