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Grants Specialist

Merit America
Remote friendly (Remote)
Worldwide

The Organization:  Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers and then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs, driving an average wage gain of $24k three months or more after completing the program. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. Since our founding in 2018, we’ve generated a projected $1 billion in near-term wage gains for our learners. 

Role Overview 

As the Grants Specialist, you will lead the full range of post-award activities required to research, prepare, submit, and ensure compliance for grant reports across Merit America’s 30+ funders—primarily private and family foundations—with opportunities to support a growing and diversified portfolio that includes federal programs, high-net-worth donors, DAFs, and additional foundations. In addition, you will play a support role in supporting fundraising and business development efforts, including drafting proposals and concept notes, conducting prospect research, and contributing to the development of new funding opportunities.

The Grants Specialist is an exempt role and will report directly to Maureen Silva, Director of Institutional Giving. This individual will actively work with Merit America’s Development team to expertly support activities with existing funding partners and ensure their commitment to the organization's mission. 

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Grants Specialist will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Technical Expertise (50%)

  • Research, develop, and manage complex grant reports for our portfolio of 30+ funders, and all associated post-award reporting requirements
  • Monitor grant performance against key commitments and communicate progress—and any emerging gaps—to internal teams and funders when appropriate
  • Contribute to grant proposals, including multi-year foundation and federal applications
  • Contribute to concept notes, overviews, and external-facing materials tailored to prospective funders to support early-stage cultivation and new business development
  • Support with the development of other tailored funder-facing materials, such as learner and alumni stories
  • Review grant agreements regularly and maintain systems to track reporting deadlines, data needs, and compliance requirements; engage staff across teams to gather information in a timely manner
  • Manage funders’ online grant portals for post-award processes

Research and Design (25%)

  • Gather, analyze, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data—including program activity, learner outcomes, and impact metrics—to strengthen funder reporting and renewal opportunities
  • Interpret grant-specific data to identify trends, highlight impact, and inform tailored communications with funders
  • Continuously monitor funder news and trends, and share insights with the team to strengthen engagement and renewal strategy
  • Stay current on national and regional trends in workforce development and education to incorporate relevant insights into reports and recommendations

Team and External Engagement (25%)

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Coaching, Program, Data, Communications, etc.) to produce clear, concise, and compelling communications with existing and prospective funders
  • Coordinate with external partners on joint grants (or subgrants) to gather required data and reporting inputs
  • Liaise with funders as needed to clarify deadlines, templates, reporting expectations, and compliance questions, when needed
  • Prepare for and participate in funder meetings, as needed

Skills and Competencies

We recognize that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the listed qualifications.  Please don’t let that discourage you from applying! We value the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each applicant brings, and we encourage you to apply if you believe your background demonstrates the required skills and competencies:

Must-Haves for all roles at Merit America: 

  • Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
  • Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
  • Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
  • Committed to continuous learning and growth in advancing inclusive excellence and closing gaps across lines of difference
  • Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Must-Haves for this role:

Grants Management & Technical Expertise

  • Experience with grant writing, reporting, and research with diverse funders (corporate, foundation, federal)
  • Familiarity with interpreting compliance requirements related to grants management, contracts, and audits
  • Strong planning, organizational skills, and attention to detail with ability to manage multiple deadlines

Writing & Communication

  • Strong written communication skills, maintaining a high level of professionalism and attention to grammar, formatting, and copy editing
  • Ability to distill complex information and data into compelling, accessible grant reports and proposals

Analysis & Problem-Solving

  • Strong analytical and deductive reasoning skills to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data
  • Proactive and autonomous approach, taking ownership of processes and effectively problem-solving as needed

Collaboration & Relationship Management

  • Exceptional cross-functional collaboration skills, building trust and strong working relationships across functions
  • Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to gather relevant information and ensure coherence in deliverables
  • Work independently with minimal supervision, taking responsibility for high-quality and timely task completion

Nice to Haves for this role: 

  • Experience with Salesforce 
  • Familiarity with the workforce development sector 
  • Comfort working with ChatGPT or similar AI tools.
  • Familiarity with grant management software beyond Salesforce (e.g., Submittable, Fluxx)
  • Experience with impact measurement and evaluation frameworks
  • Prior experience in education, workforce development, or social impact sectors
  • Familiarity with interpreting compliance and legal requirements related to grants management, contracts, and audits

Other Logistics 

  • This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
  • Location: Remote
  • Salary:  $88,000

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates. 

We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits (please note that some of the benefits do not apply to temporary employees): 

  • 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
  • Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
  • Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
  • Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
  • Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
  • Education & personal development reimbursement
  • Catalog of courses for professional learning and development
  • Short and long-term disability
  • Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
  • Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
  • 11 federally recognized holidays
  • 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
  • 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
  • Wellness Benefits/Wellness Resources
  • Discount perks at work program
  • Phone/technology stipend
  • Home office setup stipend
  • Affinity groups and community building via virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups

*Eligibility for some benefits may vary based on employment status, full-time or part-time. Eligibility will be outlined during the hiring process.

Remote Work & Sponsorship

Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Still excited about our work?  You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.

Fair Chance Ordinance

Applicants who have arrest or conviction records and are in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be considered in accordance with the state’s fair chance ordinance law. Employment under the ordinance includes part-time work, seasonal work, contract work, contingent work, work on commission, and work through the services of a temporary or employment agency.

E-Verify Statement

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.

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