Director of Grants Development

Director of Grants Development

Join to apply for the Director of Grants Development role at Operation Food Search.

Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search is a hunger relief organization that provides food, nutrition education and innovative programs in order to reduce food insecurity and increase equitable access to food. We serve 200,000 people every month through a network of 330 partners in 25 counties in Missouri and Illinois. We use a combination of immediate food assistance and supportive services, while also working on long‑term solutions and systemic changes to help solve the problem of hunger.

Heal hunger with innovative and collaborative solutions that provide food today and help create a hunger‑free tomorrow.

A region where everyone has equitable access to the food they need to lead healthy lives.

• Meet the immediate need for food for children, individuals and families by providing high‑quality nutrition through our distribution network.
• Empower long‑term skills through nutrition education and by teaching how to shop and prepare healthy food on a budget.
• Champion change through advocacy, innovative programs, and by addressing systemic inequities.

Operation Food Search is looking for a passionate and experienced Director of Grants to manage a portfolio of $3 million+ in grant funding annually to support OFS’s emergency food, mobile farmers market, community nutrition, food‑as‑medicine programs, and other initiatives. The Director of Grants reports to the Chief Development Officer, supervises a Grants Specialist, and works closely with programs, leadership, and other development staff.

The position requires a blend of strategic planning, grant‑writing expertise, financial acumen, and leadership skills to effectively manage the grant‑seeking process and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.

• Collaborating with staff to develop grant revenue projections annually during budget planning, tracking, researching, writing and submitting grant applications and reports, managing stewardship, creating grant budgets, monitoring grant compliance, outcomes, and deliverables, and submitting reports and reimbursement requests.

• Working across OFS departments, provide strategic leadership to identify, cultivate, and develop grant relationships in support of OFS program priorities.
• Conduct research to vet the applicability of new funding opportunities and outreach to funding agency staff to discuss funding program interests.
• Lead development of grant funding strategies for complex projects.
• Develop engagement strategies to grow organization revenue from a grant portfolio of corporate, foundation, and government donors through participation in program meetings and periodic individual program strategy meetings.
• Collaborate with development staff to engage new and existing corporate, foundation, and institutional partners to enhance relationships through grants, events sponsor ships, volunteer opportunities, and in‑kind donations.
• Gather information and support leadership in making recommendations for improving grantmaking processes, including identifying issues and implementing approved changes.

• Manage the lifecycle of funding proposals and reports, ensuring timely submissions at each step.
• Funders include private foundations, corporations, and local, state, and federal government entities.
• Manage production and/or assembly of associated documents, including preparation of grant budgets, outcome forms, donor lists, receipts, and data collection.

• Work with Grants Specialist to track grants, reports, contracts, and awards in grant software, create a grant response database, and keep it timely and relevant.
• Communicate details of grant awards with associated program, finance, and development staff toward appropriate and timely funds expenditure and reporting.
• Coordinate with program staff periodically about upcoming proposals/reports;
  Chief Financial Officer about budget development/actual expenses; and Data Strategy Manager to compile…