Grants Manager - Federal Programs

Job Title: Grants Manager – Federal Programs

Employer: Illinois Finance Authority/Climate Bank

Job Type: Full-Time, exempt, 100% on-site in the Chicago office

Reports to: Program Manager

Do you want to use finance to combat climate change, promote equitable economic development, and

enhance the quality of life for all the people of Illinois? Do you have the motivation, work ethic, skills,

and grit to join a small, growing, and talented team at the forefront of climate finance? The Illinois

Finance Authority & Climate Bank (“IFA-CB” or “Authority”) needs motivated and dedicated

professionals to maximize the impact of new federal funding and to better deliver existing financial

products in Illinois. If this describes you, then apply to join the IFA-CB.

Job Summary

As the lead implementing agency under several recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and

Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) awards, IFA-CB will implement multiple lending and grant

programs designed to facilitate clean energy installations, transportation electrification, and home

repairs, and provide working capital to clean energy businesses. These federal programs and funds,

which were congressionally approved and lawfully awarded, include a significant number of projects

designed to provide: (1) favorable environmental outcomes (i.e., access to cost-effective clean

renewable energy); (2) economic benefits (i.e., lower energy bills especially for environmental justice

and disadvantaged communities; and (3) lower the cost of debt for residents and commercial entities

across the Land of Lincoln. The federal grant programs managed by this position include the

following but may not be limited to:

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Grid Resilience 40101(d) (Grid Resilience): Grid Resilience grants represent approximately $40 million in formula grant funding distributed across three years. Grants will be issued to projects that improve the resilience of Illinois’ electric grid.
• U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund (EE RLF): The EE RLF program represents approximately $14 million in formula grant funding that will be used to establish a revolving loan fund to finance eligible energy efficiency projects. This program is administered jointly with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
• U.S. Department of Transportation, Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI): The CFI program represents approximately $15 million in discretionary grant funding. Funds will be used for electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects submitted by pre-approved project partners.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Solar for All: The Solar for All program represents approximately $156 million in discretionary grant funding. Solar for All funds will be used to support the existing Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program, as well as to establish new, complimentary programs. ICB will create and administer several new grant programs, such as grants for SolarApp+ Adoption and Residential Solar Outreach.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF): The NCIF program represents approximately $108 million in discretionary grant funding that will be used to establish a revolving loan fund to finance (among other things) eligible clean energy and pollution reduction projects.
• Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG): CPRG program represents approximately $430 million in discretionary grant funding, won by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. IFA-CB will use CPRG to fund and administer several subgrant programs, such as grants for Stretch Code Adoption and Implementation and Clean Energy Planning for Small Utilities, to name a few.

IFA-CB is seeking an experienced and talented Grants Manager, who will be responsible for

administering the IFA-CB’s data collection and grants management systems and processes and

ensuring full compliance and reporting on federal grants. This role ensures that all federally

awarded funds are managed in accordance with applicable federal program requirements,

guidelines, and State laws, rules, regulations and Authority policies and protocols. This role also

serves as the primary point of contact for federal grant management, audits, and interagency

coordination.

Essential Functions

• Manage the entire grant lifecycle, from pre-award to post-award compliance;
• Assist in the development of Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), including drafting, coordination with program staff, and ensuring alignment with federal and state guidelines;
• Develop, populate, test and manage all applicable documents (including applications, budgets, and amendments), functions, and processes in AmpliFund, BidBuy, or other relevant applications and platforms;
• Review subrecipient and subaward budgets to ensure costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable;
• Prepare and submit accurate financial reports, reimbursement requests, and drawdowns in accordance with EPA, DOE or other federal requirements;
• Develop and maintain internal systems to monitor grant milestones, allowable costs, and performance metrics;
• Manage day-to-day grants administration, including tracking awards, monitoring spending, and ensuring timely invoicing;
• Compile financial and metric data from subrecipients and sub-awardees for quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reporting;
• Review documentation to ensure compliance with state and federal grant requirements, following up with subrecipients as necessary;
• Serve as liaison with federal granting agencies, auditors, subrecipients, and internal stakeholders; manage audits and any site visits, and prepare materials to demonstrate compliance and program effectiveness;
• Provide training and assistance to program managers and IFA-CB program participants;
• Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with agreement deadlines, funds availability, and grant processing;
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and agency-specific regulatory (e.g., 2 CFR Part 200 –Uniform Guidance) and legal requirements, including grant terms and conditions and reporting requirements;
• Other activities/tasks as instructed by other senior management team members.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Public Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related liberal arts field demonstrating training and experience with interpreting and communicating complex information;
• Familiarity with grants management platforms, particularly AmpliFund, a plus;
• Strong knowledge federal Uniform Guidance (i.e., 2 CFR Part 200) is required, and knowledge and experience with EPA and DOE programmatic terms and conditions (and related regulations) is preferred;
• Knowledge of Illinois-specific grant compliance frameworks, including the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Unity (GATU), preferred;
• Experience with federal grant programs and monitoring federal awards or subawards is required;
• Familiarity with invoicing systems, financial software, and federal reporting and payments tools (e.g., ASAP);
• Strong project management skills demonstrated through experience working with multiple federal grants simultaneously;
• Strong interpersonal skills involving the ability to work with other parties, at all levels, internally and externally;
• Strong writing skills and the ability to communicate effectively, tactfully, and courteously through oral and written communications; and
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently, exercise judgment, think critically and creatively, and take initiative.

Application Process:

Interested and qualified candidates should forward the following items to hr@il-fa.com.

• Cover letter
• Resume
• List of three professional references

Position salary: $80,000 - $90,000 plus competitive benefits package.

No phone calls please

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The IFA-CB offers competitive benefits, including a 401(a) defined contribution retirement savings plan with matching contributions, comprehensive and competitive health, life, and disability insurance, and paid time off.

Authority employees are at-will employees and are subject to various State ethics requirements, including revolving door prohibitions, but are not subject to the State of Illinois Personnel Code. The Authority is an equal opportunity employer. The Authority generates its own operating revenue and is not supported by State taxpayer

appropriations