Director of Grants and Planning

Partnership for Maternal & Child Health•Irvington, NJ

About The Position

The Director of Grants and Planning leads the Partnership’s competitive government and private grant pipeline and strengthens the processes that support grants administration. Working with organizational leadership, program teams, and Finance, the Director guides proposals from opportunity identification through award and helps translate organizational strategy into coordinated, accountable action. The role also leads implementation of strategic initiatives, supports shared accountability across departments, and advances organizational effectiveness through clear processes, coordinated planning, and strong internal partnerships. The Director oversees proposal development and project management, helps shape competitive program designs and budgets, and reviews proposals for alignment with funder criteria and organizational priorities. In partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, the Director maps and improves grants administration workflows, establishes standard processes and a portfolio-wide compliance calendar, and provides input on grants administration staff performance. The position supervises the Manager of Strategy & Innovation and coordinates implementation and progress reviews for strategic initiatives led by the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. PMCH aims to foster a workplace culture prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with a collective vision of creating an antiracist organization. All PMCH employees must comply with the organization’s Immunization Policy. The role may involve a range of physical, sensory, and cognitive tasks; reasonable accommodation is available to support performance of essential functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 7 years of grant writing experience, including writing and leading successful governmental proposals.
At least 3 years of supervisory experience, with demonstrated ability to coach and develop staff.
Experience in maternal and child health, public health, or community-based human services.
Experience developing and planning long-term strategic initiatives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling, funder-aligned narratives and communicate clearly with program staff, leadership, partners, and funders.
Prior project-management experience, including leading cross-departmental teams to deadlines without direct authority; collaborative orientation focused on shared ownership, balancing competing priorities, and keeping work on track.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and federal or state grant submission systems.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Specific experience with New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Children and Families initiatives preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the competitive grant pipeline by monitoring private, state, and federal NOFOs and RFPs, maintaining the funding calendar, and anticipating overlapping proposal deadlines.
Facilitate stakeholder decisions about grant submissions and preparation, considering mission fit, capacity, financial impact, and competitiveness.
Write private, state, and federal proposals during peak periods, share the writing workload with the primary grant writer, and serve as a senior voice with internal stakeholders, external partners, and funders.
Project manage grant proposals and renewals by leading kickoffs, assigning sections and inputs, setting internal deadlines, and tracking progress through submission.
Keep proposals on schedule through regular check-ins, proactive bottleneck management, support for contributors balancing competing responsibilities, and escalation of obstacles when needed.
Partner with program leads and Finance to shape program designs, service targets, and budgets that respond to funder priorities while balancing program capacity and organizational financial goals.
Conduct final proposal quality reviews for funder-criteria alignment, internal consistency, and the organization’s voice.
Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to map grants administration workflows from award through closeout and identify delays, duplicated efforts, and unclear handoffs.
Design, document, and roll out standard processes for renewals, budget development timelines, contract and award setup, budget or program modifications, and contract closeouts.
Establish and maintain a single grant compliance calendar covering reporting, budget, and renewal deadlines across the portfolio.
Provide input to the Chief Financial Officer on the performance of grants administration staff within the Finance department.
Supervise the Manager of Strategy & Innovation, providing regular feedback, professional development, and day-to-day guidance.
Develop implementation plans for strategic initiatives led by the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, defining goals, activities, responsibilities, decision-making, milestones, and risks.
Coordinate execution of strategic initiatives across departments, supporting owners, anticipating challenges, and adjusting plans as needed.
Track active strategic initiatives and lead regular status reviews with the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, covering challenges and decisions needed.