Manager, Grant Administration

JOB OVERVIEW

Philanthropy Northwest seeks a 12-Month Limited Term Manager of Grants Administration to join its growing team. This important role will oversee the grants administration department, providing leadership and continued capacity building to strengthen PNW’s role as an intermediary grant maker under the Thriving Communities Federal Environmental Protection Agency grant. We’re looking for candidates who are leaders in budgeting, financial analysis, federal grant compliance, and grants administration with experience overseeing federal grants and nonprofit accounting.

Philanthropy Northwest currently serves as the intermediary for a $60M Environmental Protection Agency Thriving Communities grantmaking program and has previously worked with the Department of Commerce and other entities to support COVID-related grantmaking. The Manager of Grants Administration reports to the Director of Finance and Grants Administration and oversees a team of direct reports.

EPA’s Thriving Communities Grantmaking program was established through the Inflation Reduction Act, an unprecedented federal investment in climate and environmental justice. In December 2023, EPA selected Philanthropy Northwest to serve as its Region 10 grant maker for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and all federally recognized tribes in these four states. Philanthropy Northwest is collaborating with regional philanthropic partners to ensure the equitable distribution of this funding to support community-led environmental work.

The program is designed to make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal funding and is responsive to community feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds, particularly for communities that have long faced under investment. Thriving Communities Program funding is available to community-based organizations to support a range of different environmental project activities.

• FLSA classification – Exempt
• Role Type – Full-time, 12-Month Limited Term
• Reports to – Director of Finance and Grants Administration
• Location – Hybrid position based in Seattle or anywhere in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, or Washington state, with periodic in-person presence at HQ in Seattle.

• Partner with the Director of Finance and Grants Administration to oversee the compliance aspects of PNW’s intermediary grantmaking which is currently focused on the Thriving Communities partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Assist the grants administration staff in the development of policies and procedures and navigating complex issues.
• Ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance and all applicable funder rules and regulations in implementation and grantmaking activities.
• Manage grant administration workflow to support the smooth execution of the grant lifecycle. Evaluate opportunities to streamline and improve workflow with a bias toward reducing administrative and reporting burdens for grantee partners.
• Review and approve subrecipient payment requests.
• Review grant portfolio data to support reporting to the funder, fund balancing, and managing sub-award burn rates to maximize fund availability for grantee partners.
• Develop and execute a Federally-compliant subrecipient monitoring plan.
• Develop and manage the subrecipient award closeout process.
• Work closely with the Technical Assistance Program Officer to develop compliance and capacity building support for subrecipients.
• Prepare grant draw-down requests to the funder.
• Assist in leading the federal annual single audit.
• Manage a portfolio of high profile subgrantees as required.

• Supervise the grants administration team which includes three full-time Grants Administrators and two contract Grants Administrators ensuring they meet performance expectations, work deliverables, and are supported in their continued professional development.
• Engage in enterprise-wide activities and team building, including staff meetings, peer coaching, learning and development, the annual conference, staff committees, and…