Senior Director of Grants

Senior Director of Grants

Location:

In-person / Hybrid/ CIST Administrative Office / Austin, Texas

Employment Type:

Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to:

Chief Development Officer

Supervises:
Will supervise a full-time grant writer, a part-time grant writer/prospector and specialized grant contractors

Salary: $7,916.67/monthly ($95,000/yearly)

The Senior Director of Grants leads Communities In Schools of Central Texas' institutional grants program, overseeing a collaborative team responsible for securing significant funding from foundation, corporate, and government sources. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Director personally leads the development of the organization's most complex and highest-priority grant proposals; develops and executes a comprehensive grants prospecting strategy; and provides leadership across the grants team and institutional funding portfolio.

This role requires an exceptional writer and experienced grants leader who can synthesize complex program models, evaluation findings, financial information, and organizational priorities into compelling funding proposals. Approximately 50% of the position is dedicated to writing, editing, and leading sophisticated grant proposals and reports, with the remaining time focused on institutional grants strategy, team leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and oversight of the grants function.

Lead Complex Grant Development

• Personally lead the development of the organization's highest-priority, most complex, and highest-value grant proposals and reports, dedicating approximately 50% of the role to proposal development and writing.
• Develop compelling approaches and positioning for significant foundation, corporate, and government funding opportunities. Translate complex organizational priorities, program models, evaluation findings, financial information, and implementation plans into clear, persuasive, funder-centered narratives.
• Lead complex proposal development from initial concept and positioning through final submission.
• Provide expert review and editing of proposals and reports developed by other members of the grants team, engaging the Chief Development Officer and other senior leaders in review as appropriate.
• Ensure proposals align narrative, outcomes, budgets, implementation plans, and funder requirements.

Institutional Grants Strategy

• Develop and execute the organization's institutional grants prospecting strategy in partnership with the Chief Development Officer.
• Build and manage a diversified funding pipeline across foundation, corporate, and government sources.
• Identify, research, and evaluate funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and funding needs.
• Recommend which opportunities to pursue based on strategic alignment, competitiveness, organizational capacity, and potential return.
• Lead annual grants planning, proposal prioritization, pipeline management, and prospecting efforts.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer on renewal, cultivation, and stewardship approaches for key institutional funders.

Grants Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a collaborative grants team responsible for foundation, corporate, and government funding.
• Supervise full-time and part-time grant writing staff, specialized contractors, and other grant support resources as needed.
• Deploy staff and contractor resources strategically across prospect research, public and private grant development, and other priority projects based on expertise, capacity, and organizational need.
• Establish departmental priorities, annual work plans, proposal assignments, and workflows to support timely development of high-quality proposals and reports.
• Balance team workload based on proposal complexity, organizational priorities, deadlines, staff expertise, and capacity.
• Establish and maintain high standards for grant writing and proposal development across the team.
• Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and professional development to strengthen individual and team performance.
• Monitor departmental performance through key metrics, pipeline reporting, and workload management.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely…