"Grants Specialist"

Job Summary

Hawkeye Community College is seeking a full-time Grants Specialist to help turn innovative ideas into fully-funded realities. Are you passionate about supporting education and training through strategic funding opportunities? If so, the Grants and Resource Development team has an opportunity for you!

As a skilled Grants Specialist, you will research and identify funding opportunities, develop compelling proposals, manage grant timelines, and coordinate with internal partners from first prospect to final submission. It's writing-intensive, detail-driven work with real stakes: the grants you pursue directly shape what this college can offer students and communities in the Cedar Valley. If you are comfortable owning a proposal from research through submission, write clearly and persuasively, can manage competing deadlines without dropping the ball, and know how to work across departments to get what you need, we want to hear from you!

Hawkeye Community College is a comprehensive community college focused on meeting the needs of the community by providing quality, affordable learning experiences for a wide array of students through more than 50 career and technical programs and liberal arts transfer programs, our Adult Learning Center, Business and Community Education Department. Hawkeye Community College’s mission is about empowering students, strengthening businesses and enriching communities with a vision to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Essential Job Functions

• Operates in collaboration with the Foundation staff to utilize public and private funding within the resource development model to support the college’s identified priorities.
• Assists with the research, interpretation, dissemination, pursuit, formulation, submission, receipt, and implementation of grants from the local, state, and national levels.
• Acts as a resource to college staff and provides coordination assistance in the planning, developing, writing and/or editing of grant applications/proposals including budgets.
• Collaborates with internal or external staff to obtain and analyze data for grants.
• Assists with implementing specific institutional grant development procedures to address institutional priorities and needs.
• Maintains grant records on submitted and funded external proposals for the College.
• Serves as an institutional liaison communicating with funding agencies.
• Participates in campus committees as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.

Employment Status

Full-time, exempt position with comprehensive or competitive benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, and LTD insurance, a Section 125 plan for medical and dependent care expenses; holiday, personal, sick, and vacation leave; tuition reimbursement and tuition remission; and a choice of retirement programs—IPERS (defined benefit) or TIAA (defined contribution).

Salary is configured considering a candidate’s education and experience. The salary/wage range for this position begins at $48,250.

Working Conditions

The Grants Specialist position has the opportunity for an on-campus, hybrid or remote schedule; however, the successful candidate must reside in and perform the work from within the United States.

Anticipated schedule is Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm with occasional weekend or evening hours based on business/project need.

Work is performed either in or a combination of an office setting and/or classroom setting using technology. Requires good hand-eye coordination including visual acuity to use a keyboard and read technical information; arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp. Sit, stand, bend, lift and move frequently during working hours. During course of day, interact with students, faculty and staff in person, by telephone and computers.

Application Procedure

• Complete an online application at hawkeyecollege.edu/employment
• Submit/upload a cover letter addressing the following:
  • Describe your background in grants work, including any relevant education, certifications, or professional development. How has your experience prepared you for this position?
  • Describe your process for researching, analyzing, tracking, and prioritizing grant prospects. Walk us through how you identify and evaluate funding opportunities. What tools, databases, or systems do you use? How do you decide which prospects to pursue?
  • Summarize your grant proposal development and compliance experience. Include the names of funding agencies and award amounts for your three most successful grant projects. What was your specific role in each?
  • Describe how you manage grant deadlines and communicate progress when working independently. Tell us how you stay organized, meet deadlines, and keep supervisors and team members informed, especially when you are not working on-site.
• Submit/upload a resume.
• Submit/upload 3 references with a minimum of 1 being from a current/past supervisor.
• If selected to interview, be prepared to bring two related writing samples
• Application Deadline: Sunday, April 19, 2026
• Priority screening is set to begin: Monday, April 20, 2026.
• Completed applications, along with the required materials, received after the priority screening date will be considered at the discretion of the college.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and one (1) year of related experience or equivalent combination of experience and Education to total five (5) years such as an Associate's degree and three (3) years of related experience or a post-secondary diploma/certificate and four (4) years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and match college priorities with potential funding sources, to align project ideas with grant guidelines, and to manage multiple projects.
• Demonstrated ability to read, comprehend, interpret, and apply complex language such as legal or government regulations and proposal guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to work flexible hours including extended workweeks, evenings, and weekends as needed to meet compressed deadlines and the College’s funding needs to support programming, faculty, staff, and students.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide array of students, faculty, staff, and the general public.
• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal communication.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, and video conferencing technology.
• Demonstrated ability to execute organization and department policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential/sensitive information with discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree
• Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential
• Experience working in post-secondary education
• College coursework in a field that contributes to writing, research, and communication skills
• Four (4) years or more of experience with coordinating multiple projects with different deliverables