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Foundations Relations Officer & Development Writer

Mount Holyoke College
Full-time
On-site
South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States

Position Type: Staff Full-time

Hours per week: 37.5   

Weeks per year: 52

Work Schedule: Regular 8:30-5:00 M-F 

Department Summary & Job Purpose:

Reporting to, and working closely with, the Director of Foundation Relations & Sponsored Research (aka Grants Office), the Foundation Relations Officer helps to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward foundation, government, and corporate funders. A particular emphasis is placed on the management, stewardship, and reporting for major institutional grants, in collaboration with faculty and the Dean of Faculty. Some grant proposal writing is also involved. The position co-manages, with the Dean of Faculty's office, the College's internal faculty grant programs. Finally, as Development Writer, this holder of this position will respond as needed to proposal writing projects assigned by the Vice President for College Relations and certain Development officers (generally no more than 20% of the total time).

We strongly encourage "Non-Traditional" BIPOC candidates to apply and consider joining our Mount Holyoke College community.

Core Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Grants Management and Reporting: Work with project directors (PD)/principal investigators (PIs), Dean of Faculty office, and Financial Services to help set up and manager institutional grants; meet with PDs/PIs as needed to review progress, develop assessment tools and reporting protocols; assist with and develop content for grant reports; submit reports and maintain relations with relevant foundation officers; assist with regular departmental reporting to the President, Dean of Faculty, and College Relations. 
  • Proposal Development, Writing, and Editing (Grants Office): Work closely with College stakeholders and external partners to develop content for institutional proposals; monitor deadlines and manage foundation and corporate grant submission process; develop and write letters of inquiry, proposals, and budgets; edit, revise, and proofread proposals and budgets.
  • Proposal Writing (Development): Write fundraising proposals for individual donors as needed, receiving assignments from the Vice President for College Relations and other Development officers; meet on a regular basis with the Development team to review assignments; report to the Director of Foundation Relations & Sponsored Research regularly on ongoing assignments; act as a bridge between Development and Foundation Relations & Sponsored Research, by keeping on top of outgoing proposals and associated priorities. 
  • Internal Faculty Grant Support: Work cooperatively with the Dean of Faculty office to co-manage the internal faculty grant program. (This consists of small grants for faculty travel or research funded by the Dean's office and larger annual fellowships, as well as additional programs including Racial Equity, Research, and Action (RERA) grants and Jewish Studies grants. Help maintain intranet site with application materials and guidelines; organize and participate in meetings of faculty grants and RERA committees. (NB: This position previously managed these programs independently; we will now be co-coordinating.) 
  • Prospect Research and Tracking: Utilize Foundation Directory Online and other databases and search engines to help identify prospective institutional funders and grant opportunities for institutional initiatives; research potential alum connections to institutional funders; stay up to date on institutional initiatives and funding priorities; master the internal (Access) database for recording all foundation, government, and corporate transactions and generating reports. 
  • Administrative, Outreach, and Other: Assist in planning and delivering Grants Office outreach events (e.g., "Write on Site," new faculty orientation); help to plan external funder visits (pre-award or during-award reviews); help to maintain the Grants Office external and internal (intranet) websites; share in administrative tasks as needed 

Qualifications: 

Minimum bachelor's degree.
3-5 years experience in the same or a similar role (in higher education, nonprofit, or similar).
Excellent writing and communication skills.
Demonstrated team player; problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office products, particularly Access and Excel, as well as Word.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master's degree or higher.
>5 years experience.
Relevant higher education experience.
Ability to work independently and take initiative.
Knowledge of the foundation grantmaking landscape.

License/Certifications: NA

Compliance Requirements: NA

Physical Demands: 

Mainly sedentary.
Sitting, standing, walking.
Working with computers/printers/monitors/keyboards, etc.
Carrying laptop.
Writing and note-taking.
Listening and auditory processing.
Reading and visual processing.
Verbal communication.
Basic quantitative skills.

Working Conditions: 

Mainly indoors.
Standard office environment.
Small team with sometimes non-overlapping hours in office.
Due to Covid-19 we have adopted a flexible hybrid remote/ in-office position that may be subject to change.

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified
employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully
carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate
background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as
the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver

Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and
Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online by application deadline. Application materials must include 1) a cover letter summarizing
interests and qualifications, 2) a complete resume or curriculum vitae, and 3) contact information for 3
professional references. 

Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.