Grants and System Administrator

The Commonwealth Fund   New York, NY   Full-time
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Grants and System Administrator

The Organization

The Commonwealth Fund - among the first private foundations started by a woman philanthropist, Anna M. Harkness - was established in 1918 with the broad charge to enhance the common good. Today, the mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, and people of color. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. An international program in health policy is designed to stimulate innovative policies and practices in the United States and other industrialized countries.

The Department

The grants management office provides administrative and financial management support for all of the Commonwealth Fund's grantmaking activities. Grants management is centralized with many of the administrative responsibilities shared with the program staff who support each program area. The grants management department, comprised of three staff members, is engaged in all aspects of the Fund's grant making process, including budget planning, program planning, project development, financial and compliance monitoring, completed grant reporting and evaluation, and historical archiving of completed grant materials.

General Position Description:

Reporting to the Vice President, Grants Management, the Grants and System Administrator has primary responsibility for administration of the Fund's grants management system, FoundationConnect, an application built on the salesforce.com platform. Candidates for the position should be excited about using technology as a tool to streamline processes and improve organizational performance. There is great opportunity for the Grants and System Administrator to take initiative and serve as an internal consultant to other departments, and to build additional CRM (customer related management) system programming and management skills.

The Grants and System Administrator works and cross-trains with a counterpart to support efficient and effective grantmaking operations at the Fund.

Specific Responsibilities

Electronic Records Management and System Administration

  • Has primary responsibility over the administration of FoundationConnect/Salesforce.
  • Utilizes FoundationConnect/Salesforce to build forms and workflows and manages the user experience behind the scenes.
  • Works with and trains different departments to expand the use and functionality of the database. Examples include the publications tracking system and the online international fellowship applications. There will be numerous opportunities for the Grants and System Administrator to be involved in development and project management of new CRM functionality.
  • Maintains integrity of electronic grant records, including having primary responsibility for quality control and data integrity. This work will include utilizing software tools as well as developing guidelines for maintaining information electronically whenever appropriate.
  • Assists the Vice President with long-range planning, task analysis, procedures development, maintenance and implementation of FoundationConnect.
  • Works with the grants management team and Rockefeller Archive Center staff to help develop new procedures for archiving digital grant records as digital archiving practices evolve.

Grants Management Office

  • Responds to general inquiries from the public and from prospective grantees which come in via online portal, email, mail, and telephone.
  • Schedules and coordinates grant meetings, distributes all related materials in advance of the meetings, and records discussion notes.
  • Conducts due diligence on potential grantee organizations, including compliance and legal review, with support from the Vice President.
  • Prepares and distributes the draft Board Book, in coordination with communications staff, for executive management team review prior to each Board meeting.
  • Ensures that each electronic grant record is complete, with all required documentation throughout the grant period and when ready to archive as a completed grant.
  • Following grant approval, prepares award letters and agreements, coordinating with program staff on payment and reporting schedules.
  • Manages the Fund's completed grant reporting process for annual executive management team review and rating.
  • Closes out grant records according to established procedures when the funded project is completed, and all narrative and financial reporting requirements have been met.
  • Serves as a resource to Fund staff, providing technical assistance proactively and as needed.

Controller's Office

  • Supports bi-weekly grant check request and processing, including preparation of related correspondence.
  • Reconciles grants management grant balances in FoundationConnect with Controller's office balances from the general ledger. Prepares annual overview of grant transactions in preparation for the Fund's annual audit.

Other Responsibilities

  • Takes on and completes special projects as assigned by the Vice President.
  • Cross-trains with the other staff in the grants management office and may be asked to provide program assistance to program officers as needed due to staffing transitions.

The Fund's philosophy on successful performance in the job includes the willingness on the part of all staff members to handle any assignment necessary to further the goals of the institution. This may include taking on responsibility for other program areas or departments if the need arises.

Qualifications:

  • Three years of related work experience (preferably in a grants management function)
  • Strong technical skills, including proficient use of databases (Salesforce is a plus) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
  • Experience in analyzing and interpreting data (preferably with financial data and budgets)
  • Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and follow through to effectively manage work and meet multiple tight deadlines
  • Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Good judgment and the ability to act independently within standard guidelines
  • Flexibility and skill in working as a team member
  • Customer service orientation

The Fund has a relatively small staff, and judgment, integrity, and the ability to listen with sensitivity to others are traits that are particularly important in an organization of the Fund's size, where teamwork is essential to effectiveness. The ability to work collegially with a variety of Fund staff and interest in and strong commitment to the Fund's mission and grants programs are key qualifications.

Compensation:

Commensurate with background and experience. We also provide an excellent benefits package including:

  • Employer-paid health, dental, disability, and life insurance
  • Employer retirement contributions starting at 11.125% of employee's annual salary
  • 25 days of paid time off (30 once you reach your 3rd year anniversary) and 1:00 p.m. closings on summer Fridays
  • Tuition reimbursement of up to $8,000 annually
  • Free daily lunch in staff dining room

Employment at The Commonwealth Fund is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, medical condition, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

This job is no longer available.

The Commonwealth Fund

New York, NY