Senior Director, Grants Management

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Senior Director of Grants Management provides strategic leadership and oversight of Catholic Social Services’ grants portfolio, ensuring alignment between funding, program strategy, and financial sustainability. This role leads the full grants lifecycle, including pre-award activities such as opportunity identification, funder research, budget preparation, and proposal development and submission. This role is also responsible for post-award including award setup, compliance monitoring, financial tracking, reporting, and closeout.

The Senior Director collaborates closely with program leadership and data teams to ensure grant-funded activities are well-designed, measurable, and fully compliant with funder requirements, and works in coordination with the development team to align grant strategy with broader fundraising priorities and organizational messaging.

This role is responsible for identifying, pursuing, and managing institutional funding opportunities from public and private grantors, while the development team leads individual, corporate, and philanthropic giving strategies. The Senior Director will build and maintain strong relationships with grant funders, oversee grant budgeting in partnership with finance, and ensure accurate and timely reporting across the grants portfolio. They will monitor performance and financial outcomes and provide regular reporting and analysis to leadership. In addition, the role will strengthen internal grants management infrastructure, including policies, systems, and cross-functional processes, to ensure consistency, accountability, and long-term sustainability of funding that advances the mission and impact of CSS. 

ABOUT US 

CSS is a Catholic human and social services agency and behavioral health care provider that welcomes people of all faiths through its programs and employment. We provide help for our Alaskan neighbors through a variety of supportive service programs, including emergency shelter, food stability, housing, case management, and refugee assistance. CSS empowers individuals and families on their path to permanent stability, creating thriving communities for all. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, CSS is a nationally accredited organization through the Council on Accreditation (COA), which recognizes that CSS provides high quality services that meet best practice standards in the social service field.  

Mission :  To promote the physical, spiritual and mental welfare of persons in need in the community. This mission is achieved by:

• Offering charitable assistance to those in need, especially persons who are poor
• Developing and conducting programs to strengthen and support families and the dignity of the human spirit
• Administering the Corporal Works of Mercy and Gospel of Jesus Christ as defined by the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and envisioned by the traditional concepts of Catholic Social Teaching and Action through the laity
• And advocating for social justice for the common good of all

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Grants Strategy & Lifecycle Management

• Demonstrated experience managing large, complex grant portfolios, including government funding. 
• Strong working knowledge of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), full grant lifecycle management (pre-award through closeout), cost allocation methodologies, and revenue recognition for grant-funded programs. 
• Ability to identify and pursue funding opportunities aligned with organizational strategy and programmatic priorities. 
• Experience leading proposal development, grant budgeting, and post-award performance tracking and reporting. 

Financial & Technical Expertise

• Functional expertise in nonprofit GAAP and fund accounting, including budget development, financial statement interpretation, and revenue/receivables oversight. 
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and experience with financial and grants management systems, including reporting architecture, data governance, and system optimization. 
• Ability to analyze data, develop performance metrics, and translate financial and programmatic information into actionable insights. 

Compliance, Risk & Internal Controls

• Deep understanding of internal controls, segregation of duties, single audits and financial statement audits, and regulatory compliance frameworks. 
• Expertise in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial and compliance risks across the grants portfolio. 
• Strong ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and local grant regulations to ensure ongoing compliance. 

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Builds strong partnerships with program, finance, development, and data teams to ensure alignment across funding, implementation, and reporting. 
• Communicates clearly and effectively across audiences, fostering transparency, accountability, and shared understanding. 
• Demonstrates sound judgment, accountability, and the ability to lead through complexity and change. 

Systems, Policy & Infrastructure Development

• Experience assessing organizational needs and leading the development and implementation of grants-related policies and procedures. 
• Ability to strengthen internal grants management infrastructure, including processes, systems, and cross-functional workflows to support consistency and sustainability. 

Professionalism & Organizational Values

• Demonstrates integrity, ethical decision-making, and a high level of confidentiality in handling sensitive information. 
• Promotes an inclusive and respectful work environment, demonstrating cultural competence and the ability to work effectively with diverse populations. 
• Results-oriented, with a strong focus on execution, quality, and continuous improvement.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Strategy & Funding Alignment
Support the development and execution of the organization’s grants strategy, ensuring alignment with program priorities, capacity, and financial sustainability. Identify funding risks and concentration across the portfolio and proactively plan for renewals, replacements, and transitions. Collaborate with senior leadership and the development team to assess funding opportunities and align grant pursuits with organizational goals and operational realities.

Pre-Award Strategy & Grant Acquisition
Lead pre-award activities, including funding opportunity identification, funder research, and pipeline development in coordination with program, development, and leadership teams. Oversee proposal development, including narrative development, budget preparation, and cross-functional coordination to ensure submissions are competitive, accurate, and aligned with program design and organizational strategy. Manage submission processes and timelines across multiple funders and platforms.

Post-Award Management & Portfolio Oversight
Oversee post-award grant management across a diverse portfolio, including federal, state, local, and private funding sources. Serve as the grants administrator for institutional funding secured by the development team, ensuring appropriate setup, tracking, compliance, and reporting. Ensure timely award setup, including budget alignment, documentation, and internal communication of grant requirements. Monitor grant performance, deliverables, and timelines to ensure compliance with funder expectations. Coordinate reporting activities, including programmatic and financial reports, and support grant closeout processes.

Compliance, Risk & Internal Controls
Ensure compliance with all grant requirements, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), allowable cost principles, and reporting standards. Maintain strong internal controls related to grant management, including documentation, approvals, and audit readiness. Support Single Audits, funder monitoring, and site visits by coordinating documentation and responses. Identify and mitigate compliance and financial risks across the grants portfolio.

Financial Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with finance to align grant budgets with actual expenditures, monitor burn rates and variances, and support revenue recognition and receivables tracking. Collaborate with program leadership to ensure staffing models, service delivery, and outcomes align with funded commitments. Provide regular internal reporting and analysis on grant performance, funding outlook, and key risks to inform operational and strategic decision-making.

Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement
Strengthen grants management infrastructure by developing and refining policies, procedures, and cross-functional workflows. Improve tracking systems, reporting processes, and data integrity across the grant lifecycle. Identify opportunities for process improvement and increased efficiency to support long-term sustainability and scalability of the grants portfolio.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Education Requirement: A Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree preferred.

Minimum Experience Requirement: Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in nonprofit grants management, including experience managing grant portfolios across public and private funding sources. Demonstrated expertise across the full grant lifecycle, including pre-award development and post-award compliance and reporting.

Certifications: Professional certifications (CGMS, CRA) preferred. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

Physical Demands and Work Environment: Work is performed in a standard indoor office environment. Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds. Frequently sitting or standing at a desk for several hours at a time. 

Travel: Travel out of Alaska is rare. Occasional travel within Anchorage is required to understand and promote a cohesive culture that engages fully remote, field office, and headquarters staff around shared values and goals. 

Location: 4600 Debarr Road, Anchorage, AK.