Grants Manager (Family Office)

Flexibly Focused•Chicago, IL

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Company is a single-family office providing investment, financial planning, and philanthropic services to a family and its related investment entities, trusts, and private foundations. It is seeking a full-time Grants Manager to lead grants management processes for the family’s philanthropic programs and foundations, overseeing a high volume of grants from pre-award through post-award. The family’s philanthropic interests include Arts, Local Communities, Education, the Environment, and Global Impact. The position reports to the Company’s Associate Director and works across program, finance, and technology teams to maintain effective grant workflows and ensure quality, consistency, and timeliness. The Grants Manager oversees the full grant cycle for grantees and prospective grantees, including application processes, database management, grant documentation, compliance, award processing, and reporting. The role also administers and improves the grants management database, supports staff and applicants in using grant systems, and develops dashboards and analytics to inform strategic oversight and funding decisions. The position communicates with grantees, applicants, vendors, funders, and peer organizations, and provides operational and Board-related support to leadership. The role is based in a hybrid office environment in Chicago, Illinois. The starting salary is $100,000–$110,000. The Company offers a comprehensive compensation package that includes medical insurance, paid time off, a 401(k), annual incentives, and more.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of professional work experience in foundation administration and/or grants management.
Strong knowledge of philanthropic grantmaking processes, grant management systems, and financial reporting.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Experience creating dashboards, reports, and data visualizations to support decision-making.
Superb attention to detail.
Excellent administrative and project management skills.
Strong facilitation skills and ability to serve as an effective liaison across departments and teams.
Strong internal motivation, with ability to set priorities and independently manage multiple tasks efficiently under minimal supervision.
Excellent written, verbal, collaborative, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
Highly responsive and able to shift priorities quickly as organizational demands require.
High level of discretion in maintaining confidentiality of information.
Commitment to ongoing learning and professional and personal development.
Professional, flexible, can-do attitude.

Nice To Haves

Family office experience is a strong plus.
SmartSimple database experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage grantmaking operations through all stages of the grant cycle and implement grantmaking processes.
Define and maintain internal workflows and keep program staff updated on progress.
Serve as a point of contact for applicants and grantees regarding application and report submissions.
Track and confirm completeness of application materials.
Maintain the grant cycle calendar for philanthropic staff.
Work with staff to prepare quarterly grantmaking meeting materials.
Maintain an operations manual and provide clear grant procedure instructions to grantees and staff.
Administer the grants management database, maintain data integrity, and optimize database functionality and workflows.
Ensure grants management software and add-ons are fully utilized and maintained; manage software vendor relationships and contract renewals.
Train staff on the grants management system and provide applicants with technical assistance for online applications and reporting.
Manage grantee correspondence and internal logistics for contracts and agreements.
Coordinate grant payment schedules, reporting deadlines, and recognition requirements with program staff.
Develop, maintain, and deliver grantmaking dashboards, data visualizations, and performance analytics for Board and staff audiences.
Respond to questions about agreements from grantees, vendors, and other partners, coordinating with internal stakeholders as needed.
Partner with finance to process grant payments, meet audit requirements, and prepare grant projections while ensuring compliance with internal controls.
Support program leads and grantees in complying with grant agreements and project requirements and implementing projects successfully.
Provide accurate grant data and information to staff.
Communicate the family’s grantmaking priorities, guidelines, and proposal review processes to diverse stakeholders.
Engage with grantmaking networks and peer organizations to track trends, benchmark practices, and improve processes and outcomes.
Support periodic vendor management needs.
Participate in team meetings about operations, grants, and new projects.
Work directly with senior leadership on Board-related requests outside typical Foundation grantmaking.
Provide additional staff support as required.