Operations / Administration Grants Manager
Job Description
OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION
SCORE’s Grants Manager will manage the full grant lifecycle and donor experience for funding partners. A core part of this work is developing grant proposals, reports, and other communications to convey the impact of SCORE’s work across initiatives, aligned with the organization’s strategy. This individual will implement key development and grants management processes and manage a portfolio of strategic investments supported, primarily focusing on Tennessee-based donors. In these ways, this individual strengthens trust-based relationships with new and prospective funding partners to ensure SCORE has the resources to execute its mission.
The Grants Manager works alongside a second Grants Manager, reports to the Chief Financial Officer, and is part of SCORE’s Finance and Operations team. This individual engages regularly with SCORE’s Finance team to monitor grant spending and develop reports. The Grants Manager also engages regularly with SCORE’s programmatic teams, members of SCORE’s leadership team, and some external partners to monitor progress on grant commitments and to effectively champion evidence of impact across the organization’s work.
The successful candidate must bring a learning mindset and a personal commitment to student-focused education policy and driving success for all students across Tennessee.
ABOUT SCORE
“The progress that our students have made in recent years is inspiring – there is no doubt that they are capable of achieving at high levels and leading Tennessee into a bright future. While education stakeholders are already working together in exciting ways in Tennessee, it is our responsibility to redouble our innovative efforts to ensure that we are supporting our students to truly excel and thrive. The future of our state depends on it.”
– Senator Bill Frist, Chairman and Founder, SCORE
Tennessee has been making significant progress in advancing a bold education reform plan over the last decade and is now a leader in the nation in dramatically improving student achievement. Tennessee is among the fastest improving states for student achievement according to the Nation’s Report Card.
While Tennessee has made significant gains, there is much still to do – in public K12 education, in college and career readiness, and in postsecondary completion. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) plays a critical role in advancing student achievement, aligning K12 and postsecondary, and ensuring that all students can achieve career and life success. We work to monitor statewide progress in support of a prioritized agenda that drives collaboration across the state on policy while generating proof points and providing targeted support for implementation across the state.
SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization founded by former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and is dedicated to the goal that that all students can achieve success in college, career, and life. SCORE supports student success in public schools across Tennessee by ensuring all schools and systems meet high expectations; preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent teachers and leaders; and aligning K-12 and college with career and life success.
SCORE is based at Vanderbilt University’s John Seigenthaler Center. This role is eligible for hybrid work with the expectation of 15-20 hours per week in the office and the balance remote. For more information on SCORE, please visit www.tnscore.org.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop grant proposals and reports, particularly for SCORE’s Tennessee donor base.
- Monitor and meet deadlines for grants, ensuring compliance with all donor requirements.
- Collaborate with SCORE’s Leadership Team to manage SCORE’s development strategy, including:
- Tracking prospective funding partners and opportunities
- Conducting ongoing prospect research
- Planning for grant renewals
- Preparing presentation materials for donor engagements
- Manage Tennessee donor stewardship, including:
- Maintaining deep knowledge of donor interests and priorities
- Drafting personalized communications for donors that are reflective of their interests
- Tracking all donor touchpoints
- Manage the full lifecycle of SCORE strategic investments – both sub-grants and fiscal sponsorship projects – that are funded through grants from Tennessee donors. This includes:
- Support implementing proposal and reporting processes
- Meeting regularly with strategic investment partners to monitor project progress
- Fielding questions from and problem-solving with strategic investment partners
- Communicating investment outcomes back to donors and the SCORE team
- Develop recurring communications about SCORE’s work and impact for SCORE’s donor base, in partnership with the other Grants Manager and impact team. This suite of impact-oriented communications includes monthly updates on SCORE’s work and SCORE’s annual Impact Report.
- Develop acknowledgement letters and pledge reminders for Tennessee donors.
- Monitor open grants and strategic investments and track grant deliverables.
- Ensure updated contact information for all Tennessee donors.
- Maintain a database of grants management records.
- Provide feedback on the scopes of contracts and agreements for work supported through grants to ensure alignment with grant guidelines.
- Develop and revise policies, processes, and workflows to guide SCORE’s grants management.
- Work collaboratively and support the other Grants Manager as needed.
- Coordinate with programmatic team members to monitor progress on grant deliverables and ensure effective communication of SCORE’s work and impact to SCORE’s donor base.
- Collaborate with the Director of Finance to develop grant budgets and financial reports and monitor spenddown of grants and strategic investments.
- Partner with SCORE’s Finance and Operations team to ensure legal compliance across grants and strategic investments.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
SCORE is looking for a Grants Manager who:
- Demonstrates commitment to SCORE’s mission and SCORE’s core values.
- Has a bachelor’s degree and 3 to 5 years of experience demonstrating success in development, grants management, philanthropy, program evaluation, or a related field.
- Has expertise in impact writing with the ability to synthesize information and convey complex concepts in compelling ways.
- Is a strategic thinker with a high tolerance for ambiguity.
- Has a high bar for excellence and a proven track record of being organized, detail-oriented, thorough, and following through in a timely manner.
- Understands grant cycles and effective donor engagement.
- Can navigate and understand contract language as well as financial documents.
- Is trustworthy, discerning, and committed to confidentiality.
- Fosters strong, collaborative relationships with others.
- Is dependable and has a demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize well in a fast-paced, rapid-growth, and high-intensity environment.
SCORE is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth by providing team members with feedback and opportunities to grow in their work.
COMPENSATION
SCORE offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
At SCORE, we are committed to creating a workplace where all team members bring their whole selves to work and thrive both personally and professionally. We deeply value collaboration, optimism, excellence, and innovation in our student-centered work and in how we work together and support each other as a team. We also believe that it is important for our team to reflect the rich diversity of students in Tennessee, and that we intentionally create space for diverse viewpoints to meaningfully contribute to our work.
SCORE is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.
