Grants Specialist

Job Overview: The Grants Specialist at the IRC in San Diego plays a crucial role in advancing the organization’s mission through effective grants management. The Grants Specialist collaborates with the Grants Coordinator and Development Manager to maintain post-award grant management and compliance for a diverse portfolio of grants. Their responsibilities include supporting post-award grant management activities such as amendments, renewals, reporting, grant meetings, donor tracking, sub-award management, and compliance with donor requirements. Reporting directly to the Grants Coordinator, the Grants Specialist works closely with IRC San Diego’s leadership, development, finance, program staff, and IRC headquarters’ Resource Acquisition and Management department

Major Responsibilities:

Grant Meetings (30%)

• Lead the scheduling, developing, coordinating, and co-facilitating of grant opening, mid-cycle, and grant closing meetings (including PowerPoint presentations and summary sheet development) with the support of the Program Manager, Program Supervisors, and Grants Coordinator;
• Identify and implement strategies to enhance engagement and planning during project cycle meetings at IRC San Diego;
• Develop and ensure the effective maintenance of contract and grant files for each funded program with consistent documentation standards;

Post-Award Tracking (25%)

• Build and manage Opportunity Tracking & Implementation System (OTIS) grant opportunities;
• Work with the Grants Coordinator to ensure awarded grants are tracked with standard IRC tracking tools (e.g., OTIS and Asana platforms), and regularly update the Development Manager;
• Be involved in program design workshops as requested by the Development Manager for new business development opportunities;
• Ensure consistent, accurate, and organized IRC Grants content in shared cloud content folders;
• Maintain the office’s proposal and reporting calendars, and regularly update the internal pipeline tracker;
• Support offices to be “audit ready” at all times; support program teams in preparation for announced audits/monitoring from local, state, and federal funders/donors;
• Work with relevant teams to support the collection of programmatic data to support critical initiatives and advise and improve program quality, program design, and donor reporting;

Sub-awards (15%)

• Lead sub-award processes and compliance activities in alignment with IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), including acting as the focal point to support stakeholder analysis, due diligence, developing and implementing partnership agreements, and partnership funding close-out;
• Ensure all formal and informal partnership agreements are reviewed and approved by legal, leading our partnership pipeline tracking and follow-up;
• Prepare paperwork shared with potential and current partners on what to expect with the PEERS process;
• Request partner Anti-Terrorism Checks (ATCs) as needed.

Reporting and Compliance (15%)

• Maintain a comprehensive and accurate reporting database, and send out monthly reminders for reports and grant meetings due the following month;
• Work closely with Program Managers to ensure timely submission of reports to grantors;
• Review and edit reports as needed and document and store all report submissions;
• Maintain a broad and deep understanding of donor policies, regulations, and procedures;
• In support of quality grants management, seek to build a deep personal understanding of client needs and program impacts;
• Support program managers/supervisors with developing and implementing action plans to address compliance-related findings;
• Provide training and support to program or other staff related to program design, donor compliance, partnership and sub-award processes, and IRC regulations;

Business Development Support and Institutional Memory (15%)

• Serve as the primary interlocutor for the HQ-based (NYC) San Diego focal points regarding post-award pipeline updates, including amendments, renewals, federal report submissions, and sub-grants;
• Assist with contract negotiations and award modifications, including budget and scope modifications, extensions, and amendments;
• Maintain an updated list of grant contacts, formal partnerships, and informal partnerships (conducting stakeholder analyses as assigned);
• Support with capturing commonly used and updated data to be used across departments, actively participating in the data collection for annual impact reports;
• Track donor correspondence and submission of reports and maintain file copies;
• Maintain a database of key donor contacts;
• Ensure that private foundation grants are tracked in Salesforce;
• Serve as the local subject focal point for IRC’s grant management tools such as PEERS and OTIS;

Other

• Actively participate in team meetings, grant meetings, one-on-one check-ins, intern meetings, and other staff development activities to fully engage as a member of the Development Team;
• Actively participate in IRC Communities of Practice and other networking and professional development opportunities;
• Other related duties as assigned by the Grants Coordinator and Development Manager.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Grants Coordinator

Indirect Reporting: Development Manager

Other Internal Contacts: IRC San Diego Director of Finance, Director of Development, Executive Director, Program Managers, Development Coordinator, HQ Resource Acquisition and Management department

Job Requirements:

Work Experience

• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience is preferred;
• Knowledge and experience in monitoring and evaluation, grant management, need assessments, and monitoring/audits are preferred.

Education: An undergraduate degree (or comparable work experience) is preferred.

Language Skills: Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Independent Contributor: Proven ability to contribute independently and as a key team member.
• Effective Multitasker: Skilled at juggling multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Organized and Detail-Oriented: Well-organized with exceptional attention to detail.
• Cross-Cultural Communication: Ability to work effectively in a multicultural setting, proactively communicating and adapting communication styles for colleagues.
• Self-Driven: Takes initiative and follows through to completion.
• Strong Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication with donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Tech Proficiency: Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and project management software), with the ability to quickly learn online tools.
• Research Skills: Excellent technical writing, research, communication, and presentation skills.
• Project Management Familiarity: Knowledge of Asana and Salesforce (a plus).
• Autonomous and Collaborative: Works independently while collaborating with teams.
• Quality-Oriented: Delivers high-quality work within tight deadlines.
• Non-Profit Experience: Familiarity with the San Diego non-profit environment. Familiarity with grant processes of government funding agencies at the federal, state, or county level.
• Refugee Support Knowledge: Understanding of refugee resettlement and immigration services, and familiarity with the work of the IRC.

Working Environment

• Standard hybrid office environment (this is not a fully remote position)
• Standard office environment, including the current hybrid mode of remote work within San Diego County and required in-office days and some ‘field’ time within the service delivery area to perform the above-outlined responsibilities. Office working environment is subject to change based on organization/business needs;
• Office hours are scheduled as Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm PST;
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work;
• Must have a valid driver’s license with legally required insurance as the position may require using own transportation within the service delivery area. Mileage reimbursement is available.

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12-month time period.