Grants Manager

ISD is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to safeguarding human rights and reversing the rising tide of polarisation, extremism and disinformation worldwide.

Why work for ISD?

ISD is not your ordinary think tank. We turn research into action that changes the world. Our insights don’t gather dust on shelves – they power the fight to protect democracy and human rights on the front lines. We’re committed to delivering real change, from the grassroots to the highest levels of global institutions. And we’re looking for passionate individuals who share our commitment to making a difference. Join us and be part of an organisation that’s making an impact.

ISD’s Guiding Principles of integrity, collaboration, agility and courage define who we are as a team and an organisation. These principles reflect our culture and guide the way we work and the choices we make.

Our benefits

• Flexible and remote working based on ISD’s Time Principles of trust, communication and flexibility.
• 20 days paid time off plus 11 public holidays.
• 1 week of additional paid time off over Christmas, outside of your PTO entitlement.
• Paid time off for development and life’s important events.
• Health Insurance policy including vison and dental.
• 401k policy
• Sick pay and enhanced family friendly policies.
• Annual personal development budget.
• Remote working budget.
• Employee Assistance Programme and dedicated counsellors for those working with potentially traumatic content.
• Inclusive wellbeing programme with regular wellbeing initiatives e.g. early finish on a Friday.

Salary

$65,000 – $85,000

Location

You may work from our office in Washington DC, from home, or on a hybrid arrangement to suit you. Please note you will be required to attend the office occasionally for team meetings.

Hours

This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week. We are open to considering flexible working arrangements.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

ISD is committed to promoting diversity throughout its workforce and aims for its team to be truly representative of all sections of society. We make a concerted effort to ensure our workplace, employment policies and organisational culture creates an inclusive, positive and progressive environment in which all members of our team are treated with dignity and respect. For further information about this policy or our recruitment practices, please email [email protected].

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, carers, and people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The role

The Grants Manager is a critical role for supporting the delivery of ISD’s ambitious programming in the US. ISD US has grown exponentially over the past three years and currently implements a portfolio of over 15 grants, funded by a range of philanthropic foundations and government
departments.

This is a newly created role and reflects ISD’s ambition to continue scaling our operations in the US. The post holder will work closely with teams from across ISD US to ensure the efficient operational delivery of this varied portfolio of projects. The post holder will also connect into ISD’s global Project Operations team, managed out of ISD UK.

This is a critical role for ISD US, ensuring that project management and operational systems are applied across portfolio and that each and every grant is delivered on time, on budget and in compliance with ISD and donor requirements. The post holder will therefore play an important role through all stages of project design, development, delivery and reporting to ensure the highest quality and standards of output and operational efficiency.

The post-holder will report to ISD US’ Head of Operations, with dotted line reporting to the global Director of Project Operations. While this role is primarily US-focused, the post holder may be required to manage grants that touch on other geographies in which ISD operates globally.

Key responsibilities include:

• Effectively manage a portfolio of grants for ISD US, demonstrating key project management skills, ensuring those projects and grants are delivered on time and on budget

• Make an active contribution to the Project Operations Team, supporting the delivery of the highest standards of project management, financial and resource planning, and donor compliance across ISD US.

• Lead on financial management and administration of ISD US’ grant portfolio including budget tracking, reporting and invoice monitoring

• Proactively research and flag new development opportunities such as open tenders, public NOFOs/RFPs in coordination with the Senior Business Development Manager.

  To view a full list of responsibilities, please click here.

The ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of grant and project management principles and strong knowledge of project financial management. They will also demonstrate an understanding of US Government funding mechanisms and compliance requirements. In this manager level role, the ideal candidate will have demonstrable prior experience of grant and project management and experience overseeing a portfolio of multiple grants, up to $1m +.

Please review our job description for essential criteria, and keep in mind that no candidate will meet every requirement in the advert. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified, but you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.