Department: Development

Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Job Overview:

The Grants Content Specialist is responsible for researching, writing, and coordinating grant applications across Mystic Aquarium’s program areas, including animal care, education, conservation, and research. This position builds and maintains a strong grants pipeline by identifying funding opportunities, developing compelling narratives and budgets, and managing the application lifecycle from prospecting through submission. Working closely with program staff and the Grants Management Specialist (peer role, primarily focused on post-reward tasks), this role ensures the organization’s grant efforts are well-organized, deadline-driven, and aligned with funder requirements.

Primary Functions:

Grant Writing and Application Development

• Write new and renewal grant applications for federal, state, local government, foundation, and corporate funding sources.
• Develop a wide array of grant narratives tailored to the organization’s functional areas, including animal care, education, conservation, and research.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather program information and data needed to build compelling and accurate applications.
• Draft supporting program materials as needed while relying on departments to provide core program content.
• Ensure all application materials are professional, complete, and submitted on time.

Grant Prospecting and Research

• Independently identify and evaluate new funding opportunities from government, foundation, and corporate sources.
• Receive and assess grant leads provided by other departments for organizational alignment and feasibility.
• Review opportunity guidelines and requirements to determine whether the organization should pursue a given grant.
• Maintain familiarity with funding portals and stay current on the processes and requirements of local, state, and federal granting agencies. Further, maintain familiarity with various RFP processes.

Budget Development and Financial Analysis

• Work with program managers and finance to build grant budgets, ensuring alignment between proposed activities and requested funding.
• Calculate return on investment, return on mission, and other financial metrics to evaluate prospective grant opportunities.
• Prepare grant summaries and financial analyses for presentation to senior leadership to support efficient vetting and decision-making.
• Work with the Grants Management Specialist and Controller to ensure grant expenses are tracked accurately.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate extensively with program staff across departments to ensure program data, outcomes, and funding needs are current and well-documented.
• Maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders including the Chief Zoological Officer, VP of Research and Chief Scientist, and VP of Education and Conservation.
• Work with Development staff to cultivate and steward foundation and corporate funders.
• Communicate regularly with the Grants Management Specialist to ensure a smooth handoff from pre-award to post-award activities.

Process Management and Organization

• Develop and maintain processes for the full grant application lifecycle, from identification through submission.
• Manage the organization’s grants schedule, tracking all deadlines, required documents, and submission milestones.
• Keep grant narratives and organizational documents up to date to reflect current programs and accomplishments.
• Submit progress reports, budget modifications, and scope-of-work changes for active grants as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, or a related field, with a minimum of two years of experience researching, writing, and managing grants. A proven track record of securing grant funding for nonprofit organizations is required. An equitable mix of education and experience will be considered.
• Grant Writing & Narrative Development: Strong ability to develop clear, compelling grant narratives across diverse program areas and for a variety of funder types, including government, foundation, and corporate sources.
• Financial Acumen: Demonstrated ability to build grant budgets and calculate return on investment and related financial metrics to support organizational decision-making.
• Organization & Process Management: Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines, track complex schedules, and develop reliable processes for grant workflows.
• Government Grant Systems: Working knowledge of grants.gov and familiarity with the distinct processes of local, state, and federal granting agencies.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to coordinate across departments and engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Adobe. Experience with grants management systems preferred.

Physical Demands:

This role takes place primarily in an open office environment requiring the ability to sit for extended periods, operate computer equipment, and participate in meetings and phone calls. The position is on-site and occasionally requires walking across campus facilities, navigating potentially wet or slick surfaces, and brief exposure to outdoor weather conditions including heat, cold, rain, and humidity. This role works in an open office setting with some foot traffic and low to medium levels of noise. Employees must be able to lift and carry materials up to 25 pounds, perform general office tasks involving bending and reaching, and maintain physical stamina throughout a standard workday.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Employment with this organization is at-will, meaning either the employee or the organization may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable laws. This organization is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of this position. If you require an accommodation to complete an application, please contact (860) 572-5955 and ask to speak with the recruitment department. This position may require background checks and reference verification as part of the hiring process.