Grants Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Develop budgets for new funding proposals across philanthropic, multilateral, bilateral, and US government funding opportunities; manage all budget revisions, serve as first finance reviewer of funding proposal budgets, and manage the budget approval process when further finance approval is needed
• Serve as an internal subject matter expert on multilateral and bilateral grant requirements, regulations, and compliance considerations while supporting grants and contracts from a broad range of funders
• Provide instruction, guidance, and resources to program and development teams during the proposal process to ensure compliance with funder guidelines and regulations as well as RMI’s organizational policies and procedures
• Advise teams on institutional donor regulations and compliance requirements, including cost principles, allowable expenses, reporting obligations, procurement standards, and audit readiness associated with multilateral, bilateral, and government funding
• Conduct regular internal monitoring of grant and contract activity and work in partnership with development, programs, and project management staff to troubleshoot and resolve any issues as necessary, including amendments and no‑cost extensions, budget revisions, spend‑down questions, and other compliance activities
• Maintain effective record‑keeping and documentation for each funding source to be used for tracking and reporting purposes; create funding sources, update correct balances for funding source rules, and ensure funding sources are linked correctly with projects in Workday
• Review monthly budget‑to‑actuals reports and produce analysis to inform development and program staff regarding the pace of spending; identify issues of over or under spending; ensure direct expenses are properly coded to funding source
• Conduct monthly revenue forecasts in Adaptive for multilateral, bilateral, and other applicable funding
• Work with program, development, and operations staff on grant and contract close‑out; prepare timely and accurate external financial reports that comply with all funder regulations and requirements
• Meet monthly with Program Operations Leads (and ad hoc as needed) to monitor grant and contract expenditures, identify unfunded expenditures allocable to funding sources, track variances between actuals and budget, and determine action needed
• Monitor and manage institutional overhead and indirect cost recovery requirements across funding types; collect and communicate reclassification information to accounting team
• Schedule and lead kickoff meetings with program teams to review grant and contract obligations, terms, project setup, compliance expectations, and reporting requirements
• Maintain records and accounting details within Workday and Salesforce
• Assist RMI staff with additional funding requests, institutional donor inquiries, and interpretation of funder regulations and compliance requirements
• Assist with the creation and implementation of process, policy, and procedural changes to improve efficiency and strengthen internal controls
• Continuously improve funding processes and procedures to streamline workflows and support effective management of grant funding
• Plan for and lead with preparation and execution of reviews, audits, and evaluations, particularly those associated with multilateral and bilateral funding; review findings and negotiate with auditors and funders on the implications and final reports
• Serve as back‑up within team as needed

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 3 years of work experience with grant and contract management
• Experience working with complex budgets and funders, particularly multilateral and bilateral funders
• Possess quantitative skills and experience in the preparation of budgets
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Exceptional organizational skills and demonstrated ability to multitask in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment
• Positive, collaborative, and flexible with changing deadlines and workloads
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and rapport building
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel