Grants Manager at Center For The Innovative Training of Youth CITY, Inc. – New Orleans, Louisiana

Job Position: Grants Manager

Position Type: Full-time, Exempt; Benefits eligible

Reports to: Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Location: On-site, New Orleans, LA

Compensation: $62,000-$70,000 annually

The mission of STEM NOLA is to grow future Innovators, Creators, and Entrepreneurs through inspiration, engagement, and exposure. Members of the community will learn about opportunities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Why Join Us? STEM NOLA is a national leader in designing and delivering high-impact STEM education experiences for K–12 students, families, and communities. Through hands-on STEM Labs, community-based STEM Saturday events, in-school programming, summer camps, and workforce development pathways, STEM NOLA provides learners with immersive, experiential opportunities that strengthen STEM identity, build confidence, and expand exposure to STEM careers.

Summary/Objective: The Grants Manager plays a critical role in maintaining STEM NOLA’s reputation for excellence in operational execution, fiscal stewardship, and community impact. This position serves as the organizational hub for all post-award (not grant writing) grant management functions (including compliance, reporting, data coordination, and grantor communications), while partnering with the external grant writing contractor and the internal leadership team to ensure alignment across all grant-funded activities.

The Grants Manager will manage the full life cycle of post-award processes across more than 30 active, federal, state, corporate, and foundation grants. This includes building and maintaining the systems and processes that ensure each award remains compliant, timely, and strategically aligned with STEM NOLA’s mission to expand STEM access, engagement, and excellence in communities across the nation.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Grant Administration

• Independently manage day-to-day post-award administration of all awarded grants, ensuring accurate documentation, reporting, and compliance with funder requirements.

• Maintain a comprehensive grant tracking system, calendar, and workflow dashboard in collaboration with the CAO and Finance team.

• Coordinate internal reporting schedules, ensuring timely submission of deliverables, performance metrics, and financial reports to funders.

• Serve as the internal point of contact for grant-related inquiries, ensuring staff compliance with award conditions and scopes of work.

Compliance and Financial Coordination

• Partner with the Finance Department to review budgets, expense reports, and fund allocations in alignment with grant terms.

• Monitor program spending to ensure all expenditures are allowable, allocable, and properly documented.

• Support audits and site visits from government agencies and private funders.

• Ensure alignment between programmatic deliverables and financial accountability systems.

Grantor Relations and Communication

• Serve as a primary liaison with grant officers, foundation contacts, and corporate sponsors for post-award communication and reporting.

• Develop clear, professional correspondence and progress reports that reflect STEM NOLA’s brand of excellence and transparency.

• Coordinate storytelling and data-sharing with the Communications and Program teams to highlight the impact of funded programs.

Internal Collaboration and Coordination

• Work as part of a cross functional team, alongside the CEO, CFO, and CAO, and Grant Writing contracting team, to ensure strategic coherence across all grant activities.

• Collaborate with the external grant writing contractor to provide data, impact summaries, and organizational context that strengthen new proposals and renewals.

• Support alignment of program outcomes with grant deliverables across initiatives such as STEM Saturdays, STEM Fests, STEM Fellows, and Federal Grant programs.

Systems Development and Staff Supervision

• Build scalable systems, templates, and protocols for grants management as STEM NOLA expands nationally.

• Supervise and mentor grants interns, providing hands-on professional development and performance feedback.

• Collaborate with the CAO to plan for future grants administration staffing needs as the department grows.

Financial Management of Federal Grants

• Ensure all expenses charged to government grant funding are accurately tracked.

• Review grant spending with Grants Manager and Chief Administrative Officer, at least quarterly, and create amendments as needed.

• Request monthly or quarterly grant reimbursements (as required by grant stipulations).

• Manage fiscal compliance to ensure that expenditure charged to grants match application budgets, with necessary documentation.

Education, Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in grants administration, compliance, or post-award management; education or STEM-focused nonprofit experience preferred

• Requires passage of a full background check (state and federally mediated)

• Demonstrated experience managing post-award federal, state, foundation, and/or corporate grant portfolios, including compliance and reporting requirements with strong understanding of post-award grants management, including financial reporting, budget reconciliation, audit preparation, and budget vs. actual analysis

• Experience managing grants across a range of award sizes

• Experience working with private donor foundations and corporate funders, including reporting and stewardship requirements

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data analysis, formulas, reporting), along with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace (especially Google Sheets)

• Experience working with grants management systems, CRM platforms, or similar data tracking tools preferred

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience with grant reporting and funder correspondence

• Detail-oriented with a systems-thinking mindset and a high level of accuracy in managing data and compliance requirements

• Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, and accountability in managing sensitive information and external relationships

• Commitment to advancing STEM education, youth empowerment, and equitable access to opportunity

Work Environment & Demands:

• Minimum of 40 hours per week, with flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and some holiday periods

• Requires availability to work at least one Saturday per month for 4 hours (2nd Saturday of each month)

• May require some company-sponsored travel (less than 15%)

• Work is performed in a combination of office, remote, and community or event-based environments.

• Physical requirements include the ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally.

• May involve standing or walking for extended periods while some tasks may require bending, stooping, or reaching.

• Regular use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and various digital devices.

• Capacity to perform repetitive tasks; read, analyze, and interpret data; maintain visual attention and mental concentration for significant periods of time.

Work Authorization: Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

Disclaimer: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This job description shall not constitute or be construed as a promise of employment or as a contract between STEM NOLA and any of its employees.

STEM NOLA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.