Grants and Contracts Manager

Grants and Contracts Manager

Organizational Overview

The barriers to college completion are complex and intertwined. No one educator, department, institution, or state can solve them. Without a simultaneous and intersectional approach, those barriers will continue to rob all of us—educators, advocates, and students alike—of the life-changing benefits of a complete college journey. 

Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions. Since its founding in 2009, CCA has paired bold, innovative thinking with practical actions that colleges and policymakers can implement across every level of higher education. CCA’s work centers on researching and testing education reforms, providing coaching and support, and advocating for change. Across these areas, CCA uses data to identify barriers and design successful strategies; aligns policy, perspective, and practice so complex systems operate effectively; connects experts to amplify their insights; and builds shared accountability. The organization is at the center of the broad CCA Alliance, which is driving change that works for every leader, every campus, and every system.  

Complete College America’s headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana. The selected candidate will work remotely, with some travel. 

Job Description

Reporting to the Vice President for Development and External Affairs, Complete College America seeks an energetic, strategic, and collaborative Grants and Contracts Manager with excellent relationship skills and demonstrated success in building capacity and increasing fundraising revenue; assuring compliance with funder reporting requirements and stewardship expectations; and supporting the effective management of externally funded projects in partnership with CCA staff and external consultants. The successful candidate must be able to handle the full lifecycle of grant funding and contractual agreements. The ideal candidate will have a genuine interest in the mission of CCA and be a highly skilled communicator able to articulate the value of the organization’s work to a variety of funders and strategic partners. Additionally, the selected candidate must have a creative and entrepreneurial approach and be able to work in a fast-paced, and broadly inclusive environment. This is a unique opportunity for an innovative and passionate professional to enhance CCA’s philanthropic and collaboration efforts in critical period of organizational expansion. An individual will be successful in this position if they can own and prioritize projects, balance tasks, and employ a team-based approach to executing strategy.

Responsibilities will include the following:

• Supports the Vice President of Development & External Affairs in grant applications from start to finish—researching funding opportunities, coordinating proposal development with program staff, ensuring all application requirements are met, and submitting proposals by deadlines
• Maintains a calendar of all grant deadlines, reporting requirements, and renewal dates for consistent updates to staff and Project Leads
• Update and maintain grants management systems, develop standardized templates and procedures, and train staff on grant compliance requirements
• Manage the compliance monitoring and reporting of grant-funded projects, including progress tracking, along with the coordination and preparation of mid-year and final reports for submission by the VP for Development and External Affairs
• Works across departments to gather information needed for proposals and reports
• Support CCA in the creation of grant concepts, letters of intent, and proposals aligned with the organizational mission and theory of change (measurable goals, financial/technology requirements and resources, staffing requirements, and evaluation/reporting procedures)Assist in generating project reports for funders, senior organizational leadership, and the CCA Board of Directors, Partners with the President, Chief of Staff/SVP, VP for Development and External Affairs, and Executive Team to propose and align fund development and business development strategies, as well as to strengthen donor acquisition and retention
• Ability to manage contracts for services CCA provides or receives. Includes reviewing contract terms and managing contract amendments and/or renewals
• Partner with the VP, Development and External Affairs on the identification, cultivation, and engagement of new strategic partners and revenue sources to advance the mission and goals of CCA
• Supports the attainment of contract terms and conditions with vendors, consultants, and service providers, ensuring alignment with organizational policies, legal requirements, and budgetary constraints while protecting CCA's interests
• Maintains comprehensive contract tracking systems to monitor active agreements, performance deliverables, payment schedules, and compliance requirements, flagging upcoming renewals or amendments for timely review and action
• Support the event design and content creation for the CCA Annual Convening, related to funder events and presentations.
• Ensure donors receive proper recognition and acknowledgement, including coordination with CCA programmatic and communications staff to align supporting advocacy and promotional efforts
• Provide support to the CCA Board of Directors’ Development Committee through information gathering and analysis, presentations, and other assets as assigned

Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Job Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience:

• 5+ years professional experience in the nonprofit sector successfully securing six- and seven-figure gifts from a variety of sources
• Significant experience in areas including corporate, foundation and individual fundraising, proposal writing, and event planning and management
• Experience with procuring and successfully overseeing the implementation of state and federal government agency, organizational, and other grants and contracts
• Strong project management skills and the ability to communicate grant requirements to various stakeholders
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with a keen attention to detail
• Outstanding oral presentation and written communication skills
• Ability to articulate complex higher education issues in a manner that can be clearly understood by a variety of audiences
• Ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and strategic partners to build long-term relationships

• Expertise and comfort in engaging stakeholders that serve under-resourced backgrounds, including having complex understanding of the needs of these populations and students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds 

• Experience in training teams, including the creation of templates and documents for action planning
• An innovative, solution-oriented thinker that understands complex systems and has strong relationship-building skill sets that lead to high quality organizational practices and results
• An ability to operate both independently and as a member of a high functioning team as a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside of the organization
• Acuity in data analysis and utilization of student success metrics to make the case for organizational support
• Willingness to learn and build new skill sets that are important to achieving work objectives
• Clear understanding and commitment to the CCA mission, values, goals, and theory of change
• Extensive understanding and working knowledge of office software to include Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Raiser’s Edge, Banner, etc.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule. This position requires non-standard hours, including some weekend and evening work

• Master’s Degree and minimum of three years of work experience in higher education

Application Process

Apply via the Bamboo Job Link: 

Applications will be reviewed as received, until ideal candidate is identified. Application Priority Deadline: March 6, 2026. Interested applicants should email resume and cover letter to ().

Salary:  

The salary range is $70-90K. The final salary is commensurate with relevant educational background, previous work experience, and professional expertise.  In addition to the salary, Complete College America offers a competitive benefits compensation package. 

Complete College America is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for employees, students, visitors, and stakeholders. As part of this effort, all offers of employment at Complete College America are contingent upon satisfactory results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all finalist  candidates.

Physical Demands

The position requires little physical effort. However, during an event, the employee may have to lift boxes with meeting supplies and documents for distribution. Periodic out-of-state travel is required.

Complete College America is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer.