Job Posting

Summit Academy OIC | Minneapolis, MN
Salary Range: $68,000 - $79,000

ABOUT SUMMIT ACADEMY OIC
Summit Academy OIC (Summit) assists individuals in developing their ability to earn and to become contributing citizens in their community. We equip students with education, skills and social networks to overcome barriers to economic opportunity. Our fundamental belief is the best social service program in the world is a job!

Summit educates and supports over 1,000 students annually and pursues systems change that directly increases economic opportunity for low-income workers and people of color. The organization offers 20-week, accredited vocational training programs in the high-demand fields of construction, healthcare and information technology (IT). We offer these trainings alongside a 10-week GED program and a youth-serving STEM District. All trainings and programs are provided at no-cost to students, with no out of pocket expenses and no loans.

Summit utilizes two key strategies to support the emerging workforce to achieve our goal of increasing equity in employment. On the macro level, the organization focuses on policy change to support equitable access to education and quality employment opportunities. Summit advocates changes to exclusionary hiring practices and, most recently, Summit is working to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in the field of STEM and IT. On the micro level, Summit has built a strong training platform that produces a pipeline of skilled workers for regional employers, moving thousands of unemployed and underemployed adults into family-sustaining careers.

SUMMARY/PURPOSE
The Grants Manager is a key member of Summit Academy OIC’s development team and in collaboration with department colleagues and senior leadership, will build our foundation and corporate funder prospect pipeline to identify and secure sources of revenue in support of our mission. This position reports to the Chief Development Officer.

The Grants Manager is responsible for writing all philanthropic grant applications, proposals, grant reports and conducting all grant program tracking, including managing proposal submission deadlines and deliverables. This role is also responsible for researching and identifying institutional funding prospects and qualifying prospects through evaluation, outreach and submission of LOI’s.
The Grants Manager applies knowledge of fundraising methods and plans to reach revenue goals and collaborates with team members in the organization to assist with other development projects. The Grants Manager will possess an ability to translate strategic programs, mission, and funding priorities to meet institutional funder guidelines and program priorities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Grant Writing and Production (70%)

• Lead and manage institutional proposal development, from conceptualization to submission, across all organization initiatives.
• Apply strategic insights into areas of alignment between funder priority areas and current, new and strategic organizational initiatives in the conceptualization of all proposals.
• Create persuasive, accurate, competitive and well-researched proposals; lead the development of all proposal content while coordinating with leadership staff.
• Manage proposal production plans to ensure that high quality proposals are submitted by deadline; closely coordinate and support contributors on production requirements.
• Conduct all administrative duties for grant submission.
• Develop standard proposal language for general operating support and programs.
• Manage external vendors supporting proposal production.

Grants Management (15%)

• Track grants at each stage of lifecycle, including but not limited to; grants submitted, grants won/lost, funder decision dates, ask amounts, status of active grants, progress on program outcomes and when grants have completed their cycle.
• Prepare and submit reports and other funder deliverables as required under the terms of grant agreements or as requested, working with program staff to ensure accurate reporting of organization progress and metrics.
• Steward existing funders toward renewal applications through sound grants management, exceptional site visit management, other engagements and communications.
• Keep relevant staff informed about upcoming deadlines and deliverables.
• Collaborate with the finance department on reporting and other administrative functions to ensure successful execution of the grant process.
• In collaboration with the Chief Development Officer, develop an annual plan each fiscal year, in alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and in support of the organization’s mission and vision.

Prospect Research and Development (10%)

• Conduct targeted prospect research to identify new funders and grow the existing pipeline to ensure that the organization maintains a robust, diverse institutional funder portfolio.
• Maintain a current pipeline of prospective opportunities to inform development revenue planning and strategy.
• Prepare prospect research and briefings, develop presentations and manage site visits for institutional funders.

Data Integrity and Process Management (5%)

• Update and maintain digital records of all institutional funder interactions e.g. grant agreements, report requirements, grant process deliverables, documentation of calls and meetings, contact information, etc. Ensure the accuracy of award entry in CRM.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to streamline and improve processes, provide input for automating processes and actively implementing changes, as needed.
• Design and manage ongoing development of the grant prospecting and monitoring system to meet the needs of the Development department.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent writing and copy-editing skills.
• Understanding of the intersectionality of workforce development, education and poverty.
• Ability to synthesize information, ideas, and data from multiple sources into a cohesive, persuasive document.
• Ability to lead and complete projects accurately and within deadlines.
• Understanding of fundraising ethics.
• Excellent presentation, collaborative and interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Self-starter with strong initiative, excellent problem solving ability, perseverance and follow through, and ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt quickly to rapidly changing priorities.
• Expert level experience in Microsoft Office.
• Proficient with relational databases, Salesforce preferred or other grants management systems.

COMPETENCIES

• Communication
• Listening
• Learner Attitude
• Change Management
• Independence
• Strategic
• Goal Orientation/Goal Setting
• Collaboration
• Innovative

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
None.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets. This position will be performed primarily in office, with the possibility of some remote work hours dependent upon approval of the supervising manager.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The incumbent must spend long hours sitting, using office equipment and performing computer operations, which requires intense mental and visual concentration and eye hand coordination. The incumbent is required to deal with a wide variety of people on various issues.

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK
This is a full-time, exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It is not eligible for overtime pay. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to meet the requirements of this position.

TRAVEL
This position requires limited travel.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications, Marketing, Non-profit Management or an equivalent field.
• A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated successful grant writing experience supporting workforce development and/or educational organizations/programs.
• Proven prospecting, cultivation and stewardship experience.
• Knowledge of philanthropic sector and trends.
• Willingness to embrace SAOIC’s mission and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and incorporate it within the grants function.

PREFERRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree.
• 5 + years of successful grant managment experience.
• 5 + years of grant writing experience.

TO APPLY
Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter and proposal writing sample via the career page on our website https://saoic.org/. Those candidates selected to move to the second phase of the interview process will be asked to perform a writing exercise and submit a list of professional references.

OTHER DUTIES
Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Requirements may change at any time, with or without notice, to help drive the vision, fulfill our mission, and abide by our organization’s values.

AA/EEO
It is the policy of Summit Academy OIC to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Summit Academy OIC will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.