Overview of CCA
The Community College of Aurora serves our diverse community by providing high-quality instruction and support services to prepare students for transfer and employment. We are particularly interested in applicants that demonstrate a commitment to working with individuals and groups from diverse identities, including but not limited to: socioeconomic, cultural, sexual orientation, gender identity expression, disability, multilingual learners, veterans, non-traditional, race and ethnic backgrounds.
More than 20 different languages and 60 countries are represented at CCA. In addition to traditional degree and certificate programs, CCA offers non-credit professional development courses, customized training, and economic and workforce development resources to employer partners and individual professionals seeking to enhance the capacity and productivity of their workforce or individual knowledge and skills. The college centers diversity, equity, and inclusion and we actively seek to employee partners who want to join us in working to reducing outcome gaps among our diverse student population.
.POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Grants Development is a hands-on fundraising position at the college responsible for securing external grant resources at a significant scale to fund college program priorities.
The Director is responsible for identifying federal, state, and private grant opportunities aligned with the college’s mission and priorities, serving as the lead grant writer, collaborating with faculty and staff to assemble grant program plans and budgets, and soliciting and selecting external evaluators.
The Director is responsible for all aspects of the grant application submission process, including assisting with principal investigator (PI) registration, assembling and uploading required submission documents, and procuring support letters.
The Director also facilitates the start-up of grant-funded projects and provides training, coaching, and related support to faculty and project managers on grant administration requirements. Further, the Director strategically improves and updates processes, resources, and organization practices to ensure compliance and promote transparency and clarity.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develops and implements a strategic grant development plan for the college to secure external grant resources at a significant scale to fund new project development or expansion, ongoing specialty programs such as TRiO Student Support Services programs, and other college priorities.
- Facilitates compliance with funder reporting requirements, tracking reporting deadlines and collaborating with Fiscal Affairs, Institutional Research, and other departments, divisions, and individuals.
- Assists PIs, project directors, project personnel, and college leadership with the communication of project outcomes and/or strategic implementation adjustments to maintain a positive profile and broad eligibility for future funding opportunities.
- Monitors federal, state, local government, private foundations, and other grant sources to identify grant opportunities aligned with the college's mission and priorities. Cultivates relationships with program officers, including facilitating site visits as needed to enhance funder relationships and project funding potential.
- Identifies grant opportunities with the most relevant potential for the college and communicates key parameters and requirements to college leadership and key staff with recommendations on considerations for deciding whether to pursue the funding opportunity. Uses the CCA Intent to Submit Grant Proposal form and leads the CCA Grants Committee to approve and/or deny grant opportunities, escalating to Cabinet as needed for final review and approval.
- Uses, updates, creates, and distributes resources and guidance material such as pre- and post-award handbooks, the CCA Grant Development SharePoint, and other documentation.
- Organizes and leads work teams to develop grant program concepts, implementation plans and timelines, deliverables and outcomes, data arguments and research citations, personnel, and budget plans for grant applications. Serves as the lead grant writer with review and input from the work team to ensure proposals accurately reflect the intent and commitment of key college staff, including the Pl. Assists in briefing the Fiscal Affairs team on the proposed budget and any required match or leverage fund commitments.
- Assists in securing letters of support and/or commitment.
- Provides review, editing, and approval for all narrative- and performance-related reporting or application documents. Confirms in writing the approval for a PI to submit narrative- and performance-related reports and/or proposals. Signs and dates all reports and proposals to document approval. Files and retains all signed documents in the Grants shared drive.
- Tracks key grant deadlines; coordinates preparation of required submission documents; manages application system and PI registrations; facilitates timely internal review according to established processes; ensures timely submission based on funder requirements.
- Tracks submitted proposals and awarded grants and provides regular reports to college and CCCS leadership as requested.
- Assists with grant project start-up, including briefing key staff on funder requirements, target outcomes, spending parameters, reporting, evaluation, and related provisions via Kick-Off Meetings. Assists, troubleshoots, and otherwise supports principal investigators and/or grant project managers with budget review and modifications, communication with program officers, and preparation and submission of required grant reports.
- Works collaboratively with Fiscal Affairs, Institutional Research, and other department staff to research process or procedural questions and troubleshoot grant administration issues as needed. Supports the development and maintenance of grant management documents/handbooks addressing grant implementation, oversight, compliance, and related policies and procedures, for use by project personnel and those involved in the grant process.
- Provides live coaching and training and otherwise serves as a resource to college leadership, faculty, and staff seeking grant funding, helping them to understand funder expectations and parameters, grant application processes, implementation requirements, and internal review processes, among other processes.
- Provides support and training to project personnel with grant management and grant close-out processes to ensure compliance with funder, system, state, and federal regulations.
- Coordinates with the Community College of Aurora (CCA) Foundation for the submission of grants requiring a 50 I (c)3 applicant and to support broader reporting and development activities. Supports reporting for the CCA Foundation as requested.
- Incorporates the core principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in daily interactions and activities, and engages in the college's broader DEI efforts as appropriate.
- Organizes documents using an established document naming convention. Creates, updates, and archives folders as needed. Ensures documentation is easily accessible and backed up.
- Other duties as assigned.
For a full announcement, requirements, and employment applications instructions, please click below:
