Grants Manager

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Join our team of student-focused individuals working together in order to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth, leadership and service.

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The Grants Manager is responsible for building, managing, and advancing a comprehensive institutional grants program at the University of the Cumberlands. This role leads grant prospect research, proposal development, submission, and post-award stewardship and reporting, working collaboratively with faculty, academic leadership, finance, and advancement staff.

The Grants Manager plays a critical role in securing external funding from foundations, corporations, and government agencies to support the University’s mission of providing affordable, high-quality education and expanding opportunities for students, faculty, and programs.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Program Development

• Build and implement a centralized, strategic grants program that aligns with the University’s mission, priorities, and fundraising goals.
• Establish policies, procedures, timelines, and best practices for grant development, submission, and management across the institution.
• Serve as the primary point of coordination for institutional grant activity, ensuring consistency, compliance, and quality.
• Educate and support campus stakeholders on grant opportunities, processes, and expectations.

Grant Research & Prospect Identification

• Research and identify grant opportunities from private foundations, corporations, and government agencies that align with university priorities.
• Maintain a robust pipeline of grant prospects and funding opportunities.
• Partner with academic departments, program directors, and leadership to match funding opportunities with institutional needs.
• Track deadlines, eligibility requirements, and submission cycles for prospective grants.

Proposal Development & Submission

• Lead and coordinate the preparation, writing, and submission of compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and supporting materials.
• Collaborate with faculty, administrators, finance, and advancement colleagues to gather programmatic, financial, and impact data.
• Ensure proposals clearly articulate the University’s mission, goals, outcomes, and evaluation plans.
• Manage internal approvals and submission processes to ensure timely and compliant submissions.

Grant Stewardship, Reporting & Compliance

• Oversee post-award stewardship, ensuring grant requirements, reporting deadlines, and compliance standards are met.
• Coordinate narrative and financial reporting in collaboration with finance, program leads, and advancement staff.
• Maintain strong relationships with funders through professional communication, stewardship updates, and impact reporting.
• Track grant outcomes, expenditures, and deliverables, ensuring accurate documentation and recordkeeping.
• Support donor and foundation recognition efforts in collaboration with the Advancement team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, higher education, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in grant writing, grants management, or sponsored programs (higher education experience preferred).
• Demonstrated success researching, writing, and securing grants from foundations, corporations, or government agencies.
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, compelling narratives.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and projects simultaneously.
• Experience with grant reporting, compliance, and stewardship processes.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, administrators, and external partners.
• High level of attention to detail, professionalism, and discretion.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience building or expanding an institutional grants program.
• Familiarity with grant databases and prospect research tools.
• Understanding of higher education funding environments and compliance requirements.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative, mission-driven team.
• Commitment to the mission, values, and Christian identity of the University of the Cumberlands.

Cumberlands is different by design. Our employees exemplify our motto in the pursuit of a

“life-more-abundant.”