Director of Grants Management

The Samueli Foundation (Foundation) is a California-based, Southern California-focused, private family foundation that has recently reached several important milestones. This includes a significant acceleration in its rate of giving and a stated ambition to accelerate even further (targeting +$120M in grantmaking in 2025).

Our vision is well-being for all. Our mission is to make Orange County a thriving mosaic of community well-being by supporting and uniting catalytic forces whose innovations yield a higher quality of life for everyone. Our values are integrity, gratitude, empathy, curiosity, creativity, and trust.

We strive to accomplish our mission through three main approaches:

• INVEST: Support catalytic forces whose innovations yield a higher quality of life for everyone
• UNITE: Cultivate multisector cooperation that generates the will and the ways to achieve lasting, equitable community well-being
• MODEL: Inspire adaptation by other communities to scale the impact of proven programs

As we grow our work, we also make important investments in our team to ensure we deliver our work with the utmost professionalism, energy, and excellence.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Director of Grants Management is responsible for providing strategic leadership and tactical operations to the Foundation’s grants management function while ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in its grantmaking practices.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with Foundation staff and key contacts within the family office, the Director will set the groundwork for the Foundation’s anticipated significant growth by taking its grantmaking practices to the next level, implementing new processes that continue the Foundation’s track record of centering grantees while providing insight to further refine the Foundation’s strategic goals.

This role requires expertise in grantmaking policies and practices, strong change management skills to align grants management priorities within the Foundation, and the ability to develop and manage a small team.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Establish and lead the execution of a long-term vision for a strategic grants management function, ensuring the Foundation’s grantmaking practices are consistent with the Foundation’s values and center the grantee experience
• Develop and implement new approaches to grantmaking that continue to meet the evolving needs of the growing organization while incorporating meaningful trends in philanthropy
• Provide strategic leadership and thought partnership to Foundation staff, other functions, and grantees regarding grantmaking practice and operations
• Champion the use of the Foundation’s grantmaking system, GivingData, and encourage broad user adoption across all Foundation staff
• Contribute to institutional strategic planning and culture-building efforts

Grants Management

• Oversee all aspects of pre-and post-award grant activities, including supporting the full lifecycle of grants, from application through approval, payment, reporting, amendments, and closeout
• Review all grants for compliance with IRS regulations and Foundation requirements, working in partnership with other grants management staff and collaborating with legal counsel to ensure resolution of complex grantmaking issues, as needed
• Review organization and grant records for completeness and accuracy prior to final approval, including contacts, coding, payments, and reporting requirements
• Review grant agreements/award letters for completeness and accuracy
• Coordinate with the finance department to process grant payments and maintain internal controls
• Regularly participate in program team meetings to collaborate on pipeline planning, future commitments, renewals, and grant cycles/timing
• Develop and maintain grantmaking policies, tools, and guides for staff and grantees, e.g., proposal guidelines, reporting guidelines, award letters/grant agreement templates, institutional policy guides, and other reference materials
• Oversee and conduct training of all new and current Foundation staff on grantmaking practices and systems, effectively communicating grantmaking practices and changes internally and externally to promote transparency and understanding around the process

Systems and Reporting

• Own the institution’s grantmaking system, including managing vendor(s) relationship(s), licensing fees, and appropriately budgeting for enhancements
• Serve as the primary grantmaking system administrator and oversee system configuration, maintenance, and updates
• Perform discovery around new institutional business needs, including documenting user requirements and process/workflow designs
• Undertake and coordinate testing of system upgrades and enhancements
• Optimize the grantmaking system to enhance the Foundation’s knowledge management efforts as well as its future measurement and evaluation efforts, and frequently review coding structures and definitions as well as grant data for accuracy and integrity
• Undertake analysis of grants data, and design and produce reports/dashboards for presentation of grant information, including board materials and outward-facing publications that better tell the story of the Foundation’s grantmaking
• Partner with the finance department on the integration of the grants management and accounting systems, and reconcile grant reporting in both systems

Team Development & Management

• Supervise a team of one grants management professional with the potential to expand the team as the Foundation’s grantmaking grows
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality

Sector Engagement

• Maintain expert knowledge of current philanthropy trends, practices, and activities and translate them back to the Foundation to further support the Foundation’s mission and values
• Actively participate in vendor and association communities (PEAK Grantmaking, TAG) to identify new practices that can benefit the Foundation

Skills

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Equivalent combinations of work experience and training that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will also be considered.

It is critically important that the Director be a highly collaborative and collegial team player who listens and communicates well, while rooted in the confidence that comes with subject matter expertise. A successful candidate will possess a majority of the following professional and personal attributes and competencies:

• Minimum of eight (8) years of related work experience with at least five (5) years in a grants manager/officer role at a private or family foundation
• Proven experience in strategic planning, priority setting, facilitation of meetings, and execution of projects and systems within a complex organization
• Demonstrated leadership skills and able to build strong, collaborative relationships at all levels
• Able to prioritize projects and meet deadlines
• Strong systems orientation, with a track record of enhancing existing technologies to support stronger and more efficient operations, is preferred
• Demonstrated change management skills and able to champion a culture of continuous improvement over the long term
• A desire to support all stakeholders in the grantmaking process, including staff, board, grantees, and relevant community members
• Impeccable integrity, flexibility, and desire to both create and execute
• Proactive and able to move work forward independently
• Demonstrated attention to detail, accuracy, and high-quality work
• Actively engaged with grants management peers to connect and share new grantmaking resources and strategies
• Inherent curiosity, active listening skills, and dedication to learning
• Demonstrates a commitment to creating a positive culture within an evolving organization
• Passion for Samueli Foundation’s mission, vision and values