Senior Grants and Operations Associate

Role Overview

• Serve as an administrative point of contact stakeholders such as governments, funding partners, and grantees.
• Arrange and support external facing meetings, calendar invites, agendas and follow up emails and actions.
• Draft correspondence and agendas for a variety of SPAA’s stakeholder engagements
• Support relationship stewardship activities with funders
• Support the full grants administration lifecycle, including tracking grant applications, monitoring deliverables and reporting deadlines, and maintaining organized grant records and documentation
• Screen grant applications and reporting materials for completeness and accuracy, following up with applicants and grantees as needed
• Assist with grantee and funder reporting obligations, ensuring programmatic and financial compliance with all grant requirements
• Oversee the timely processing of approved grants, including preparing cover letters, grant agreements, and payment documentation
• Track and review grantee payments and reports due, sending proactive reminders to grantees and program staff to ensure timely submission
• Maintain and update the grants management system with funder information, grantee applications, grant details, and associated contact records, ensuring data integrity and accessibility across the organization
• Support the installation, build-out, and ongoing optimization of the online grants management system
• Maintain and update grantmaking procedure manuals, grant cycle timelines, and other internal documentation to support organizational efficiency
• Troubleshoot operational issues related to grants administration and provide solutions to ensure smooth day-to-day operations
• Ensure all contracts and agreements are executed in a timely manner, coordinating with relevant stakeholders to obtain necessary signatures
• Manage contracts administration with venues and service providers for convenings and events
• Coordinate operational logistics for convenings and events
• Coordinate travel arrangements for stakeholders and SPAA’s team members
• Ensure all logistical details are handled efficiently to support successful events
• Support with team retreat planning

Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in grants administration, operations, or related fields
• Demonstrated experience with budget management, financial tracking, and reporting
• Proficiency with grants management software or CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Fluxx, or similar platforms)
• Strong project management and organizational skills with proven ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience coordinating events, meetings, or convenings
• Experience working with funders or in philanthropic organizations is strongly preferred
• Eagerness to learn and develop new operational skills, mindsets, and ways of working

Benefits

• excellent medical and dental benefits
• retirement savings
• generous vacation and sick leave policy