Director of Grants and Planning

Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of NNJ•Irvington, NJ

5d•$95,000 - $105,000

About The Position

The Director of Grants and Planning leads the Partnership’s competitive government and private grant pipeline and turns organizational strategy into coordinated, accountable action. Working with organizational leadership, program teams, and Finance, the Director guides proposals from opportunity through award and strengthens grants administration processes. The role also leads implementation of strategic initiatives, promotes 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, including assessing opportunities, coordinating contributors, maintaining schedules, shaping competitive program designs and budgets with program leads and Finance, and reviewing proposals for quality and alignment. 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 Director also supervises the Manager of Strategy & Innovation and coordinates implementation and review of 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. Reasonable accommodation is available to support individuals in performing 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 experience managing projects and leading cross-departmental teams to deadlines without direct authority, with a collaborative approach to shared ownership, 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.
Experience with grant submission systems such as Grants.gov and NJ SAGE.

Responsibilities

Lead the competitive grant pipeline by monitoring private, state, and federal NOFOs and RFPs, maintaining the funding calendar, and anticipating periods with multiple proposal deadlines.
Facilitate decisions about grant submissions and preparation, weighing mission fit, capacity, financial impact, and competitiveness with stakeholders.
Write private, state, and federal proposals during peak periods alongside the primary grant writer, and serve as a senior voice with internal stakeholders, external partners, and funders.
Project manage proposals and renewals by leading kickoffs, assigning sections and inputs to contributors, setting internal deadlines, and tracking progress through submission.
Keep proposals on schedule through regular check-ins, early identification of bottlenecks, 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 capacity and financial goals.
Provide final quality review of proposals for funder-criteria alignment, internal consistency, and organizational 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 implement 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 for reporting, budget, and renewal deadlines across the portfolio.
Provide input to the Chief Financial Officer on the performance of grants administration staff within Finance.
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, sequencing, roles, decision-making, milestones, and risks.
Coordinate 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, including discussion of challenges and decisions needed.