Public Grants Manager

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

The Minnesota Land Trust seeks a Public Grants Manager to serve as the in-house expert on state and federal grant requirements, overseeing 60+ government grants totaling tens of millions annually. You will manage the grant lifecycle from proposals to closeout, coordinate reporting and amendments, and ensure procurement compliance through subcontract oversight.

Collaborating across departments and with external partners, you will improve grant processes, provide staff training, and maintain

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years grants or contract management experience; or, equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Direct work experience in public grant guidance, e.g. MN state grant, federal CFR
• Grant lifecycle project management from proposal through closeout
• Grant reporting requirements and performance measurement standards
• Document retention policies and audit preparation procedures
• Familiarity with conservation/environmental grant programs and terminology

Responsibilities

• Serve as in-house expert for state and federal grant compliance.
• Maintain grant calendar and communicate reminders and deadlines to staff.
• Develop SOPs for key grant processes and ensure staff are trained.
• Provide annual grant training and onboarding integration.
• Manage subcontractor agreements and ensure procurement compliance.
• Coordinate OHF proposals, amendments, and reporting.
• Lead reporting processes and assist with final closeouts of grants.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Project management

Verbal communication

Written communication

Organization

Attention to detail

SharePoint

Document management

Quality control

Data reporting

Education

Bachelor’s degree + 3 years grants/contract mgmt

Tools

SharePoint

Job description

Position: Public Grants Manager

Supervisor: Director of Finance and Operations

Classification: Full time, Exempt

Location: Hybrid schedule, with regular in-office hours in either our St. Paul or Duluth, MN office

Date Prepared: August 2025

Salary Range: $75,920 – 82,000

Summary

The Public Grants Manager serves as the centralized administrator for the Minnesota Land Trust's portfolio of 60+ government grants totaling $10-20 million annually, with primary funding from state sources including the Minnesota DNR's Outdoor Heritage Fund (OHF). This role ensures organizational compliance with grant requirements throughout the full grant lifecycle—from proposal submission through final closeout—including the project management and submission of reports, processing amendments, and maintaining comprehensive documentation. The position acts as a critical liaison between departments, as well as external partners, and serves as an in-house expert on state and federal grant requirements. The role manages subcontractor agreements to ensure procurement compliance, maintains the organization's grant calendar, trains staff on compliance requirements, and develops standardized processes to improve grant management efficiency across the organization.

Organization Values

All employees of the Minnesota Land Trust are expected to embrace the ideals of our organization values and incorporate our values into their ongoing work. All employees should be familiar with the current values statement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Grant Compliance - 40%

• Serve as an in-house expert for public grant compliance: maintain a working knowledge of the state and federal requirements for grantees. Work with legal dept to interpret guidelines as necessary and proactively seek answers to compliance questions.
• Ensure compliance for new awards: before a new grant award is signed by CEO, review ‘boiler plate’ language in grant awards to confirm the Land Trust can meet funder’s requirements.
• Maintain Land Trust grant calendar: track key dates for new and existing grants and communicate reminders and deadlines to staff.
• Implement efficient processes for grant compliance: maintain SOPs for key grant processes for the grant life cycle and communicate to staff who have a role in the process.
• Training: provide annual grant training to staff and integrate grant administration into new employee onboarding.
• Serve as point of contact for federal Single Audit, when required.
• Maintain grant documentation guidelines: implement internal audit process and ensure record retention practices are followed.

Grant Reporting and Proposals - 40%

• Grant proposals: coordinate the submission process with program leadership; incorporate input from other departments during the submission process (Government Relations/Legal, Communications, Finance); submit accomplishment plan amendments (OHF) as needed; assist with OHF proposal hearings.
• Status/Interim reports: lead the semi-annual status report process for OHF, work with partners to secure required information, review reports before submission; assist with interim report requirements for other public grants.
• Final Reports: alert staff when a grant is scheduled to close, assist with collection of final information for grants including partner information, coordinate final reviews by program leaders, submit final report.
• Grant Amendments: Coordinate with internal staff and external partners to amend budgets or program details in funder systems, communicate amended information to pertinent staff once approved, and retain amendment records.
• Serve as point of contact for DNR staff for day-to-day grant communications.

Subcontract Management and Compliance - 10%

• Subcontract templates: Ensure program staff are using the subcontract templates developed by legal dept to ensure consistency and minimize risk.
• Subcontract review: Serve as quality review for subcontracts prior to obtaining signature, ensuring there are adequate funds in the budget and that grant compliance language is correct.
• Execute the contract: send the agreement to subcontractors via DocuSign, collect required W-9 and Certificates of Insurance as needed, follow up with unsigned agreements, save signed agreements in Land Trust files.

Other Support - 10%

• Seek opportunities to improve grant processes and systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education, Experience, Licenses/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years grants or contract management experience; or, equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

Knowledge

• Direct work experience in public grant guidance, e.g. MN state grant, federal CFR
• Grant lifecycle project management from proposal through closeout
• Grant reporting requirements and performance measurement standards
• Document retention policies and audit preparation procedures
• Familiarity with conservation/environmental grant programs and terminology

Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Project management and tools
• Advanced verbal and written communication
• Organization and prioritization
• Detail-oriented and attention to accuracy
• Proficiency with document management systems, e.g. Sharepoint
• Quality control and proofreading for compliance documentation
• Data collection and reporting

Abilities

• Coordinate across multiple departments to gather required information and ensure compliance
• Manage 60+ simultaneous grants with varying requirements and deadlines
• Interpret and apply complex grant guidelines and regulations
• Self-directed, work independently, and take the lead on internal projects.
• Professional demeanor
• Work effectively with diverse groups including staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and external partners
• Synthesize information from multiple sources into coherent reports
• Serve as subject matter expert and resource for organization-wide grant questions
• Occasional travel to meetings, training sessions, or partner locations

Physical Demands

• Office duties are performed at a desk and at a computer.
• Prolonged sitting and keyboarding/data entry
• Occasional lifting and carrying of files and documents up to 20 pounds
• Visual acuity to review detailed documents, contracts, and computer screens
• Manual dexterity to operate computer keyboard and standard office equipment

Mental Demands

• Ability to concentrate for extended periods while reviewing complex grant guidelines and contracts
• Mental flexibility to shift between multiple grants with varying requirements and deadlines
• Ability to maintain focus and productivity under pressure of strict deadlines
• Capacity to retain and recall detailed information about numerous grant requirements

The Minnesota Land Trust is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities to ensure equal opportunity in the performance of essential job functions, and access to benefits and privileges of employment. If you require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of the position, please make a request to your supervisor.

Minnesota Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company will not discriminate because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, genetic information, sex, disability, age, or any other status protected by state or local law, for employees who fall within the jurisdiction of such law.