Grants Writer

Under general supervision, the Grants Writer plays a critical role within the County and performs a variety of tasks in order to advance the County’s vision, mission, and values. Primary duties include locating public and private grant opportunities; obtaining and analyzing data and other supporting grant application materials; reviewing and adhering to grant solicitation requirements; authoring concise, clear, and persuasive grant proposals; and collaboratively editing and finalizing materials for submission. Work also includes assisting with award acceptance, programmatic and fiscal compliance, and other grant administrative functions. Excellent writing and editing skills are a must. This position will also be assigned special projects as determined by the supervisor. Reports to the Director of Budget.

• Assists in locating grant opportunities for programs, services, operating support, and capital needs and forwards to appropriate County Departments, Constitutional Offices, and/or Regional Agencies.
• Assists in gathering and analyzing research and data in support of grant applications.
• Assists in the development of project goals, objectives, timelines, budgets, and sustainability.
• Assists in the development of qualitative and quantitative evaluation measures.
• Assists in the development, articulation, and writing of persuasive grant proposals in response to public and private grant solicitations.
• Maintains and updates the grant database and grant filing systems.
• Compiles and sorts documents, such as funding opportunity notices, grant applications, award documents, procurement records, invoices, payments, payroll documentation, grant reports, reimbursement requests, accounting records, and other supporting documentation.
• Assists in the preparation of legal requests and agenda items for the County Attorney’s Office, Finance Committee, and Board of Supervisors.
• Reviews invoices to determine accuracy and whether or not charges are allowable, allocable, authorized, and reasonable under the specific grant award to be charged.
• Prepares journal entries if information is incorrect and forwards them to the appropriate approval authority.
• Assists in the preparation of post-award progress and financial reports.
• Assists in the processing of grant reimbursement requests.
• Responsible for records retention in compliance with grant terms and conditions.
• Assists the Grants Manager with year-end duties, including the preparation of close-outs, carry forwards, revenue accruals, and audit workpapers.
• Assists in performing internal reviews of grants to ensure that transactions comply with County, State, and Federal policies and regulations.
• Assists in quality control of grant-related documentation and deadlines.
• Advises and is a contact for Constitutional Officers, directors, supervisors, office managers, and other county personnel for issues relating to grant application and administration policies and procedures.
• Assists with preparing reports for internal/external auditors; answers questions; and researches and compiles information as requested.
• Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time management methodology and avoids duplication of effort.
• Attends and participates in collaborative meetings, planning sessions, and discussions.
• Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines, and events.
• Performs customer service functions that include receiving and responding to written and verbal inquiries from external and internal customers.
• Directs all incoming calls to appropriate County departments and provides general information as necessary.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Bachelor’s Degree in English, Communications, Marketing, Business Administration, or related field, and a minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of professional grant writing experience; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Must have superb written and oral communication skills.
• Must be detail-oriented.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local fiscal regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledgeofthepolicies, procedures,andactivitiesoftheCountyandConstitutional OfficesastheypertaintotheperformanceofdutiesrelatingtothepositionofGrants Writer.
• Knowledge of government fund accounting, of general accounting practices, procedures, and methods, and of generally accepted accounting and audit principles.
• Knowledge of the terminology, principles, and methods utilized within the department.
• Ability to keep abreast of any changes in methods, computer operations, equipment needs, laws, regulations, and/or policies as they pertain to departmental operations and activities.
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and related information.
• Ability to assemble information and make written reports and documents in a concise, clear, and effective manner.
• Ability to use independent judgment and work with little direct supervision in situations warrants.
• Knowledgeable and proficient with a microfiche reader, calculator, facsimile machine, computers, and experienced in working with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.
• Ability to read, understand, and interpret financial and computer reports and related materials.
• Ability to type with accuracy at a moderate rate of speed.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, discretion, and initiative in completing assignments and in dealing with other employees and the general public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public.
• Ability to organize and effectively process and maintain agency records and files.
• Ability to analyze and record information and to balance figures.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or objects.
• Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments, and/or directions from supervisors.
• Ability to read purchase orders, invoices, reports, correspondence, manuals, and handbooks.
• Ability to prepare grant applications, correspondence, inventories, reports, agenda items, etc., using proper format.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagrammatic form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in or from standardized situations.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; add and subtract totals; multiply and divide; decimals and percentages; and fractions.
• Must be flexible to changing circumstances and working under a deadline.
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be physically able to operate a variety of office machines, tools, and equipment, such as a computer, printer, typewriter, copy machine, facsimile machine, calculator, and telephone. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The position is rated for Light Work. Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape. Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately when using automated office equipment. Must have the ability to use one hand for twisting or turning motions while coordinating the other hand with different activities. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color. Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving the nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.