Grants Compliance Manager in Washington, District of Columbia at American Farmland Trust

Who We Are

American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and helped thousands of farm families make a go of it (primarily through programs that increase farm viability and/or enhance farmland access). Long a pioneering leader, AFT is now riding a new wave of growth, driven by agriculture’s most pressing needs and opportunities.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Grants Management, the Grants Compliance Manager (GCM) is responsible for overseeing grant compliance across AFT’s diverse portfolio of grants. The GCM ensures that all grant activities adhere to applicable regulations, funder requirements, and organizational policies; develops and maintains internal systems, tools, and standard operating procedures; and serves as a key resource for staff on grant management and compliance matters. This role requires a high degree of collaboration with the Programs, Project Management, Legal, and Development teams, and the ability to clearly communicate grant regulations and financial concepts to a variety of audiences.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Interpret and apply grant agreements, terms, and conditions to ensure compliance with funding guidelines, reporting deadlines, and allowable costs across awards issued by federal, state, corporate, foundation, and other institutional funding sources.
• Monitor and stay current on U.S. Government (USG) grant management policies, federal regulations (including 2 CFR 200), and funder-specific requirements; update internal guidance and advise staff accordingly.
• Develop, maintain, and refine organizational grant award tracking and filing systems, including SharePoint platform management, to ensure records are current, accurate, and complete.
• Review new grant agreements and solicitations to identify compliance requirements, risks, and operational considerations.
• Oversee subaward compliance, including development and review of subaward agreements for consistency with prime award requirements.
• Provide training, guidance, and mentorship to grant team members and project/program managers to build organizational capacity and ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
• Develop, update, and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for key grant management functions, to include procurement, subawards, consultant contracting, and budget and financial management.
• Support the annual organizational work planning and budgeting process as it relates to grant compliance requirements.

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities. Management reserves the right to revise the job or to request other or different duties be performed as assigned.