Grants administrator

Grants administrators handle the pass-through track of grants, often given out by the government to the grant recipient. They prepare the paperwork such as the grant applications and give out the grants. They are also responsible to make sure that the grant recipient spends the money correctly according to the terms laid out.

Excludes grants management officers.

The duties of a grants administrator include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinating with executive leadership to develop budgets and long-term plans for each program or initiative
• Monitoring program performance to ensure that goals are being met and performance measures are being met
• Reporting on program results and program activities to stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, board members, and staff members
• Developing proposals for new programs and initiatives that align with the organization’s mission and goals
• Ensuring compliance with IRS regulations regarding tax-exempt organizations and other applicable laws, such as those related to conflict of interest policies
• Preparing reports detailing financial information, including revenue and expenditures, for boards of directors or other governing bodies
• Managing staff, including hiring new employees when needed, setting performance benchmarks, and providing ongoing training
• Maintaining donor records and managing donor relations, including soliciting donations, developing relationships with major donors, and thanking donors for their contributions
• Developing budgets, monitoring expenditures, and ensuring that funds are used efficiently

The following job titles also refer to grants administrator:

research grants administrator
grants and contracts administrator
proposals administrator
grants and contracts officer
grants and trusts administrator
grants & contracts officer
grants administration funding officer

Grants administrators work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. They typically work regular business hours, although they may occasionally work evenings and weekends to attend meetings or events related to their work.

Grants administrators typically work in office settings, although they may travel to meet with grantees or potential grantees. The work of grants administrators can be stressful, as they must often meet deadlines and juggle multiple projects at once. However, most grants administrators find the work to be challenging and rewarding, as they help to ensure that vital programs and services are funded.

Grants administrators are typically required to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as public administration, business administration or social work. Many grants administrators choose to pursue a master’s degree in public administration or a related field. A master’s degree in public administration takes two years to complete and includes coursework in public policy, research methods, ethics and grant management.

Many grant-making organizations require their grants administrators to have at least three years of experience in a related field. This experience can include working as a grant writer, grant reviewer or grant manager. Some organizations may also require their grants administrators to have experience in a nonprofit setting.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Grants administrator is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to grants administrator.

passport officer
licensing officer
immigration officer
customs officer
court clerk

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of grants administrator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of grants administrator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

grants management officer
programme funding manager
court jury coordinator
court administrator
civil service administrative officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of grants administrator.

• Financial management: The field of finance that concerns the practical process analysis and tools for designating financial resources. It encompasses the structure of businesses, the investment sources, and the value increase of corporations due to managerial decision-making.

These skills are necessary for the role of grants administrator.

• Grant concessions: Grant rights, land or property from governments to private entities, in compliance with regulations, and ensuring the necessary documentation is filed and processed
• Instruct grant recipient: Educate the receiver of the grant about the procedure and the responsibilities which come with getting a grant.
• Follow up awarded grants: Manage data and payments after the grant has been awarded. Make sure that the grant recipient spends the money according to the terms of reference, verifying payment records or reviewing invoices.
• Manage grant applications: Process and prepare grant requests by reviewing budgets, keeping track of grants distributed or obtaining the right documents.
• Give out grants: Handle grants given out by an organisation, company or the government. Give the appropriate grants to the grant recipient while instructing him or her about the process and responsibilities linked to it.
• Help grant recipient: Inform the receiver of the grant how to apply for grants.
• Complete administration: Manage the terms of the grant, the follow-up procedures and recording dates and payments.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of grants administrator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Mathematics: Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.
• Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of grants administrator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
• Manage database: Apply database design schemes and models, define data dependencies, use query languages and database management systems (DBMS) to develop and manage databases.
• Comply with legal regulations: Ensure you are properly informed of the legal regulations that govern a specific activity and adhere to its rules, policies and laws.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
• Think analytically: Produce thoughts using logic and reasoning in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Study topics: Carry out effective research on relevant topics to be able to produce summary information appropriate to different audiences. The research may involve looking at books, journals, the internet, and/or verbal discussions with knowledgeable persons.
• Use communication techniques: Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
• Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
• Conduct research interview: Use professional researching and interviewing methods and techniques to gather relevant data, facts or information, to gain new insights and to fully comprehend the message of the interviewee.
• Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
• Check official documents: Check an individuals’ official documentation, such as driver’s licenses and identification, to ensure compliance with legal regulations, and to identify and assess individuals.
• Ensure proper document management: Guarantee that the tracking and recording standards and rules for document management are followed, such as ensuring that changes are identified, that documents remain readable and that obsoleted documents are not used.
• Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
• Use Microsoft Office: Possess the ability to work with the standard programs contained in Microsoft Office at a capable level. Create a document and do basic formatting, insert page breaks, create headers or footers, and insert graphics, create automatically generated tables of contents and merge form letters from a database of addresses (usually in Excel). Create auto-calculating spreadsheets, create images, and sort and filter data tables.

3313 – Accounting associate professionals

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References

1. Grants administrator – ESCO
2. Grant Administrator Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – Climb the Ladder