Grants Manager

Do you have an appetite for making a difference through strategic funding? Join us as a Grants Manager and play a key role in driving meaningful change. In this dynamic position, you’ll collaborate with program staff to oversee the grant lifecycle - from research to proposal to reporting. You’ll be a leader on compliance, tracking progress in Salesforce, and aligning budgets with funder requirements.

If you thrive in a collaborative environment and are passionate about securing resources for a cause, we invite you to apply and be part of our mission-driven team!

The Center for Rural Affairs is seeking a Grant Manager. The position will be based at least 2 days per week in Lyons, Nebraska.

The Center for Rural Affairs is a dynamic, energetic non-profit organization working to build a better rural future for all. We’ve done this work for more than 50 years, and we do it from rural places with a flexible work environment. The Center focuses on capital access, community engagement, and policy advocacy strategies, with work in areas of food systems, community resources, small business support, and environment and resilience.

The Center’s work is rooted in our mission-aligned values. We believe that a diversity of people and ideas strengthens our work, our workplace, and our communities. We take equal opportunity seriously, and we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds. Additional information can be found a.org.

The Grants Manager will report to the Senior Development Director and will work closely with the development team and key Center staff. The Grants Manager is responsible for the following:

• Lead the grant application process by coordinating proposal planning, development, and submission in collaboration with program staff
• Conduct grant research, write compelling proposals, and support reporting processes to secure funding.
• Maintain and update all grant-related records and data in Salesforce and Google Drive, ensuring accurate tracking of applications and awards.
• Develop and manage grant budgets in partnership with program staff to align with funder requirements.
• Monitor and track grant deadlines, ensuring timely submission of applications and progress reports.
• Serve as a liaison between internal teams and granting agencies, fostering strong relationships.
• Stay up to date on grant policies, regulations, and best practices to enhance funding strategies.

To be successful in this job, you will excel in five areas:

• Relationship-building: You know how to talk with people to learn what needs they have through conversation and inquiry. People trust you because you’re efficient with their time and have their best interests in mind. You’re able to build networks, as well as alliances, and find points of collaboration even when there are competing interests on your time. You develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders and work with allies and partners from marginalized communities, such as people of color, people with disabilities, low-income families, and immigrants.
• Drive to achieve results: You know how to work to your strengths to achieve your own ambitious goals, and you anticipate hurdles as merely a momentary inconvenience. You possess a competitive drive. You set a high bar and meet it because you think three (or 30) steps ahead to come up with pragmatic, yet innovative, solutions. You have financial acumen and an affinity for the details.
• Inclusive leadership and management: You approach leadership in your work with a mindset of "power with" rather than "power over" and regularly include others with lived experience in decision-making. You use resources…