Grants Manager

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is a national leader in land protection and creating connections to nature and the outdoors for all people.

Over the past five decades, OSI has protected more than 2.3 million at-risk, irreplaceable acres of forests, wetlands, and shorelines across the North American Eastern Seaboard. Expanding in both scope and size, OSI employs entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and expertise to protect the land that matters most – to preserve clean drinking water; improve the public’s access to parks, public trails, and greenways; save at-risk wildlife habitat; strengthen communities; and to combat climate change and mitigate its effects.  OSI has an operating budget of $39 million, of which $28 million is derived through philanthropy, and is engaged in several multi-year campaigns to support its mission. 

Position Overview

Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Development and working closely with the Director of Institutional Giving, the Grants Manager anchors a core piece of OSI fund development strategy by overseeing the lifecycle for a large, diverse, portfolio of grants.  Supporting identification, cultivation, submission, and post-award activities including compliance practices for private foundations, family foundations, government grants, and other institutional philanthropic partners, the Grants Manager supports a thirty-million-dollar grants portfolio. The position also works to ensure organization-wide data integrity and tracking of programmatic metrics for reporting. These efforts will help advance a thriving institutional giving program and help further expand the Open Space Institute’s conservation impact across the Eastern United States.  

Responsibilities

Donor Support

• Work collaboratively with program departments to secure information required for grant proposals, letters of inquiry, applications, and reporting
• Compile and draft reports
• Draft and support the submission of letters of intent, concept papers, and grant proposals
• Develop programmatic spotlights and other collateral material
• Prepare presentations and other funder communications
• Conduct prospect research and qualification; draft research reports and meeting briefings

Grants Administration

• Actively monitor portfolio of grants and contracts to ensure compliance with award terms, regulatory requirements, donor policies, and other applicable requirements
• Assure the timely development and submission of proposals and reports by managing the grant pipeline, deadline calendar, reporting structure, and metrics 
• Help establish and track metrics to monitor and communicate the effectiveness and results of programs

Financial Coordination

• Assist with the preparation of project budgets, monitor expenditures and track grant-related financial reporting
• Request reimbursements and drawdowns in a timely manner
• Reconcile grant receipts with Finance records
• Support Finance Department in annual financial audit for grants reporting and other related information

Qualifications

Education and Experience Requirements:

• 7+ years of position related experience
• Bachelor’s degree and/or certification in field relevant to job requirements is preferred
• Proven track record in philanthropic record keeping and complex database management (experience with Raiser’s Edge and FileMaker a plus)
• Experience with budget development and monitoring
• Familiarity and experience working with national, governmental, and regional funders 
• Experience with government grants – specifically NYS Grants Gateway, NYS Consolidated Funding Application, Grants.gov and SAM.gov – a plus
• Knowledge of the environmental institutional funding landscape preferred 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to analyze, understand, and interpret donor regulations, award terms and conditions, and policies 
• Effective verbal and written communication skills including strong listening, negotiation, and facilitation skills
• Outstanding attention to detail, organization, diligence, and commitment to excellence
• Ability to think critically and problem-solve creatively 
• Strong project management and time management skills
• Ability to work on complex assignments
• Highly collegial working style
• General facility with Zoom and Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Excel, PowerPoint and Word)

Please note: If you do not wholly meet the above qualifications but believe you are otherwise well-suited to meet the needs of this position, we encourage you to apply.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently sits for long periods of time
• Frequently speaks, reads, writes and uses a computer keyboard
• May require occasional standing, walking, lifting, stooping, and bending
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends may be required, specifically for donor events and site tours in multiple, often rural locations (a few times per year)
• Minimal travel to project locations, primarily in New York State, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Occasional trips to Southeast field office 

Note: This job description is not intended to represent a complete, comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities that may be required in this position. There may be unplanned activities and other duties as assigned.

Compensation

OSI is committed to providing a competitive compensation package. The starting salary for this role ranges from $85,000 to $95,000 based on the current market, candidate skill level and experience, and internal pay equity. The recruiting team is committed to sharing details regarding compensation based on the candidate's qualifications during the interview process. OSI offers a generous benefits package including: comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, life and disability insurances, retirement plan, professional development assistance, and other resources designed to support the passion, commitment and energy that is vital to our team members.

To Apply

• Attach a cover letter that includes where you learned of the job posting along with your resume. Applications without a cover letter are not likely to be considered. This job requires working onsite in NYC 3-4 days per week, on average.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through June 30, 2023. You will receive an acknowledgement once your application has been submitted.

OSI is an equal opportunity employer and is actively recruiting a diverse workforce. Land conservation benefits all people.  Our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people across varying identities, including racial, gender, spiritual, and cultural. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment that fosters belonging and we look for future team members who share that same value.