Associate Director, Strategic Development and Grants Management

Details•San Diego, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director leads strategic development and grant acquisition for the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, serving as the architect and implementer of the Institute's external funding infrastructure. The role designs, launches, and manages systems and strategies to diversify and grow the Institute for Peace and Justice’s funding base; scans and qualifies opportunities; convenes interdisciplinary teams; and translates complex concepts into competitive, fundable proposals. As the Institute’s principal grant writer and strategist with a mandate for growth, the position develops proposals that may span and leverage multiple programs, divisions, and campuses, and oversees the full lifecycle from cultivation and narrative development to submission, compliance, and reporting. This builder role combines strategic analysis, relationship cultivation, exceptional writing, and project management to expand external funding and institutional impact during a period of organizational growth.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited institution in any relevant field that demonstrates strong analytical and writing skills (for example, the social sciences, public policy, business, or communications).
Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in grant writing, proposal development, and/or strategic fundraising.
Demonstrated record of success in developing and securing competitive grants from major institutional funders (foundation, corporate, or government).
Exceptional writing, editing, and conceptual synthesis skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into persuasive proposals.
Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple deadlines independently.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, administrators, and external partners.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Strategic thinking with an ability to synthesize complex ideas into compelling narratives.
Strong interpersonal skills and comfort working across academic, practitioner, and donor communities.
Proficiency with grant-tracking or CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for managing funder relationships and proposal pipelines.
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with diverse teams.
Discretion, judgment, and professionalism in managing confidential or sensitive information.

Nice To Haves

Terminal degree (PhD, JD, or equivalent) in a relevant field.
Five or more years of experience in proposal development, strategic fundraising, and/or research development within higher education and/or the nonprofit sector.
Familiarity with peacebuilding, human rights, and/or social innovation fields and their major funders.
Experience cultivating relationships with program officers, foundations, and government agencies.
Experience working with university advancement or sponsored programs offices and navigating institutional grant compliance.
Ability to design and implement systems that strengthen institutional grant-seeking capacity.
Ability to teach a graduate level course in writing to Kroc students.

Responsibilities

Strategic Grants Development and Proposal Leadership Leads the conceptualization, coordination, and drafting of large-scale, multi-partner grant proposals that advance the mission and visibility of the Kroc School of Peace Studies and the Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ).
Serves as the primary author and project architect for competitive proposals across philanthropic, corporate, and governmental funders.
Identifies and analyzes funding opportunities; convenes and facilitates interdisciplinary teams of faculty and staff to shape ideas into fundable projects; and develops narratives, budgets, timelines, and supporting materials that meet institutional and sponsor requirements.
Ensures all proposals reflect the intellectual rigor and strategic priorities of the School.
Coordinates closely with the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Finance and Operations staff to ensure accurate budget design and a seamless transition from pre-award to post-award management.
Strategic Relationship Cultivation and Donor Engagement Build and maintain relationships with program officers, foundation staff, and other potential funders.
Represent the IPJ and Kroc School in funder meetings, conferences, and strategic dialogues.
Partner with the Dean and University Advancement to align external funding with School and University priorities.
Contribute to donor engagement materials and events that highlight IPJ’s applied research and impact.
Institutional Strategy and Funding Systems Develop and strengthen the institutional infrastructure that supports sustainable grant activity.
Design and refine systems, workflows, and tools for prospect identification, proposal pipeline management, internal review processes, and reporting.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director for Finance and Operations on budget design standards, compliance protocols, and post-award coordination systems.
Ensure external grant activity is strategically aligned with the Kroc School’s priorities and IPJ’s three pillars: evaluation, applied research, and practice.
Grant Writing Education and Instruction Design and deliver structured grant-writing instruction for faculty, staff, and students to improve proposal quality and practical fundraising skills.
Contribute to, co-teach, or oversee the development of a graduate-level course or intensive training in grant writing and fundraising strategy for Kroc School students, with an emphasis on applied proposal development, ethical funding practices, and funder communication.
Develop instructional materials, sample proposals, templates, and training resources to support sustained skill development in grant writing across the School.
Other Duties as Assigned Participate in cross-cutting School and Institute initiatives, special projects, and strategic planning efforts.