Manager, Grants Administration

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview :

As part of the Programs and Partnerships (PnP) division, the Manager, Grants Administration reports to the Vice President, Grants Administration and manages key aspects of NPF’s grantmaking program, which distributes more than $80 million annually to national park sites and partners. The Manager plays a critical role in facilitating efficient and equitable grantmaking operations that reflect best practices in grants administration and that maximize philanthropic impact for the national park system. This position ensures the timely distribution of private and public funding in alignment with National Park Service priorities, donor restrictions, and organizational goals.

The Manager supports the Vice President in overseeing the full lifecycle of NPF’s grants across the division. This includes providing guidance and support to program staff, helping them to navigate grantmaking policies, procedures, and database systems effectively, and conducting initial due diligence review of grants recommended for approval. A key responsibility is managing annual grantee reporting and data from more than 700 grantee reports submitted annually. This role also contributes to ongoing optimization of the Fluxx grants management system and provides backup support for database administration.

Essential Functions/Duties/Tasks:

• Support and strengthen NPF grantmaking operations.
  • Establish and maintain grantmaking policies and procedures in partnership with Grants Administration, PnP, and other divisions.
  • Review grant recommendations to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance with NPS policies, donor requirements, and internal approval processes.
  • Help to resolve errors, troubleshoot issues, answer questions, improve processes, and make it easier for PnP staff to do their grantmaking more effectively.
  • Provide a positive and efficient grantee experience for nonprofit and federal agency partners.
  • Develop and administer onboarding and ongoing training for new and existing PnP staff.
• Support and improve financial management of grants by working collaboratively across Program, Finance, IT, Corporate and Philanthropy teams to ensure donated funds are accurately tracked and awarded in accordance with budget, donor intent and organizational priorities.
  • Maintain accurate budget and payment records within the grantmaking system.
  • Partner with the Finance division to improve financial management of grants.
• Manage NPF’s grantee reporting.
  • Oversee the collection, review, and management of more than 700 interim and annual grantee reports each year.
  • Lead the design and continuous refinement of grantee report forms, partnering across the organization to collect meaningful data while minimizing reporting burden on grantees.
  • Develop guidance, templates, and training materials to support staff and improve the quality and consistency of submitted reports.
  • Translate grantee reporting data and feedback into actionable insights that support organizational learning and program improvements.
• Maintain and lead improvements to NPF’s coding to improve organizational learning and efficient data analysis.
• Support the administration and optimization of the Fluxx grants management system in partnership with the Grants Administration team, serving as primary backup during periods of absence or vacancy.
• Other duties/special projects as assigned.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities :

• Experience (4-5 years) in foundation grants administration with a thorough understanding of foundation grantmaking policy and process.
• Experience working in an administrative capacity with Fluxx or other grant management systems.
• Exceptional administrative and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and be a team player who can handle multiple projects simultaneously and autonomously.
• Superb written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience managing high-level budgets.
• Problem-solving skills, initiative, high energy, and the ability to drive creative and actionable strategies in line with organizational priorities.
• Enthusiasm about learning and improving process and systems as the role and organization evolve.
• Flexibility, a "team" attitude, and commitment to organizational mission.

Preferred education and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience. 
• Experience working in partnership with a variety of organization types – including federal agency and nonprofit partners.
• Personal passion for our national parks. 

Description of physical demands and work environment :

• This is a hybrid position, with an expectation of approximately three days per week in the DC office.
• Must have the ability to travel for multi-day engagements, as necessary. 

Salary Range: $85,000 - $90,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits: NPF offers a highly competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) savings plan, professional development and tuition assistance, generous paid time-off program including primary caregiver leave.

Location: This role is based in Washington, D.C.