Senior Program Administration Officer
Full Time, Hybrid
Position Background:
The Chesapeake Bay Trust, a non-profit grantmaking organization, seeks a Senior Program Administration Officer for our Annapolis, MD, location to play a key role in administration and operations for all grantmaking programs. This position performs a wide variety of tasks both strategic and tactical and has some individual task responsibilities in addition to having supervisory duties. This role reports to the Administration and Compliance Manager and has two direct reports. This is a hybrid position that requires at least one day per week in the office, and the others may be remote.
This person will be a key member of a high-energy, collaborative team of 40+ professionals who work diligently to advance the Trust’s mission and daily consider the Trust’s core values of grantee focus, accountability and transparency, inclusiveness, collaboration, and innovation. This is a full-time, salaried position (40 hours per week), newly created to support the organization’s growth. Since this is a new position, the right candidate will have the opportunity to showcase his/her/their skills by designing the most efficient and effective processes and systems to meet the Trust’s requirements. These new processes will transform the way the Trust manages its incoming and outgoing grant and other awards and will enable the program team to focus more on programmatic efforts rather than administration activities.
Established in 1985, the Chesapeake Bay Trust uses grantmaking as a method to promote community-based participation in the restoration and protection of the natural resources of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region. In the past fifteen years, the Trust has doubled its grant-making five times through new revenue from a wide range of partners, with current annual grant-making of approximately $25 million. The Trust currently allocates these grant funds through 350-400 awards per year to entities who apply through open, competitive calls for proposals as well as programs such as the Chesapeake Conservation Corps.
The Senior Program Administration Officer will play a pivotal role in driving the Trust's mission forward through the following responsibilities:
Technology Systems – 40%
- Assist with strategy for how all Trust departments use their main business systems including grant-making software, finance/accounting software, contacts management software, and the integration of the three.
- Assist with strategy for secondary business systems for Program Team, including e-communications tools, and a variety of Microsoft Suite products including Lists and .
- Assist Program Team with integration of Microsoft Suite products to each other, including automating data flow between .
- Adaptively manage existing systems by constantly examining how we use our systems and identifying any process improvements that can lead to increased effectiveness and efficiency.
- Explore new potential grant-making software including researching available options, interviewing potential vendors, and overseeing any Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for services to consider new vendors.
- Implement use of new software, including overseeing migration of data.
- Maintain database structure of grant-making system.
- Support program team on resolving issues or new configuration in grant-making system.
Program Administration – 30%
- Assist with tracking and data entry of programmatic encumbrances to financial system.
- Reconcile data between grant-making and financial systems as needed.
- Maintain restricted funding partnership list.
- Process all outgoing ACH requirements from awardees in grant-making system
- Provide audit support for Uniform Guidance review of grant-making system and processes.
- Assist with maintenance of programmatic policies and procedures documents.
- Automate and streamline programmatic administrative processes where possible.
Training – 15%
- Train new staff (both Programmatic and Non-Programmatic) in the use of grant-making system.
- Provide ongoing support and training to existing staff on updates to processes and features of grant-making system.
Oversight of Staff – 15%
- Manage review of financial management sheets submitted by awardees to ensure proper documentation exists for each amount and amounts are within budget and costs are allowable per program. Provide support to team members which includes the work of two direct reports and two dotted line reports.
Qualifications and Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in related field and at least 3 years of experience in grant or program administration or 5 years of grant administration . Education or experience in information systems preferred.
- Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
- Ability to tackle multiple tasks in a timely and effective manner.
- Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and communication skills
- Work independently and set priorities; act effectively and efficiently under pressure; display strong problem-solving skills.
Salary and Benefits: $70,000-$85,000 with an excellent benefits package and opportunities for related professional development.
Benefits include:
- Health Insurance with choice of medical plan and prescription, dental, vision, and life and disability insurance options, along with flexible spending accounts
- 401K retirement savings program with match
- Starting at 10 accrued vacation days, 7 accrued sick days, and 4 personal days annually
- Ten paid holidays per year
- Individual Professional Development fund
A successful candidate with no or some experience in some of the responsibilities listed above will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of this range. A successful candidate will be considered at a higher starting salary level if he/she/they have experience in most or all of the responsibilities listed .
Application Instructions and Deadline:
The position will remain open until filled, but for best consideration apply by November 11. Please submit your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please address your ability, based on your skills and experience, to accomplish the specific duties of the position as outlined above. Your cover letter is the most important piece of your application: In your cover letter, please address your ability to accomplish the duties of the position as listed above. Please do not simply list your previous experience. Your cover letter should describe what makes you a strong match specifically for this position, and why this position is a match for you.
The Chesapeake Bay Trust provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Applicants must be permanently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and have or are able to relocate to an address in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, or DC. The Trust does not participate in programs that require sponsorship for work visas.
