Grants Management Officer

Job Description 

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is a nonprofit organization that builds public-private partnerships to fund audacious research addressing the biggest challenges in food and agriculture. FFAR is committed to providing every person access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. FFAR pioneers scientific and technological innovation by funding research that fills critical research gaps. Ultimately, FFAR’s partnership and results benefit farmers, consumers and the environment. 

Position Description 

The grants management officer plays a critical role in FFAR’s grantmaking lifecycle – from competitive and noncompetitive award creation to final reporting and closeout. This role provides both strategic and operational support to ensure that awards are managed efficiently, transparently and in full compliance with internal policies and external regulations.  

The position requires excellent interpersonal and project management skills, a high level of organization, attention to detail and focus, strong grant management system experience and an ability to work under tight deadlines with competing priorities. 

Duties & Responsibilities 

Pre-and Post-Award  

• Oversee the full lifecycle of FFAR’s grantmaking activities, ensuring efficient, compliant and transparent processes from program launch to final closeout
• Support the development and review of Request for Application (RFAs), configuring online application and award requirements in grant management portal and overseeing the management of reviewer assignments and reviewer award summaries 
• Participate in agreement portfolio reviews, agreement negotiations, dissemination of agreements to grantees and review and routing for execution
• Provide grants guidance to internal and external stakeholders 
• Lead complex grant budget processes 
• Manage grant modifications, updating agreement records and ensuring system and document accuracy 
• Monitor progress and financial reports, resolving compliance issues and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure grantee support and internal alignment 

Grants Management System (Blackbaud Grantmaking-BBGM) Administration 

• Act as one of the core system administrators for FFAR’s grant management system, BBGM
• Attend BBGM product update meetings and training webinars
• Launch and configure new programs, forms, templates and reviewer processes
• Create and refine BBGM dashboards for internal staff and program teams
• Support custom reporting for internal users 
• Partner with FFAR’s Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Team to ensure data fields align with evaluation indicators and metrics 
• Collaborate on BBGM system functionality improvements and technical developments  



Administrative Support   

• Maintain and update electronic documents and files for the grants team 
• Collaborate with FFAR’s Finance Team to ensure financial data in BBGM is aligned and balanced to the financial systems 
• Monitor the shared grants email inbox, assign incoming request to appropriate team members and route follow-ups appropriately 
• Assist with drafting and updating standard operation procedures (SOPs) creation and maintenance related to the Grants Team

Qualifications 

• At least 5-7 years of relevant professional experience in grantmaking and grants system administration or commensurate experience 
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Experience administering a grants management system required, BBGM highly preferred 
• Deep understanding of pre- and post-award processes and grant compliance from a grantor perspective
• Strong analytical and organizational skills 
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, especially within Excel and SharePoint
• Effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Ability to work professionally and collegially within a fast-paced culture that emphasizes excellence and teamwork
• Demonstrated time management skills, including an ability to meet multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization
• Ability to demonstrate tact, diplomacy and initiative when working with others

Application & Nomination Process 

Please click here to apply for this role. Applicants must include a cover letter, resume and salary requirements. FFAR reviews applications on a rolling basis and will accept applications until a candidate is selected. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Additional Information 

This position requires long periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Occasional travel required. Work outside of normal business hours may be required. 

Benefits Offerings: 

• Comprehensive medical insurance
• 100% company paid dental and vision insurance for employee and family
• 100% life and disability insurance 
• 6% 401k match – fully vested after first contribution
• Employee assistance program
• Robust vacation, sick and holiday leave
• On-site gym with free access for employees
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Generous 100% paid family leave policy

EEO Statement 

FFAR is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.