Senior Associate, Grants Management Data & Systems

ECMC Foundation•Minneapolis, MN

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

ECMC Foundation is a nationally focused foundation whose mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. As an affiliate of ECMC Group, it invests to remove barriers to postsecondary completion, build organizational and institutional capacity, and transform the postsecondary ecosystem through strategic grantmaking and program-related investments. The Senior Associate, Grants Management Data & Systems serves as the Foundation's subject matter expert for grants management systems, data governance, reporting, and business process optimization. Working closely with Grants Management leadership, Finance, IT, vendors, and other stakeholders, the role develops and implements technology, reporting, and data solutions that support operational excellence and the Foundation's grantmaking strategy. The position oversees grants management systems and data assets, ensuring sound governance, scalable processes, useful reporting, and continuous improvement. The senior associate leads system enhancements and process improvement efforts to increase efficiency, reduce risk, improve user adoption, and strengthen organizational effectiveness. The role executes system, data, reporting, and operational activities under Grants Management leadership governance, providing analysis and recommendations while partnering on prioritization, policy, and long-term system strategy. This is a hybrid position requiring attendance in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Monday through Wednesday, with domestic travel of up to 15%.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of experience in finance, data analytics, business intelligence, information systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
Experience administering grants management systems, CRM platforms, or other enterprise business applications.
Advanced experience developing and maintaining reports, dashboards, data visualizations, and performance metrics using Power BI, Excel, SQL, or similar reporting platforms.
Strong knowledge of data governance, data quality management, relational databases, reporting structures, and data reconciliation practices.
Strong understanding of grants management processes, grant lifecycles, payment administration, financial controls, and compliance requirements.
Experience designing, implementing, and optimizing systems, workflows, reporting solutions, and technology-enabled business processes in a cross-functional environment.
Experience translating business requirements into system configurations, reporting solutions, workflow enhancements, and process improvements.
Experience developing and maintaining data standards, system documentation, reporting structures, operational procedures, and training materials.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Ability to travel domestically up to 15% and work effectively in the Foundation's hybrid work environment.
Ability to perform the essential duties satisfactorily; reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in philanthropy, nonprofit, foundation, or grantmaking environments.
Experience with Fluxx or similar grants management platforms.

Responsibilities

Administer grants management systems, including system configuration, user roles and permissions, workflows and forms, validation rules, reporting structures, routine maintenance, and system optimization.
Lead data governance, data quality management, and reconciliation practices to ensure accurate, reliable, and audit-ready grantmaking data.
Develop and enhance reports, dashboards, analytics, and key performance metrics for strategic decision-making, financial reporting, and operational effectiveness.
Assess and resolve complex system and data challenges, identifying enhancements to improve efficiency, scalability, reliability, and user experience.
Support grants management operations through execution-level quality assurance, including grant-processing reviews, reporting validation, and resolution of data-related inquiries.
Design, configure, test, and implement system enhancements, data structures, and automated workflows; coordinate user acceptance testing, regression testing, and validation before deployment.
Partner with Grants Management leadership, Finance, IT, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate business needs into technology, reporting, and process solutions.
Identify opportunities to improve business processes, data management practices, and system utilization through analysis, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Establish and maintain governance standards, documentation, training resources, and best practices that support compliance, operational continuity, and system adoption.
Advise leadership on system capabilities, data trends, operational risks, and opportunities to strengthen grants management operations and reporting.
Execute system, data, reporting, and operational activities under Grants Management leadership governance, providing analysis and recommendations and partnering on prioritization, policy, and long-term system strategy.
Ensure system security, confidentiality, and user access controls align with organizational policies and data governance standards.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance plan options with an employer subsidy.
Company-paid life and disability insurance.
Pre-tax flexible spending accounts.
Wellness programs.
401(k) plan with company match up to 6% and potential additional discretionary contributions.
Paid time off starting at 20 days per year.
Commuter subsidy.
Tuition reimbursement up to $10,500 per year for approved programs.
Student loan payment reimbursement up to $4,800 per year.
Up to $5,250 of qualifying education benefits may be reimbursed pre-tax.