Assistant Director of Grants and Compliance
Reports to: Director of Development
Functional Area: Advancement Department
FLSA Status: Exempt
Job Location: Ward 5
Classification: Manager
Direct Reports: 1 (Grants Systems Specialist)
Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (AoH)'s Advancement Team seeks an Assistant Director of Grants and Compliance to lead the organization's grants portfolio and grants team. Established in 1985, AoH provides education, workforce development training, and college and job placement to adults in DC. Our mission is to support adult learners in changing their lives and transforming their communities by providing high-quality adult education and career training that create direct pathways to economic mobility.
The Assistant Director of Grants and Compliance leads AoH's grants program from end to end: identifying funding opportunities and developing competitive proposals to secure government, corporate, and foundation grants; managing the full grant lifecycle from award through close-out; and ensuring AoH's grants are administered in compliance with funder requirements and applicable federal, state, and local regulations. This role directly supervises the Grants Systems Specialist and is accountable for the performance, development, and workflow of the grants team. This position works closely with the Finance team on budget development, grant compliance, and financial reporting, and partners with Academic Leaders, Program Managers, and the Performance Evaluation & Research team to align grant deliverables with program realities. This position reports to the Director of Development and works closely with the Chief Strategy & Growth Officer.
A. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
GRANT SEEKING & INSTITUTIONAL GIVING
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Manage, grow, and optimize a robust foundation, government, and corporate giving program in collaboration with the Director of Development and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, implementing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
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Build and manage a foundation and government funding portfolio, meeting institutional giving revenue goals set by the Director of Development.
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Identify prospective funders, research funding requirements, and maintain an up-to-date pipeline of potential funders aligned with AoH's mission and program priorities.
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Oversee the development and submission of letters of inquiry, proposals, and grant applications, writing and editing proposals in collaboration with program staff and leadership.
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Build relationships with regional and national institutional partners; identify and attend funder-sponsored events to build relationships and raise AoH's visibility.
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Contribute to AoH's annual and long-range development strategy, in partnership with the Director of Development.
GRANTS MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE
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Own the full grant lifecycle — pre-award, award, implementation, reporting, and close-out — for all corporate, foundation, and government grants.
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Ensure grant administration complies with funder terms and applicable regulations, including federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) for federally funded and federally passed-through awards, and DC government grant requirements where applicable.
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Review grant agreements and contract terms prior to execution, flagging compliance risks, reporting obligations, and budget restrictions for leadership.
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Partner with the Finance team to develop, monitor, and reconcile grant budgets, ensuring allowable-cost compliance and timely resolution of variances.
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Monitor all grant deadlines in AoH's CRM for deliverables, reports, and renewals, ensuring timely and accurate submission across all funding sources.
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Maintain the CRM and grant files as the system of record for proposals, awards, budgets, and correspondence; regularly report grant metrics and compliance status to AoH leadership.
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Support audit readiness by maintaining organized grant records, supporting documentation, and expenditure tracking in accordance with AoH's record-retention policy.
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Coordinate with Academic Leaders, Program Managers, and the Performance Evaluation & Research team to monitor grant-funded project goals, deliverables, and budgets throughout the grant period.
TEAM LEADERSHIP & SUPERVISION
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Directly supervise the Grants Systems Specialist, including hiring, onboarding, training, delegating workflow, and conducting regular one-on-ones.
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Set annual goals and conduct formal performance reviews for direct report(s); provide ongoing coaching and identify professional development opportunities.
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Build and document grants-management systems and procedures so grant knowledge and compliance practices are not dependent on a single person.
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Foster a collaborative, accountable team culture and ensure adequate coverage of grant deadlines during staff absences or transitions.
DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS
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Provide monthly reports to the Director of Development on institutional giving and grants-compliance progress against goals.
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Partner with the Director of Development to update policies, processes, and procedures for Development operations, including foundation and grants-management policies.
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Support engagement of the CEO, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, and other senior staff with institutional funders, including preparing annual pipelines, briefings ahead of visits, and appropriate follow-up.
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Assist with setting annual and multi-year goals for corporate, foundation, and government funder relations in consultation with the Advancement Team and departmental leadership.
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Bachelor's degree and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in institutional giving and/or grants management, including a track record of setting and meeting revenue and compliance goals.
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At least two years of experience directly supervising staff, including performance management and staff development.
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Successful track record of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting significant contributions from government, foundation, and corporate funders.
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Proven experience in grant writing and post-award grants management, including budget monitoring and compliance reporting.
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Working knowledge of grants-compliance requirements for government-funded programs (e.g., federal Uniform Guidance / 2 CFR 200) is strongly preferred.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
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Strong grant-proposal writing skills, required.
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Working knowledge of nonprofit grant accounting and financial compliance principles, and the ability to partner effectively with a Finance team on budgets and reporting.
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Strong interpersonal skills to identify, cultivate, and solicit significant contributions, and to lead and develop a team.
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Strong research, project-management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple grant deadlines and reporting cycles simultaneously.
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Strong analytical skills and ability to leverage fundraising and grants data as a tool (familiarity with Salesforce or a similar CRM is preferred but not required).
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Clear and effective verbal and written communication with staff, prospects, funders, vendors, and other stakeholders.
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Highly motivated, goal-oriented, entrepreneurial self-starter who is a strategic and creative thinker and can work independently and in a team setting.
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Ability to articulate the case for support and interact with institutional giving partners and prospects at the highest level.
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Highly professional and ethical standards for handling confidential or sensitive information, including knowledge of nonprofit best practices.
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Understanding of Washington, DC and its philanthropic community is a plus.
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Understanding of adult education, workforce development, and charter sector landscapes is a plus.
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High energy and passion for AoH's mission is essential.
OTHER SKILLS OR QUALITIES
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Self-motivated, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities and projects.
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Ability to collaborate with people of varied personalities and working styles.
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Detail-oriented and able to see the larger picture in service of holistic and creative problem-solving.
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Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
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Understanding of how grants and fundraising responsibilities contribute to AoH's mission, vision, and values.
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An appreciation for education and a belief in education as an important contributor to society.
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The typical schedule is Monday-Friday (8-9 hours per day), with some early mornings, evenings, and weekends as necessary.
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This position is currently hybrid, requiring 1-2 days per week in the office. All staff are required to be in person Monday through Thursday during Fall enrollment.
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Must be able to withstand extended viewing of computer screens.
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This position will sit in an open/shared office environment with moderate noise.
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AoH has sites in Wards 5 and 8. This position's office will be located at the Ward 5 site. Both sites are air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible, and near public transportation.
This is a full-time, exempt position. The annual salary range for this role is $68.424.00-$99,680.00, commensurate with experience.
AoH has excellent benefits, including flex schedules, vacation, sick, health/dental benefits, short-term disability coverage, long-term care benefits, life insurance, and the opportunity to participate in a retirement plan.
