Director of Grants Management

About the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund

The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) supports the disability rights movement around the world by resourcing organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to advocate for equal rights and full participation in society. The Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF) is DRF’s sister organization, supporting advocacy for legislative change. DRF/DRAF currently work across Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. The Funds are grounded in a participatory and gender transformative approach and follow grantmaking, technical assistance, and advocacy strategies to support OPDs to advance the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Disability Summit commitments, and other key international frameworks.  

At DRF/DRAF, we believe our people are what make us great. Reflecting our values and participatory approach, persons with disabilities are leaders and decision makers at all levels of our organization – including our staff, Board, and Grantmaking Committee. We value teamwork and a supportive work environment. Our goal is to find individuals who are good at what they do and passionate about our mission.  

POSITION SUMMARY

DRF is seeking a Director of Grants Management to lead its grants management function, including overseeing the administration of more than $5M in international grants each year and the collection, storage and analysis of all grants data and information. As the administrator and principal lead of the online grants management system and related processes, the Director ensures data integrity, timely and compliant execution of grant awards, and workflow efficiency for DRF staff, applicants and grantees.

The incoming Director will be an experienced grants management leader with expertise in effective grants life-cycle administration and compliance for international grants to grassroots organizations. The candidate will have experience with user-friendly and accessible systems and grant portals, and a commitment to centering the needs and perspectives of DRF program staff and grantee representatives. Given DRF’s recent transition to WizeHive Zengine, the ideal candidate will also bring prior experience with the implementation and/or utilization of this technology platform.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead Grants Management Strategy
  • Ensure that DRF’s grants management practices and approaches are consistent with organizational goals and values and center the grantee experience. 
  • Serve as a leader and guide in grants management processes and procedures, facilitating engagement and adoption of best practices across the organization. 
  • Continually stay abreast of new developments in grants management and use this knowledge to enhance DRF’s grants management strategy and approach. 
  • Work closely with the Director of Evaluation and Learning to streamline the collection of grants data and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning data. 
  • Partner with the Program and Risk Management Teams to support grantee compliance with safeguarding requirements.
  • Represent DRF/DRAF to the broader grants management community, including PEAK Grantmaking.
Oversee Grants Administration Processes  
  • Work with the Finance team to ensure seamless integration of grants administration and management and to improve systems, including finalizing migration to a new collaborative grants management system and other projects as identified.
  • Partner with other team members to ensure policies and procedures are followed and all grants adhere to international, federal, and state legal and tax requirements, as well as organization-defined best practices for due diligence, risk assessment, compliance, and grantee reporting requirements. 
  • Partner with the Finance Systems Manager to improve the process and workflow through which grant awards are executed. 
  • Maintain ownership of the WizeHive Zengine grants management system, including leadership on all back-end functions, training on use of the system, and management of improvements. 
  • Oversee the approach for policies and procedures to be documented and updated in the Grants Administration Manual.
Develop and Manage a Team 
  • Lead the planning, recruitment and cultivation of a small, high-performing grants management team to support the execution of strategies and processes. 
  • Establish team goals, priorities and work plans that align with organizational goals. 
  • Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality. 
  • Coach and develop the team using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis, inspiring confidence, trust, respect, and transparency within the team.

Other duties may occasionally be assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Capabilities

  • Extensive experience in grants administration with a deep understanding of public foundation grantmaking processes and related financial and compliance issues.
  • Strong systems orientation, with a track record of improving and enhancing existing grants management technologies, developing new solutions, and maintaining an awareness of and willingness to use new and emerging platforms.
  • Experience overseeing grants management databases, including making fixes and upgrades as a systems administrator; experience using WizeHive Zengine strongly desired.
  • Staff management experience and proven ability to provide and receive feedback, and develop staff capacities.
  • Exceptional customer service, problem-solving, analytical, and conceptual skills.
  • Work experience with social justice and human rights organizations, including a commitment to promoting social and economic justice and advancing the rights of persons with disabilities.
  • Bachelor’s degree required.
  • Willingness and ability to work effectively and harmoniously within a diverse and virtual work environment in an inclusive, multicultural, and global organization.
  • Demonstrated initiative to work independently and learn new skills, resourcefulness in problem solving, and collaborate productively on teams.
  • English is DRF’s operating language. Fluency in a second global language is highly valued, especially French, Bahasa Indonesia, or Nepalese.

Location

DRF operates primarily as an e-office with headquarters in Boston, MA USA. You must have the ability to work independently in a remote environment and travel to in-person staff meetings at least twice per year. Additional international and domestic travel may also be needed. The structure of the employment agreement will be determined by the geographical location and work authorization of the successful applicant.

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time position. The base salary for this position is $110,000 USD. DRF offers excellent benefits (full health, vision, dental, life insurance, retirement plan contributions), and generous time-off policies, as well as a commitment to professional development and growth.  Salary and benefits may be adjusted based on requirements of the locality in which the selected candidate is located.

How To Apply

Please email a one-page cover letter describing how your skills and experience in grants management would support DRF’s work and a one- or two-page resume/CV summarizing your relevant, recent experience to Alice Phinizy, Finance Director, at jobs@disabilityrightsfund.org with subject line “Director of Grants Management Application”. Due to the volume of applications typically received, we can only reply to shortlisted candidates.

The Disability Rights Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build a diverse team and create a safe and inclusive work environment. Individuals from historically marginalized identities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, class, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other status.

Deadline

The application deadline is October 14, 2022. Early submission is encouraged as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Click here to download a Word version of the job description.