Grants Management Specialist

Position Description

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) seeks a Grants Management

Specialist to lead the day-to-day compliance, monitoring, and financial oversight of NACD’s

federal grants and subaward portfolio. This position also provides administrative support for the

full lifecycle of pass-through grants, including pre-award solicitation activities and post-award

monitoring and closeout.

The Grants Management Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with 2 CFR 200

and federal grant requirements, supporting subrecipients in meeting performance and financial

obligations, and maintaining strong, proactive relationships with NACD members and partners.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, compliance-driven, and service-minded, with the ability to

communicate clearly with grantees.

Responsibilities

Federal Grant Compliance & Risk Management

 Help ensure that NACD and subrecipient budgets and activities are in compliance

with all applicable federal regulations and requirements, including 2 CFR 200

(Uniform Guidance), agency-specific rules, and award terms and conditions

 Monitor grant performance, budgets, and expenditures to ensure funds are used

appropriately and within approved scopes

 Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready grant files

 Support audits, monitoring reviews, and close-out activities

 Identify compliance risks early and work proactively with staff and grantees to

resolve issues

 Review financial and programmatic reports for accuracy, completeness, and

compliance

 Serve as a primary internal resource on federal grants compliance, allowable costs,

allocability, documentation, and internal controls

Financial Oversight

 Review subrecipient budgets for allowability, allocability, realism and reasonableness

 Help subrecipients forecast cash flow needs and time requests for advances or

reimbursements

 Review subrecipients’ and contractors’ financial reports, invoices, and supporting

documentation

 Monitor subrecipient financial reports and expenditures to ensure alignment with

approved budgets and award terms; flag potential compliance or budgetary concerns

 Coordinate with NACD finance staff to request, process, reconcile, and track

payments

 Assist with budget revisions, amendments, and no-cost extensions as needed

Pass-Through Grant Administration (Pre-Award)

 Support the design and administration of pass-through grant awards using competitive

procedures and, when justified, non-competitive procedures in accordance with

applicable regulations, policies, and other requirements

 Support the development and administration of grant solicitations and award packages,

including scopes of work, performance outcomes and metrics, application guidelines,

timelines, and required forms

 Coordinate application intake, including eligibility screening, applicant risk assessments,

and verification that proposal packages comply with the RFP requirements

 Assist with reviewer coordination and evaluation procedures, including documentation

and justification of award decisions

 Prepare award recommendation materials and draft pass-through grant agreements in

accordance with federal and organizational requirements

Pass-Through Grant Administration (Post-Award)

 Support orientation and assist subrecipients with understanding grant requirements, such

as reporting, compliance, and addressing corrective actions (as needed).

 Review and assess subrecipient programmatic progress reports, deliverables, and

progress toward outcomes

 Manage grant amendments, extensions, and closeout activities, ensuring all deliverables

and reports are received and approved

 Track subrecipient obligations, expenditures, milestones, amendments, and closeouts

 Conduct desk reviews/desk audits to verify performance, documentation, and compliance

Administrative & Program Support

 Learn and use grants management systems (e.g., Grant Vantage or similar platforms)

 Maintain accurate and complete grant files and documentation systems

 Track deadlines and ensure timely submission of all required reports and deliverables

 Contribute to the development and refinement of internal grant policies, procedures, and

tools

 Provide training and assistance to NACD staff and external partners as needed

Member & Grantee Support (Service-Oriented Role)

 Serve as point of contact for grant and subrecipient questions

 Provide proactive, clear, and responsive communication to subrecipients

 Support grantees beyond minimum requirements to help them succeed and remain

compliant

Coordination & Internal Collaboration

 Collaborate with Operations, Finance, and Communication teams

 Coordinate with NACD staff and grantees to compile and submit required performance

and financial reports

 Track deadlines, reporting status, and partner deliverables

 Provide limited input on funding opportunities, solicitations, and proposal development

as needed

 Perform duties as assigned in coordination with the Director of Conservation

Programs that advance the mission and purpose of NACD

Required Qualifications:

 Bachelor’s degree in a related field

 At least four (4) years of experience managing or supporting federal grants, including

compliance and financial oversight

 Demonstrated understanding of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)

