Grants Manager

Organization

Hawthornden Foundation is a U.S. private charitable foundation supporting contemporary writers and literary arts with an international residential fellowship program in its castle in Scotland. Hawthornden also supports a second historic property, Casa Ecco on Lake Como in Italy, the site of years of “Conversazioni” among writers and now a retreat for invited established authors to complete a literary work in progress. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the annual Hawthornden Prize, one of Britain’s oldest and foremost literary awards, and provides grant support to other literary programs. Hawthornden is beginning an expansion of its global activities and building its grants management function to support this exciting period of growth.

 

Position

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Grants Manager will be responsible for coordinating the development, administrative management, reporting and closeout of grants and other programmatic investments made by the Hawthornden Foundation and will ensure consistent grant processing. The position is new to the Foundation and the incumbent will be responsible for the entire grant lifecycle, from sourcing to grant close, as well as ensuring the Foundation has the necessary infrastructure and processes in place. The successful candidate will possess collaboration and problem-solving skills and will provide seasoned guidance on compliance issues as well as key financial and operational best practices.

 

We are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all staff. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age; ethnicity; gender; gender identity and expression; nationality; parental status; physical, mental, and developmental abilities; race; religion; sexual orientation; skin color; socioeconomic status; and human styles.

 

Responsibilities

 

Grant Administration – 70%

• Oversee overall grants process, document procedures, and manage all aspects of process implementation including approvals.
• Propose changes to program process and workflows based on sector best practices that would support effective and efficient internal practices and great grantmaking.
• Identify methods for simplifying and clarifying grant processes to diminish the burden on grantee and staff alike.
• Implement a robust grants management/reporting system that supports the full grantmaking lifecycle, future expansion, external communications, as well as any additional financial, legal, and operational requirements.
• Administer all components of the grants infrastructure and operations, including database management and data integrity, grant documentation, and grant compliance.
• Prepare and provide accurate grant data / information to the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Conduct applicant due diligence on key functional areas, their management capacity and stability, proposal risk profiles, and ultimately the viability of proposals.
• Analyze grantee budget and expenditure reports and ensure compliance with the Foundation’s terms and conditions.
• Support monitoring strategies, i.e., site visits and check-in meetings, in collaboration with other staff.
• Act as the point of contact with applicants and grantees helping to track progress, troubleshoot problems, and support grantee success.

 

Operations – 30%

• Responsible for ensuring overall grantmaking operations and systems align with philanthropic strong
• Serve as administrator of grants management system, including troubleshooting, assuring data integrity, and iterating the configuration to meet the Foundation’s evolving needs.
• Document and maintain operational workflows as a resource for internal and external stakeholders.
• In collaboration with other Foundation staff, plan and monitor the grantmaking budget and report on financial data to drive decision-making.
• Prepare data-related reports for Foundation staff and Board members.

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent lived experience, and 5-years’ experience in grants administration
• Familiarity with international grantmaking
• Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations; implementation and/or system administration experience with one or more grants management systems is a plus
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Customer-service orientation to support all stakeholders involved with the grantmaking function
• A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills which support and enable sound decision-making
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to communicate in a culturally appropriate and inclusive manner.
• A multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of the Hawthornden

 

Location: The successful candidate should be in the NYC metro area and be able to work from the Foundation offices 2-3 days per week.

 

Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000 commensurate with experience.

 

Application Process

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume in a single file to grantsjob@hawthornden.org with the subject line “Grants Manager”. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.