Grants Manager

About BDI

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research initiative that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. BDI supports efforts to grow and build local community resilience through elections and other periods of heightened risk, laying the groundwork for longer-term to bridge the divides we face as a nation.

We do this by 1) producing action-oriented and responsive research to fill existing gaps and empower local leaders; 2) enabling cross-sector collaboration, so individuals and organizations are better prepared to mitigate risk and respond to crisis when it does arise; and 3) helping to drive the policy and community response. Over the past 5+ years, BDI played an essential role in supporting a wide range of actors preparing for and responding to political violence and democratic crisis. Our data, analysis, and tools continue to help a diverse coalition of national and local decision-makers better target their interventions. BDI is based at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), hosted by the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC).

For more information, please visit our website: https://bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/.

Position Overview

The Grants Manager serves as a technical anchor for BDI's financial sustainability by managing the full lifecycle of grant writing, development, and award activation. Operating at a 50 percent duty time, this role focuses on grant writing and the mechanical necessity of securing and processing funding within a complex university environment. The successful candidate will navigate the technical requirements of the Princeton Electronic Research Administration (ERA) system while maintaining a high standard for clear and direct communication with funders.

Reporting to the Director of Development and collaborating closely with the Operations Team, this role acts as the primary liaison with university stakeholders, including the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) and the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR). The Grants Manager ensures that BDI's technical research is accurately translated into successful proposals and that all awarded funds are correctly processed for immediate organizational use.

This is a part-time, benefits-eligible, 1-year term position with a possibility of extension. Work must be performed within the United States and is fully remote.

Responsibilities

Proposal Development and Technical Submission

• Assess funding opportunities to ensure correct internal routing as a gift or grant.
• Write and finalize clear and direct grant proposals and letters of inquiry, including working cross-functionally to coordinate and finalize content.
• Collate and upload all required documents to the Princeton ERA portal. This includes the RFP, budget, budget justification, and Indirect Cost (IDC) rate documentation.
• Navigate the internal submission process. This includes making required changes to the Funding Proposal (FP) as requested by university specialists throughout the department and sponsor review stages.
• Maintain and regularly update shared documentation (OneNote) to monitor proposal and gift progress, any document feedback and revisions, and ensure all milestones and submission deadlines are met.
• Handle final submissions via external funder portals as required by specific foundations or agencies.

Award Activation and Financial Compliance

• Facilitate the signing of grant and gift agreements between the funder and the university.
• Complete the specific university award forms required to trigger the creation of a new chart string and/or ensure continuity of current chart strings.
• Partner with the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) and the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) to ensure awarded funding is correctly processed and filed.
• Identify and communicate specific grant-related requirements or unique deliverables to the broader BDI team.

Qualifications

Required

• 3-5 years of experience in research administration or grant management, preferably within a higher education or complex nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated experience independently drafting clear, persuasive, and comprehensive grant proposals—including narratives, budgets, and supporting documentation—with a proven track record of translating complex research into successfully funded applications through an iterative process.
• Proven track record of managing technical compliance for grant submissions, including experience with IDC rates and foundation-specific requirements.
• Ability to engage effectively with a multidisciplinary remote team and navigate internal university stakeholders using professional, direct communication.
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple high-stakes deadlines simultaneously.
• Bachelor's degree in relevant field or equivalent professional experience in grant management.

Preferred

• Direct experience with the Princeton Electronic Research Administration (ERA) system and a working knowledge of the award activation process.
• Experience identifying mission-aligned funding opportunities and conducting landscape analysis for nonprofit or academic initiatives.
• Familiarity and/or interest in BDI's substantive area of work around tracking and mitigating political violence, to include a wide range of related fields.
• Experience working on a remote team—including familiarity with relevant work tools (e.g. Slack, Zoom, Asana, etc.).

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their qualifications and experience as they relate to the role and BDI's mission. Applications without a cover letter that meet this criteria will not be considered.