Grants Administrator

The Museum of Life and Science, an award-winning non-profit destination, seeks a Grants Administrator to manage the full life cycle of grant-funded projects at the Museum, with an emphasis on compliance, reporting, project oversight, and internal coordination. This position ensures adherence to federal, state, and private funder guidelines, coordinates all post-award activities, and works closely with project teams to implement and monitor projects.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience in nonprofit grants management, compliance, or research administration
• Strong knowledge of grant compliance, reporting, and audit requirements
• Proven success managing subawards and contracts in accordance with grant rules
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, deadlines, and reporting cycles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail and analytical problem-solving skills

Desired:

• Experience managing complex federal, state, and foundation grants
• Familiarity with OMB Uniform Guidance
• Knowledge of research administration policies
• Familiarity with donor databases and finance systems
• Experience providing compliance training to internal stakeholders

Core Responsibilities:

GRANT PROSPECTING, PRE-AWARD SUPPORT & DONOR RELATIONS

• Collaborate with Development to identify, research, and pursue grant opportunities aligned with Museum priorities.
• Prospect for federal and research grant opportunities, build relationships with program officers, and maintain stewardship with key funders.
• Provide compliance review and feedback on grant proposals before submission.
• Help Development and program staff develop compliant budgets and project plans.
• Ensure grant applications align with institutional capacity and funder rules.
• Maintain a master list of grants in progress and keep stakeholders informed of deadlines and status.

PROJECT LAUNCH, TRAINING & COMPLIANCE OVERSIGHT

• Lead grant kickoff meetings and monthly check-ins with project managers to review budget status and deliverables.
• Deliver trainings for project staff on rules, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Create and update policies/procedures for grant-related procurement, subawards, and contracts, including onboarding subawardees and contractors.
• Stay current on changes in grant regulations and update internal compliance practices.

POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT & INTERNAL COORDINATION

• Oversee post-award compliance with funder terms, conditions, and federal regulations.
• Secure required signatures for grant agreements, post-award documents, contracts, and subaward agreements.
• Manage donor database for grant pledge entries.
• Act as the primary liaison with funder technical/program officers, communicating updates and resolving issues.
• Assist in submitting budget adjustments, no-cost extensions, and other modifications.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & REPORTING

• Monitor project spending schedules and coordinate with Finance to reconcile grant budgets with departmental budgets annually.
• Review and approve invoices related to grant-funded work.
• Coordinate with Finance to track and report allowable costs, working within each grant's terms.
• Monitor subawardees and contractors for compliance with scopes of work and spending.
• Submit mid- and final financial reports in coordination with Finance and external consultants.

DOCUMENTATION, TRACKING & SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

• Maintain organized records of all grant documents, including agreements, reports, budgets, subawards, and correspondence.
• Track invoices, payments, and subrecipient activity.
• Manage internal systems for grant tracking, performance reporting, and budget alignment.

PROGRAMMATIC REPORTING & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

• Assist in Development in submission of activity/performance reports, coordinating input from project staff.
• Monitor for implementation delays or irregularities and proactively communicate with internal teams to resolve issues.
• Using the Museum's mission, vision, and values as a guide, model responsible behaviors and foster positive culture on the team.

About this role:

• Exempt, 40-hour-a-week
• Hybrid
• Reports to the Director of Development.