"Director Of Grants Strategy And Development"

Director Of Grants Strategy And Development

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Department
College of Health and Human Sciences

Position Summary

The Director of Grants Strategy and Development provides visionary leadership for all external funding activities across the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS). Reporting to the Dean, the Director leads a comprehensive grants strategy that advances the college's mission, strengthens its research and program capacity, and ensures sustainable systems for managing external funding.

This position establishes the strategic direction for all pre- and post-award processes, ensuring that CHHS remains proactive, compliant, and future-ready regardless of changes in funding opportunities. The Director anticipates workload and staffing impacts, designs efficient and scalable systems, and fosters a collaborative, solutions-oriented environment.

The Director serves as the college's strategy liaison to the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP), Sponsored Projects Accounting and Compliance (SPAC), Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR), and other institutional partners, building strong partnerships to ensure seamless grant lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Systems Development - 35%

• Lead the development and implementation of a strategic, college-wide grants plan that aligns with CHHS and institutional priorities.
• Establish sustainable pre-award systems that anticipate workload impact and ensure long-term operational capacity.
• Partner with the Director of Grant Operations to maintain post-award systems and ensure pre-award functions work in collaboration with post-award functions.
• Oversee strategic alignment of personnel effort across all active grants, contracts, and gifts to ensure compliance and resource sustainability.
• Collaborate with Director of Grant Operations, ensuring strong post-award practices and integration with overall college strategy.
• Develop frameworks, toolkits, and policies to improve efficiency, clarity, and collaboration across departments and units.
• Provide supervision and/or mentoring to CHHS grant personnel.

Grant Development and Proposal Leadership - 30%

• Lead major proposal initiatives, serving as an expert advisor on proposal strategy, narrative framing, and competitive positioning.
• Partner with faculty and program leaders to conceptualize and structure proposals that advance the college's strategic goals.
• Write and/or co-author major interdisciplinary or college-level grant proposals; serve as Principal Investigator or Project Lead as appropriate.
• Provide guidance on budget development, compliance considerations, and institutional alignment early in the proposal process.
• Oversee a sustainable and transparent proposal pipeline and maintain a comprehensive grants database and reporting dashboard.

Partnership and Collaboration - 25%

• Serve as the strategic liaison with OSRP, SPAC, CFR, the Budget Office, and other key university partners to ensure consistent interpretation and implementation of policies.
• Cultivate relationships with external partners, including funders, foundations, and community collaborators.
• Convene regular strategy meetings between CHHS and university central offices to improve coordination and reduce administrative friction.
• Provide faculty and staff with high-level training on grants strategy, proposal competitiveness, and ethical grant management practices.

Strategic Planning and Continuous Improvement - 10%

• Partner with the Dean's Office to align grant activities with long-term college and university strategies.
• Develop and track performance metrics for CHHS grants, analyzing trends in submissions, success rates, and compliance outcomes.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and professional development within the CHHS Grants Office.
• Serve on institutional and college committees and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited institution
• At least five (5) years of progressive experience in grant strategy, development, and compliance in higher education or nonprofit settings
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing externally funded projects exceeding $1 million
• Experience supervising professional staff and leading teams toward operational excellence
• Strong understanding of federal and non-federal funding mechanisms, compliance frameworks, and institutional grant operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced experience leading collaborative proposal efforts involving multiple departments or partners
• Demonstrated ability to design or implement grant management systems or process improvements
• Experience cultivating funder relationships and representing an organization in external partnerships
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, and change management skills
• Experience with higher education administrative systems such as Workday

We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every preferred qualification. We are most interested in finding the candidate who will best contribute to CHHS and the University.

Schedule Information

• Full time, 40 hours per week
• Exempt
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
• Evenings and Weekend Work: Flexibility for occasional evening and/or weekend work as needed
• Schedule: Hybrid schedule with in person, on campus work and the flexibility of some remote work opportunities subject to supervisor approval
• Travel: Rarely

Salary for Announcement

The anticipated hiring range that the university reasonably expects to pay for this position is $94,000 - $130,000.

This position is paid monthly and is eligible for MSU Denver benefits.

Instructions to Apply

The following documents are required to be included with your application:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resumes clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meet all required qualifications. Please ensure you have provided all requested documents, as incomplete applications may not be reviewed.

Professional references and their contact information will be requested from the finalist/s. At least one reference provided must be a supervisor (either current or former).

Official transcripts will be required of the candidate selected for hire.

Deadline

Applications accepted until position is filled; priority given to applications received through Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM MST.

Posting Representative

Tanya Rogowsky
trogowsk@msudenver.edu