Grant Writer

Overview

Serves as the primary grant writer for all City departments, leading the identification of funding opportunities, coordination and preparation of competitive proposals, and ensuring pre-award compliance with funding requirements. Supports citywide grant administration by developing standard procedures, tools, and training for departments, and by coordinating closely with Finance, Recreation, Downtown Office, Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), Transit, and other operating departments on grant-related activities.

This is a citywide, professional, non-supervisory classification that provides centralized grant writing and pre-award coordination in partnership with Finance (Grants/Accounting).

Distinguishing Characteristics: This is a persuasive writer with strong research, writing, and budgeting skills, who is detail-oriented, strategic, collaborative, and committed to aligning funding opportunities with an organization’s mission.

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Pre-Award Strategy & Writing
  —Leads development of grant proposals, including narratives, statements of need, work plans, logic models, performance measures, and required attachments; collaborates with Finance and departments to prepare compliant budgets and cost justifications.
• Research & Opportunity Analysis
  —Researches federal, state, and philanthropic opportunities; maintains a rolling pipeline; analyzes eligibility, competitiveness, and strategic alignment; recommends action and timelines.
• Guidelines & Compliance
  —Interprets, explains, and applies funding guidelines, statutes, regulations, and agency policies; ensures proposals conform to all requirements; initiates corrective actions to resolve gaps prior to submission.

• Develops and updates standard operating procedures (SOPs) for internal grant administration, including a standard tracking, monitoring, and reporting system; maintains a central repository of grant materials, templates, and records; provides training to departments on processes and systems.

• Coordinates agenda preparation/review for grant items routed to the Departments, City Manager, and City Commission; verifies accuracy and completeness and routes items for approval and inclusion on agendas.
• Works in partnership with the Procurement Division to ensure purchasing and contracting associated with grants follow City and regulatory requirements; drafts scopes and supports documentation needed for solicitations and contract actions.

• Provides on-call grant writing and technical assistance to departments (e.g., Public Works, Utilities, Police, Fire, Recreation & Parks, Transit, DCED), including drafting/editing narratives, building logic models, assembling attachments, and compiling letters of support.
• Assists post-award teams with baseline reporting frameworks, file structures, and data capture plans to ensure proposals can be operationalized by Finance, Grants Management, and departmental program managers.

• Collaborates with Finance and Grants Management to confirm allowability, matching requirements, cost principles, indirect rates, and other fiscal standards; assembles pre-award compliance checklists and handoff packets for funded projects.
• For sector-specific opportunities (e.g., Transit/FTA/GDOT), coordinates required pre-award components (surveys, baseline data, NTD/reporting setup) with the operating department to ensure a clean transition if awarded.

• Tracks proposal outcomes, develops win/loss insights, and updates City templates and guidance accordingly; provides quarterly updates on pipeline status, submissions, and awarded funds.
• Conducts issue spotting and recommends corrective action plans to strengthen future competitiveness and administrative readiness.