Senior Director of Grants

Oasis Center•Nashville, TN

21h

About The Position

The Senior Director of Grants provides strategic leadership and enterprise-level ownership of Oasis Center’s grants portfolio, securing, stewarding, and expanding institutional funding in alignment with organizational priorities, program impact, and long-term sustainability. In close partnership with Executive Leadership, Directors, and the Finance team, the Senior Director of Grants assesses funding needs, leads the development of highly competitive proposals, ensures excellence in compliance and reporting, and advances both programmatic outcomes and organizational capacity.

Requirements

Demonstrates the ability to build strong, caring, and affirming relationships with all youth, including LGBTQ+ youth.
Operates with a clear understanding of racial inequities and systemic discrimination, demonstrating a sustained commitment to anti-oppression and equity-centered practices.
Applies knowledge of Positive Youth Development, Trauma-Informed Care, and evidence-informed practices grounded in adolescent development.
Demonstrated success securing, managing, and stewarding significant nonprofit funding, including competitive foundation grants and complex government funding.
Proven ability to function as a senior individual contributor, exercising sound strategic judgment, initiative, and influence across departments and leadership levels.
Strong organizational, project management, and strategic planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex programmatic and financial information into compelling, funder-ready narratives.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with diverse staff, senior leadership, and external partners, fostering trust, alignment, and shared accountability.
High level of proficiency with standard office technology and software, including Microsoft Office.
Experience using grant management and CRM platforms to track prospects, submissions, awards, and reporting requirements; Salesforce experience preferred.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in grants development, institutional fundraising, or a related field, preferably within a complex nonprofit or government-funded environment.

Nice To Haves

Salesforce experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Owns and is accountable for achieving annual and multi-year grants revenue goals, including up to $1.5M in foundation support and $5-6M annually in federal, state, and local government funding.
Leads the full grants lifecycle, including prospect research, strategy development, proposal writing, submission, and timely completion of all required reports.
Designs, manages, and continuously refines a comprehensive grants pipeline and submission calendar aligned with organizational strategy, program priorities, and funding opportunities.
Conducts ongoing research and analysis of funding trends, public policy, and relevant data related to youth, family, and community needs to inform funding strategy and positioning.
Partners closely with Directors to assess funding needs, co-develop proposal content, and ensure strong alignment among program design, measurable outcomes, and funder priorities.
Develops and presents strategic funding recommendations for review with Executive and Senior Leadership, supporting informed decision-making and long-term sustainability.
Serves as a lead architect for capacity-building and infrastructure grants, advancing investments in development operations, data systems, staffing, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Ensures all grant submissions are accurate, complete, compliant, and submitted in accordance with funder guidelines and deadlines.
Provides oversight of grant reporting and compliance processes, ensuring contracted deliverables, outcomes, and financial requirements are met, documented, and reported accurately and on time.
Maintains comprehensive, organized, and audit-ready grant records and documentation.
Cultivates and stewards’ strong relationships with foundation and government funders, in close partnership with the President/CEO and the Vice President of Fund Development & Community Engagement.
Partners with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure all fiscal, legal, contractual, and fiduciary requirements related to grants and government contracts are met and documented.
Supports program evaluation, data collection, and outcomes measurement efforts to strengthen proposal competitiveness, funder confidence, and high-quality reporting.
Ensures all grant-related activities adhere to ethical fundraising standards, organizational policies, and funder guidelines, maintaining the highest level of integrity and accountability.
Participates actively in agency leadership and cross-functional staff meetings, contributing to organizational planning, alignment, and continuous improvement.
Works closely with Executive Leadership to support performance tracking, and progress reporting, ensuring transparency and alignment with strategic objectives.