Senior Grant Writer

Job Title: Senior Grant Writer

Reports to: Director of Grants

Type: Full-Time

Category: Development

Salary: $75,000

Background on UTEC, Inc.

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they’re at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.
Job Summary

Senior Grant Writer plays an important role in developing resources for UTEC programs through institutional fundraising. UTEC maintains an aggressive schedule of grant submissions on a weekly basis, including letters of inquiry, full proposals, and contract applications. Senior Grant Writer manages the full grant cycle, from prospecting and proposals through grant reporting and building relationships with funders over time. Reports to the Director of Grants and works closely with the overall Development team.

Duties/Responsibilities

Proposal Development (65%)

• Draft high-quality, compelling, and detailed documents such as proposals, letters of inquiry, and progress reports to institutional funders
• Create new content and manage large-scale proposals for high concept grants, including government contracts, national funders, and new funders
• Collaborate with program and evaluation staff on internal project teams as needed
• Develop expertise in one or more of UTEC’s program areas to strengthen proposal content and rationale
• In coordination with the Director of Grants, maintain updated boilerplate language to use for proposals

Relationship Management and Stewardship (15%)

• Manage a portfolio of (8-12) current and prospective funders of large grants, including revising and updating donor profiles and tracking their funding requirements and interests
• Participate in outreach to, calls with, and site visits from institutional funders
• Draft correspondence to institutional funders and prospective funders on behalf of the leadership team
• Draft backgrounders and talking points for senior staff in advance of funder meetings
• Coordinate with the Evaluation and Program teams to ensure data collection and program updates for timely and accurate submission of narrative reporting to funders

Researcher and Strategist (10%)

• Take the lead on researching and vetting potential funding sources, using resources such as Candid, Linkedin, etc.
• Prepare prospect profiles and briefs to share with members of the institutional development and leadership team to develop approach strategies
• Research issues relevant to corporate engagement, philanthropy, and other nonprofit financing trends
• Participate in the development of strategies to approach and attract new institutional funders

Systems Management (10%)

• Acknowledge, and internally communicate application status updates, in addition to working with Development Associate on award documentation and grant processing
• Manage the Salesforce database for all grant opportunities, institutional funding entities, and related contacts, including maintaining funder records and running grant-related reports
• Assist in developing and maintaining efficient systems, policies, and procedures to manage information and the workflow of the Grants team

Required Skills/Abilities

• Excellent management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Experience with Salesforce a plus
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks
• Ability to work with a minimal amount of supervision
• Works with individuals both internal and external to the organization
• Demonstrate a commitment to UTEC’s principles of social change, diversity, and community building
• An ability to think critically and creatively, participate in strategic discussions, and develop new systems as UTEC’s size and structure grows and shifts
• Attention to administrative and process detail while working to deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Capacity to work with staff and partners at all levels, with comfort “managing up”
• Ability to identify and manage work plans, multi-task and adapt to a changing environment
• Strong computer and online literacy skills
• Passion to own one’s work and ability to laugh at oneself required

Education and Experience

At least 3-5 years of grant writing and project management experience strongly preferred

Physical Requirements 

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Salary/Benefits: The starting salary for this position is $75,000 plus benefits. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, a 457B retirement plan and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support.  With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3 week sabbatical.

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e. for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee!