POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Job Title: Manager, Grants and Research Projects Organization: National Endowment for Financial Education Reports To: Managing Director, Research
Location: Downtown Denver, Colorado – up to 50% remote work is offered
Type: Full-time, permanent
Start Date: August 2024 (or when position is filled)
 

Organization Overview

At the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), we champion effective financial education. We are the independent, centralizing voice providing leadership, research, and collaboration to advance financial well-being. We do this by mobilizing and inspiring educators, researchers, and advocates nationwide to maximize the impact of financial education. We work hard to remove barriers, amplify outcomes, and elevate effective models through leadership, research, and collaboration. We believe this is important because everyone deserves the opportunity to live their best financial life and that equitable and effective financial education makes it easier for everyone to navigate the financial system, creating a more just society.
 

Team and Role Description

The National Endowment for Financial Education is seeking a Manager, Grants and Research Projects to join the research team. This position supports project management and grants administration for the research team and is an excellent position for individuals with strong attention to detail and project management skills. Ideally, the candidate would start this Summer, or as soon as the position is filled.

NEFE’s research team funds scholarly research and performs rigorous research (i.e., in-house research, collaborative/contracted research, and grants) to inform educators, practitioners, and policymakers of issues pertinent to improving financial education and financial well-being. The research team also coordinates the organization's consumer polls, which provide insight into the American experience of issues impacting financial well-being and public sentiment on topics central to advancing financial education. Public opinion work speaks directly to media, policymakers, and public audiences.
Additionally, the research team conducts knowledge-gathering and fact-checking activities to support other departments within NEFE. NEFE's work directly intersects with that of academia, research organizations, and policy-relevant issues. NEFE is invested in the professional development of its staff, and the successful candidate's interests would be considered in the assignment of duties.
 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skill, or ability required.
 

Administer Research Funding and Dissemination:

• Manage relationships with grantees and collaborative researchers, including project reporting
• Collect and respond to inquiries from potential grant applicants

• Ensure exceptional customer service is provided to inquiries. Track applicable data and evaluate for continuous improvement.
• Work with Director, Business Projects to support web-based experience for research applicants and update information in the research management software and manage grant database
• Coordinate the grant review process, evaluation and interviewing of grant applications, and set up grant contracts
• Coordinate the creation and dissemination of grant and research publications, such as one- pagers, research briefs, or other project deliverables
• Work with the engagement team to develop a marketing strategy and promotional materials for research funding
• Manage and execute quarterly grant reports for the Board of Trustees

Manage Consumer (or Public Opinion) Polls Project Planning Efforts:

• Co-create a timeline and manage workflow for consumer polls work with a cross-functional team, including content experts, social media experts, and communication experts.
• Provide weekly updates of upcoming and completed team tasks and project deadlines

Coordinate Research Convenings:

• The nature of research convenings may change from year to year and include but are not limited to multi-day forums for discussion, opportunities for NEFE-funded research dissemination, and programs/events to support the researcher pipeline.
• For in-person events, this could include working with other NEFE staff to secure a location, manage lodging, catering, restaurant reservations, meal service, and serving as on-site contact.
• For virtual events, collaborate with the Director of Business Projects, Engagement team, and Insights team regarding event-day preparations.
• Other coordination responsibilities include communication with attendees, event budget, and working closely with NEFE staff on editorial content or (post-)event documents.

In consultation with supervisors, this person would also:

• Attend and report on grantmaking-specific conferences, meetings, and conference calls as needed
• Implement and coordinate projects as directed by Managing Director, Research
• Collaborate with the foundation's operations, insights, research, and engagement staff on various projects and initiatives as appropriate
• Maintain general informational web content for the Research section of nefe.org
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Comfortable collaborating with a team as well as working alone
• Ability to communicate progress, risks, timelines, expectations, and deliverables clearly and effectively on multiple ongoing projects, both internally and with vendors
• Self-starter who can manage multiple complex projects simultaneously with flexible or shifting deadlines; including management and planning related to grants, research, and innovative thinking activities
• Ability to write project plans (including goals, deadlines, objectives), track progress toward those plans, and update project contributors accordingly
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to multi-task and meet deadlines

• Exceptional writing ability, especially regarding communicating with internal and external stakeholders
• Significant experience using Microsoft Office 365 programs, such as MS Dynamics (or a comparable program for grants management)
• Must be permanently authorized to legally work in the United States (NEFE is not able to sponsor work visas)

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred bachelor or associate degree in social sciences, education, humanities, business, or another relevant credential or equivalent/relevant experience
• Passion for helping individuals achieve financial well-being
• Ability to reflect upon and offer improvements to revise processes and procedures to meet project-related goals better
• Previous experience with grants management and using platforms or software specific to project management for grant-related purposes
• Ability and willingness to travel

Physical/Mental Demands of the Job

The physical demands of this position are aligned with that of general office-based work, such as: regularly being required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work. Light or moderate lifting may be required. Ability to uphold the stress of occasional traveling. Ability to uphold the stress of giving presentations. Reasonable accommodations may enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

Work hours are generally 8:30 AM -5:00 PM Monday – Friday – up to 50% remote work is offered under normal circumstances. Employees work directly with their supervisor and HR to determine the best work schedule, providing sufficient overlap with other NEFE employees. NEFE consistently monitors the environment to maintain the health and well-being of our staff.

Travel Required

5-10%

Compensation

The base salary for this position is between $56,840 – $63,530 and commensurate with experience. NEFE values employees’ ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance, offers a generous employee benefits program that currently includes vacation, sick, parental, and holiday leave; health, dental, vision, long term care, and life/AD&D/disability insurance; EcoPass; paid parking in downtown Denver, professional development; tuition reimbursement; employee assistance program; employer 403(b) match; employer contribution to the defined benefit plan.
 

Application Instructions

Please use the link below to submit your resume. Please discuss your interest in the organization and describe your project management skills and background in a cover letter—no phone calls.

https://nefeorg.bamboohr.com/careers/36?source=aWQ9MjM%3D 

We will accept applications through July 31, 2024.