Grants Assistant

JOB TITLE: Grants Assistant

DEPARTMENT:  The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

REPORTS TO: Grants Manager (GM) and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Summary: The Grants Assistant facilitates the work of the Center’s Grants Manager (GM) by providing logistical support.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Daily

• Provides day-to-day coordination for grants administrative operations including preparation and processing of contracts and reports for awarded grants.
• Delivers technical support in response to grantee inquires, careful analysis and reconciliation of Center-funded project expenses to ensure that payments, contracts, and reports are completed accurately and processed in a timely matter.
• Maintains optimized workflows for grants administrative processes to support the Center's evolving needs.
• Communicates with grantees, consultants, and other Center staff, while upholding the standards for a professional, responsive, and problem-solving oriented grant management process.

Contracting

• Assists GM in annually creating contracts and schedules for new grants which includes drafting project deliverables and timelines, budget modifications, and reporting and payment schedules.
• Expedites initial payment and contracting phase by distributing and collecting contracts for revisions and signatures in a timely manner.
• Secures first payment requirements such as project liability insurance certificates from grantees. 

Reporting

• Receives and documents requests from grantees regarding changes to project budgets or timelines, delegating such requests to GM for direction, feedback, or approval.
• Corresponds regularly with grantees to answer frequently asked questions, keeping GM apprised of these communications.
• Tracks reporting schedules, issuing reminders to GM and grantees on the status of reports outstanding and reports due. Send inquiries to assure the submission of any outstanding reporting materials, elevating issues as necessary to GM.
• Receives and processes grantee interim and final reports, which includes analyzing and evaluating financial reports for correct calculation of grant expenditure categories such as Honoraria, Production, and Travel.
• Manages the reconciliation of select proof-of-payment documentation to make sure grantee’s receipts align with reported expenses.
• Corresponds with grantees to secure missing receipts or clarify report content.
• Provides grantees with technical assistance and instruction for using report forms and submitting report materials.
• Collaborates with GM to create and disperse reporting guidelines and instructions to grantees, as well as coordinate annual reporting instructional sessions for new grantees.

General Grants Maintenance

• Responds to requests from financial and executive staff or program directors on the status of particular grants.
• Notifies Regularly financial staff of any significant changes to grant payment schedules.
•  Submits check requests and coordinate payment information from grantees for payments.
• Tracks and provide CAO monthly forecasts of upcoming grant disbursements.
• Meets with GM on a weekly basis to discuss the status of open grants and draft updates for executive staff and program directors.
• Assists GM in implementing software/systems that support grants management.
• Receives and alerts GM, program, and communications staff of grantee event updates.
• Maintains Centerwide events tracking system.
• Tracks and records grantee attendance metrics.
• Coordinates with communications staff on receiving and tracking grant documentation and marketing materials.
• Organizes all electronic and hardcopy grant files in accordance with the Center's archive and retention policy.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent; they do not purport to describe all functions.  Incumbent may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change from time to time as necessary.

Education:

Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent

Experience:

A minimum of three years of full-time administrative work experience in a comparable position

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Possesses high proficiency and comfort with the use of Microsoft Excel or the ability to quickly learn such platforms is a must.
•  Intermediate experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook is required.
• Knowledge of PowerPoint basics or comparable presentation programs is preferred.
• Demonstrates systematic thinking with superior organizational skills and proven success in creating and maintaining efficient administrative processes.
• Requires effective interpersonal skills to successfully interact with the Center’s constituency, fellow staff, and external consultants
• Analyzes information and situations to define the problem or objective
• Identifies relevant factors, formulates logical and objective conclusions, and recognizes alternatives and their implications.
• Works independently and as a team member.
• Prioritizes multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail, balancing and satisfying competing deadlines and personalities, maintaining professionalism under pressure and in sensitive and difficult situations.
• Respects for the needs and issues of non-profit organizations and artists is required, while clearly understanding the appropriate boundaries between Center staff and its constituents.
• Ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center’s unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
• Tolerates paperwork and respect administrative procedures while remaining flexible and resilient
• Understands when to ask questions and when to take initiative.
• Has ablity to learn quickly and have the willingness to assume tasks as needed.
   

About The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage:

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

The Center is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace. We employ a staff of talented, motivated individuals with experience and interest in the nonprofit and/or arts and culture sectors.

 

TO APPLY: Interested, qualified applicants should submit cover letters of application and resumes to the Human Resources Department via email to jobs@uarts.edu. Please ensure job title is in the Subject line.
 

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, The University of the Arts publishes its Annual Safety Report at the following link for your reference:

http://www.uarts.edu/about/campus-crime-fire-reports

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Title IX Statement: The University of the Arts prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Title IX Coordinator and Diversity Administrator is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. To contact the Title IX Coordinator, e-mail titleix@uarts.edu,, or visit The University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, Room 260, or call 215-717-6366. To learn more about the University's Title IX policy and response to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, please visit www.uarts.edu/titleix. Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.