ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that is fighting for change that lasts, right here in the U.S. and across the globe. We bring sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. The organization is approximately 75 years old and has worked in over 100 countries around the world since its founding.
In the United States, we come alongside local churches, community organizations and hundreds of individual volunteers to support newly arriving refugee and other immigrant families. Today, we are proud to partner with over 6,000 local churches, and 95,000 volunteers globally to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?
If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.
World Relief seeks a Grants Specialist. World Relief partners with federal, state, and local governments to serve refugees and immigrants throughout Chicagoland. Join World Relief as a Grants Specialist to foster pathways of refugee and immigrant self-sufficiency and integration with our funding partners. The Grants Specialist position will support the coordination and administration of competitive federal, state, and/or local government grants. Reporting to the Director of Grants Management and working with the Grants and Finance Teams in Chicagoland, this position will be responsible for grant-related activities during the grant management cycle, including grant research, proposal development, reporting, compliance, and grant monitoring. A successful candidate must communicate effectively, work well independently and collaboratively within a team, have strong attention to detail, take initiative and be self-directed, and thrive in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines.
Role & Responsibilities
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Proposals and Grant Writing
- Research federal, state, and local public funding opportunities that align with World Relief Chicagoland’s funding priorities and programming
- Coordinate proposal development in collaboration with program managers, adhering to best practices in project management
- Assist in developing logic models and writing letters of intent, template letters of support, and other supporting documents needed for the proposal or proposal process; Research literature and publications to support funding proposals as needed
- Write, edit, and submit compelling grant proposals, site profiles, and workplans as needed
Reporting and Grants Coordination
- Coordinate with program managers to obtain necessary information for the writing and submission of quarterly and semi-annual narrative grant reports
- Ensure data submitted to grantors is on time and accurate (monthly, quarterly, trimester, or final reports)
- Compare, review, and enter grant data into grantor software systems; review data for accuracy and work with program leads to address inaccurate or missing data.
- In collaboration with the Data and Reporting Specialist and World Relief’s national office, update and maintain program performance data against established grant outcomes on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis
- Work collaboratively with program managers and staff to provide technical assistance for grant implementation; Advise program managers and train staff at least annually on new grant guidelines
Grant Compliance
- Collaborate with Program Directors to ensure that grant program services are delivered in compliance with grant guidelines and meet the stated outcomes; flag grant underperformance and compliance issues to program managers and the program director • Assist in preparations for external monitoring visits, reviews, and audits, and cross-site evaluations and participate as appropriate for grants in portfolio
- Spot-check electronic and hard copy files for assigned grant-funded projects to ensure grant program compliance with federal regulations and/or funder requirements.
Other duties
- Assist in reporting for grant programs outside of assigned portfolio when needed
- Participate in team, office, grant-specific, and strategy meetings
- Engage in updating standard operating procedures as needed
- Lead and/or support special projects to further the goals of the organization or grants management team
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
- Excellent oral and written abilities; experience writing compelling grant proposals or other technical writing is desired
- Experience in Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or other CRM is a plus
- Ability to motivate others using diplomacy, clear communication, and effective systems and processes
- Ability to work periodic evenings or weekends to meet required deadlines
- Minimum 1-2 years of experience managing government grant proposals preferred
- Proficiency in Microsoft suite of software
Requirements
- Mature and personal Christian faith
- Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
- Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
- Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
- Minimum Bachelor's degree
- Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and good driving record
- Demonstrated ability to self-motivate and self-direct
- Capable of working independently, in a team-based environment, and across teams
- Ability to manage and prioritize competing tasks to meet multiple, simultaneous deadlines
- Proactive and assertive with strong project management skills and attention to detail
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- Offer 16 company Paid Holidays + 4 additional Personal days per year!
- Paid Sick and Vacation Time
- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks for qualified employees)
- FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding
- Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)
- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident insurance policies
- Legal Shield Insurance
World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:
- Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)
- Long Term & Short-term Disability
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
- Long Distance Travel Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
World Relief - Retirement:
- 401K & Roth
- WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%
- Eligibility: Full Time (40 hours per week) is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year.
World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):
- Verizon
- Pet Insurance through Nationwide
- Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual
- Working Advantage Discount Program
- Active & Fit Gym Membership
World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
· While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations
· The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds.
· Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read application information.
· The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
· General office setting. World Relief also offers hybrid and remote schedules for limited positions.
· Great lengths of time working on computer, reading from computer screen, entering information, standing at copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in virtual meetings may be required.
· Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending.
· Physical, emotional and intellectual demands
· Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier.
· All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.
For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Legal Background in the United States
World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. World Relief strictly prohibits and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination against employees on the basis of person’s race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law, which does not conflict with the protections afforded World Relief as a faith-based employer.
In addition, physical or mental limitations will not be a factor in the application of World Relief's employment policies or employee practices, except for those situations in which occupational requirement make consideration of such factors necessary.
Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.
