Job Description
Department:
Vice President of Planning and Strategy
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
Employee Type:
Job Summary:
The Director of Grants Research and Funding Strategy provides strategic leadership to expand the College’s externally funded research, scholarship and programmatic portfolio. This position serves as the institution's senior strategist for proactive grant discovery, research development, and faculty engagement, ensuring alignment between faculty scholarship, institutional priorities, and high-value funding opportunities.
The Director shapes and leads a comprehensive research development framework - including grant prospecting, stakeholder relationship cultivation, intelligence gathering, and strategic forecasting - that strengthens Colby’s long-term competitiveness in federal, state, corporate and foundation funding. As the primary institutional liaison to faculty on external funding strategy, the Director builds, sustains, and influences high-impact relationships across academic departments, centers, and institutes to advance a culture of external grant seeking.
This position provides strategic guidance to the Office of Sponsored Programs & Scholarship leadership team, partners closely with senior academic administrators, and plays a central role in developing annual and multi-year funding pipelines, KPS, and institutional research advancement initiatives.
Essential Functions
To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.
- In collaboration with the Director of Sponsored Programs, monitor and track changes in federal granting agency policies, interpreting and disseminating relevant information for faculty and staff.
- Lead the College’s strategy for proactive research, as well as identify and track new and emerging grant opportunities at federal and state granting agencies that align with the college’s strategic priorities and faculty research interests.
- Perform systematic research on private, community, and family foundations to identify organizations whose mission and funding history align with the college’s programs and faculty research.
- Support the Director of Foundation Programs in managing relationships with external foundations.
- Manage and execute a proactive faculty engagement program designed to increase grant applications across all academic disciplines.
- In collaboration with the entire grants team, plan and execute programming with faculty and staff members focused on the pre-award process.
- Provide individualized funding opportunity searches and consultations with faculty members, matching specific project ideas to relevant federal, foundation, and corporate grant programs.
- Cultivate and support collaborative relationships with leaders of college programs, centers, and institutes.
- Lead the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of the institution’s grants research strategy, inclusive of pipeline development, intelligence gathering, outreach models, and annual growth targets.
- Coordinate with grants office team and other stakeholders to collect, track, and analyze key performance indicators for faculty engagement, new funding opportunities identified, and progress through the cultivation pipeline.
- Remain current on relevant activity and trends in grants and sponsored programs
- Participate in professional development training programs to enhance expertise and skills
Position Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
Education and/or experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in grants or research administration; foundation/corporate relations; client or faculty relationship management; outreach programming; and/or data tracking/management
- Familiarity with the structure and terminology of grant programs and proposals
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with an approachable, outgoing, and enthusiastic demeanor that fosters strong relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to identify and align institutional needs, faculty interests, and funding opportunities in creative and strategic ways.
- Excellent project management, research, organizational, and judgement skills; ability to consistently meet multiple, simultaneous deadlines and follow-through on assignments in a timely manner
- Strong computer skills including spreadsheets and grant prospecting databases
- Data management and analytical skills
- Strong technical and professional writing skills
- Demonstrated ability to plan and execute professional workshops, training sessions, and other events
- High degree of self-motivation with attention to detail
- Able to handle confidential information tactfully and exercise discretion
- Appreciation of Colby’s mission and the ability to effectively communicate it
- Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a diverse community and make an impact in a complex, fast-paced and team-oriented environment
- An entrepreneurial spirit and positive attitude
Preferred Qualifications or Skills:
- Experience working in higher education, particularly in a liberal arts setting
- Demonstrated record of interacting successfully with a variety of sponsored research funding sources, including federal agencies and/or foundations
Physical/Mental Demands
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.
- The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.
- There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.
- While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities.
- There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.
- An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.
- The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.
To Apply:
Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.
