Senior Director of the Grants Office

Senior Director of the Grants Office

Overview
The Senior Director of the Grants Office will lead a coordinated staff and an office that is responsible for working with foundations, corporations, and governmental agencies to secure funding that will support the academic mission and strategic initiatives of the College, including research by faculty and students. The Grants Office oversees all aspects of foundation and corporate relations, faculty grants and sponsored research, and student fellowships, as well as administration of the Institutional Research Board. Reporting to the chief academic officer, the Senior Director is the primary person at the College responsible for executing foundation and corporate relations to advance institutional goals.

They will be a strategic and innovative leader, who is a collaborative relationship-builder and who takes initiative on behalf of the institution, communicates its value and potential exceptionally well, and is intellectually curious and mission-focused. The Senior Director will also be an outstanding writer who can oversee a data-informed office and lead a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Internally, they will interact regularly with the Dean of Faculty’s Office, the President, Advancement, Communications and Marketing, the Comptroller, and faculty members across academic divisions. Externally, they will interface with peers, foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners and alumni.

The Grants Office is in transition, and the Senior Director will have the opportunity to hire a staff member and to reorganize responsibilities flexibly to build on the strengths of a strong team, including the head of faculty grants and sponsored research, and to oversee a coherent office committed to serving the College and its faculty and students. Setting and meeting benchmarks, reporting opportunities regularly, and marketing institutional successes will be essential aspects of this key strategic role. The Senior Director will cultivate a deep understanding of higher education and a passion for the liberal arts and Trinity College, deriving satisfaction from empowering others.

Trinity College is a highly selective, independent, nonsectarian liberal arts institution located in Connecticut’s capital, Hartford, proudly approaching its Bicentennial in 2023. With over 2100 full-time undergraduate students and 91 graduate students, the College maintains a rigorous academic profile complemented by a vibrant and diverse co-curricular program. We seek to have our staff reflect the changing demographics of our student body, which is diverse and represents 41 states and 70 countries with 21% students of color and 50% women. We are also a residential campus in an urban center with strong academic, social and philanthropic connections to our home city of Hartford. As a preeminent liberal arts college in an urban setting, Trinity College’s mission is to prepare students to be bold, independent thinkers who lead transformative lives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for setting strategy in collaboration with others and successfully meeting institutional goals, following data-informed practices;
• Hires, trains and supervises staff, supporting their efforts as part of an integrated team;
• Serves as a primary point of contact for, cultivating and stewarding, external funders, foundation presidents, executive directors, and program officers, and coordinates foundation visits for the president and senior leaders;
• Facilitates the completion of major grant proposals, including the development of ideas in conjunction with key administrators and faculty members;
• Manages all grant proposal submissions from the College, including review of proposals prepared in whole or in part by others, and is responsible for ensuring compliance, including effort reporting and monitoring for conflicts of interest, and any post-award compliance, such as overseeing grant audits or monitoring grant spending;
• In consultation with senior leadership, identifies top prospects and develops strategies that match institutional priorities, developing an annual plan;
• Writes and edits major proposals, letters of inquiry, grant-supporting documentation, and reports focusing on a broad range of projects, persuasively communicating successes;
• Leads and participates in brainstorming meetings about various project ideas, and other meeting/lectures on campus relating to proposal development, the College’s priorities, and faculty research projects;
• Reviews and shapes financial reports submitted by the associate comptroller and the director of academic finance for inclusion in narrative reports to funders;
• Maintains current knowledge of College programs, strengths, and ambitions; and understands the current work of peer institutions to keep Trinity positioned competitively;
• Stays informed of best practices and funding trends by attending professional conferences like NIH, NSF, PRIM&R, CLASP, and SCAFRO;
• Other duties as assigned by the vice president for Academic

 Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required and master’s preferred, as well as five years of relevant experience, preferably in higher education;
• Record of success in foundation and corporate relations, with knowledge of faculty grants and sponsored research as well as student fellowships preferred;
• Comfortable with and enthusiastic about working with data and budgets, the visual presentation of data, and data-informed analysis;
• Strong knowledge of local and national private funding agencies, with a proven track record of working productively with major funders;
• Familiarity with major issues in higher education and the value of the liberal arts;
• Organized, self-starting, and able to meet and drive multiple deadlines, with experience managing a team;
• Outstanding written, oral, and analytical skills, a willingness to work independently as well as on a team, with meticulous attention to detail;
• Exceptional judgment, initiative, energy, creativity, and flexibility;
• Must be able to represent Trinity College effectively to internal and external constituents;
• Knowledge and understanding of Trinity College's mission, strategic goals, and programmatic strengths and initiatives, or the ability and interest to learn quickly;
• Highly collaborative, with an innovative mindset and driven to empower others and to advance the institution’s

Applicants are required to discuss in their cover letter their commitment to and/or experience working with diverse individuals or in diverse communities.

To apply online, visit https://trincoll.peopleadmin.com/postings/2277.

Trinity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.