 Experience managing subrecipients or pass-through entities

 Strong fiscal management skills, such as budget development and management, using

Excel and other tools, and maintaining internal controls

 Ability to manage multiple grants and deadlines simultaneously

 Strong organizational, analytical, and attention-to-detail skills

 Strong written and verbal communication skills

 Strong leadership skills and ability to coordinate large-scale projects

 Travel required (up to 10%)

Desired Qualifications:

 Familiarity with conservation districts or state government programs

 Experience with grants management systems (e.g., Grant Vantage)

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $65,000 - $75,000 annually.

Location: This position is a telework/remote position and reports directly to the Director of

Conservation Programs.

Benefits

Health Insurance:

Single coverage – 100% of premium paid by employer. Family plans are available at the employee’s expense.

Dental and Vision: Dental (Metlife) and Vision (VSP) Single coverage – 100% of premium paid by employer. Family plans are available at the employee’s expense.

Enrollment takes effect on the first day of the month following the employment start date for all health benefits.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance:

MetLife AD&D/Life Insurance

All full-time employees are provided (at no cost) death and dismemberment insurance along with basic life insurance benefit of 1 times their annual salary. Employees are eligible on the 1st of the month following the date of hire.

Flex Plan:

Annual enrollment to set aside pre-tax funds for qualified health, dependent care, parking and transportation expenses.

Retirement Plan:

TIAA Cref Retirement

There are two components to the 403b contribution pension plan. Eligibility requires the employee must be 21 years or age.

• Employee contributions can be effective immediately through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis.
• Employees are eligible for a minimum of 2.5% employer match contributions with a one-to-one match of an additional 2.5%, not to exceed 5% after 6 months of employment. The Vesting Schedule for Matching Contribution and Employer Contributions is: 0% after less than 1 year or employment; 30% after one year of employment; 70% after two years of employment; and 100% after three years or employment.

Paid Holidays/Sick Time

13 paid federal holidays

10 days sick leave (520 hours eligible for carryover annually)

Vacation Time

Minimum 10 days paid vacation increases after two full years of employment and increases every two years thereafter. (80 hours eligible for carryover annually)

Professional Development

Each staff member can receive a stipend for allowable expenses up to $1,000 upon successful completion of the continuing education or professional development activity.

Telecommunications Stipend

Monthly telecommunication stipend for phone and/or internet expenses.

Benefits

Health Insurance:

Single coverage – 100% of premium paid by employer. Family plans are available at the employee’s expense.

Dental and Vision: Dental (Metlife) and Vision (VSP) Single coverage – 100% of premium paid by employer. Family plans are available at the employee’s expense.

Enrollment takes effect on the first day of the month following the employment start date for all health benefits.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance:

MetLife AD&D/Life Insurance

All full-time employees are provided (at no cost) death and dismemberment insurance along with basic life insurance benefit of 1 times their annual salary. Employees are eligible on the 1st of the month following the date of hire.

Flex Plan:

Annual enrollment to set aside pre-tax funds for qualified health, dependent care, parking and transportation expenses.

Retirement Plan:

TIAA Cref Retirement

There are two components to the 403b contribution pension plan. Eligibility requires the employee must be 21 years or age.

• Employee contributions can be effective immediately through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis.
• Employees are eligible for a minimum of 2.5% employer match contributions with a one-to-one match of an additional 2.5%, not to exceed 5% after 6 months of employment. The Vesting Schedule for Matching Contribution and Employer Contributions is: 0% after less than 1 year or employment; 30% after one year of employment; 70% after two years of employment; and 100% after three years or employment.

Paid Holidays/Sick Time

13 paid federal holidays

10 days sick leave (520 hours eligible for carryover annually)

Vacation Time

Minimum 10 days paid vacation increases after two full years of employment and increases every two years thereafter. (80 hours eligible for carryover annually)

Professional Development

Each staff member can receive a stipend for allowable expenses up to $1,000 upon successful completion of the continuing education or professional development activity.

Telecommunications Stipend

Monthly telecommunication stipend for phone and/or internet expenses.