Grant Writer

Overview

The Position:
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.

• 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.
• Researches federal, state, and philanthropic opportunities; maintains a rolling pipeline; analyzes eligibility, competitiveness, and strategic alignment; recommends action and timelines.
• 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.
• Citywide Grant Process, Tools & Training:
  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.
• Coordination & Governance:
  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.
• Departmental Support & Cross-Coverage:
  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.
• Compliance & Readiness:
  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.
• Performance & Continuous Improvement:
  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.
• Additional Functions:
  Performs other related duties as required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, English/Communications, Finance/Accounting, or related field; supplemented by three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in grant writing and grant administration…