Private Grants Budgeting Associate

Start-Early; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 58,800 - 66,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Diversity & inclusion

Wellness program

Professional development

401k

Volunteer days

Parental leave

Job summary

Start Early is a champion for early learning and care, working to close the opportunity gap through partnerships nationwide. The Associate, Private Grants leads budget development for private funding, ensuring accuracy and compliance across FP&A, Program, Research, Policy and Development teams.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, Private Grants, this role drives proposal budgeting, monitoring, and training.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or minimum 3 years of related experience in grant and contract administration.
• Proficient in grant budgeting, financial monitoring, and analysis for private funding.
• Experience with financial systems (e.g., Awards Management) and GAAP / revenue recognition.
• Strong data analysis skills with attention to detail.
• Effective time management and ability to handle multiple deadlines.
• Cross-functional collaboration with internal teams (Program, Policy, Development, FP&A, Accounting).
• Excellent written and verbal communication, especially in grant proposals.
• Ability to train others and lead financial training sessions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and submit funder-compliant budgets and proposals for private funding opportunities.
• Provide strategic financial guidance during proposal development.
• Maintain grant budget records in the grants management system.
• Collaborate with Accounting to reconcile pledges and funds and provide reporting.
• Ensure adherence to policies, funder requirements, and regulations.
• Support onboarding and deliver financial training to staff.
• Advise cross-functional teams on resource allocation and spend alignment.
• Contribute to process improvements and cross-departmental initiatives.

Skills

Grant budgeting

Financial analysis

GAAP knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

3+ years grant/contract experience

Tools

Awards Management

Job description

Start Early is a champion for early learning and care, working to close the opportunity gap through partnerships nationwide. The Associate, Private Grants leads budget development for private funding, ensuring accuracy and compliance across FP&A, Program, Research, Policy and Development teams.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, Private Grants, this role drives proposal budgeting, monitoring, and training.