Director of Government Grants

TITLE:                               Director of Government Grants

CLASSIFICATION:         Director II

DEPARTMENT:             Advancement

WAGE CATEGORY:      Exempt, Full-time

REPORTS TO:                Vice President of Institutional Giving

LOCATION:                    Remote or hybrid if in metro Washington, DC area

EFFECTIVE:                    April 19, 2024

About American Rivers

American Rivers is championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways. Healthy rivers provide people and nature with clean, abundant water and natural habitat. For 50 years, American Rivers staff, supporters, and partners have shared a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers℠.

American Rivers centers the ongoing work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all that we do. The beauty of rivers is that they connect all people and communities, and we seek to build and embody this diversity in our organization and throughout the conservation field. The life experiences, knowledge, innovation, and talent that everyone brings to our work provides perspectives, experiences, and competencies which are critical to our effectiveness in protecting wild rivers, restoring damaged rivers, and conserving clean water for people and nature.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Government Grants leads strategy, proposal and budget development, and internal collaboration around the successful pursuit and stewardship of government grants. They will work closely with conservation staff to identify government grants for which AR can be competitive and which fill program needs. The Director will prioritize federal grants with national impact for AR and will support state grants as time allows. The Director will be a key contributor to achieving AR’s goal of dramatically scaling government funding to deliver on our ambitious strategic plan and is a key team member in leading the organization to secure increased government funding. The Director will work closely with conservation leadership and provide strategic direction on which federal opportunities AR should prioritize. They will have a deep understanding of how to create fundable proposals and provide leadership and support to the conservation team in writing and submitting proposals.

Primary responsibilities include researching and summarizing grant opportunities to share with conservation staff and leadership, providing templates for grant proposals and budgets, supporting proposal development with writing and editorial support, ensuring that budgets comply with funder requirements, tracking submitted and awarded government grants and reporting deadlines, and following all necessary internal process to ensure that the grant is recorded accurately in AR systems. The Director will also work with finance and conservation to ensure that invoicing of government grants is timely and on track and communicate as needed with funders about variances in budget or timeline to secure formal approval.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Identify new federal funding opportunities and share with program staff.
• Work with External Affairs and Conservation leadership to steward key relationships with funding agencies of relevance for AR’s work and develop strategies for each agency.
• Participate in or lead strategy to develop compelling proposals.
• Drive timeline for submission and keep proposal development on track.
• Ensure that all submission materials meet funder requirements.
• Determine capacity to assist with development of non-federal government grant submissions.
• Create summaries of funding opportunities of interest and share via existing internal channels.
• Provide grant and budget templates with relevant boiler plate and existing programmatic language and online resources to guide proposal development and take an active role in writing and editing to ensure that proposals speak to rating criteria.
• Submit all relevant grant proposal materials through relevant government agency’s system.
• Upon receipt of a grant, work with finance, legal, and conservation to accurately vet, record, and communicate incoming awards.
• Work with program staff to submit grant extensions and modifications as needed and interface with existing processes to make sure spending is on track.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• At least seven years of relevant work experience OR Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of relevant experience.
• Extensive knowledge of federal government grant and track record of successful submissions.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills.
• Experience with proposal writing and grant management.
• Experience using CRM software in a non-profit setting.
• Highly organized with incredible follow-through, able to meet multiple and overlapping immediate, short-term, and long-term deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and customer service orientation, with the ability to work with staff and external constituents.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, with prior experience in drafting, copyediting, and proofreading documents.
• Ability to synthesize information to produce concise yet thorough prospect research.
• Proactive and self-motivated, can independently manage assignments, as well as take the initiative in making suggestions and assisting others with projects.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Prefer a candidate with some knowledge of and interest in conservation issues.
• Commitment to American Rivers’ core values

Candidates who are unsure if they meet all minimum qualifications or who have transferrable skills and experience beyond the conservation sector are encouraged to apply.

LOCATION:

Staff member will work in remote or hybrid if in metro Washington, DC area and must be willing to travel periodically.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $85,782 - $128,622 annually depending upon qualifications and experience. Full-time employee benefits include health, dental, and life insurance; a retirement plan, training budget, sick leave, 11 paid holidays, four weeks of paid vacation, paid sabbaticals every seven years, and a 3% retirement match. American Rivers offers TIAA-CREF Social Choice, including green impact, as an investment option.

COMMUNITY AND OPPORTUNITY

Our community’s core values motivate us to Lead with Collaboration and Trust, Infuse Equity and Justice, Deliver Results, and Ensure Staff and Volunteers Thrive. American Rivers offers staff professional development and training opportunities, engages in equitable hiring and retention practices, has taken the Green 2.0 pay equity pledge and participates in the transparency report, and hosts People of Color, Accessibility, LGBTQAI+, Women's Leadership, Parents and Caregivers, and DEIJ affinity groups and committees led by staff and board members.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and list of three references at: https://americanrivers.bamboohr.com/jobs/. Deadline to apply is June 26th. No phone calls please.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

American Rivers is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request reasonable accommodation, please contact the Human Resources department at 202-243-7050 or humanresources@americanrivers.org. Please note that one week’s advance notice is preferred.

Applicant must be legally allowed to work as an employee in the United States.

Candidates of all personal and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.