OPERATION DIGNITY
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS DIRECTOR

 

THIS IS A HYBRID ROLE. THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL BE EXPECTED TO WORK IN THE OFFICE IN OAKLAND THREE DAYS PER WEEK.

ABOUT OPERATION DIGNITY

Operation Dignity has been on the frontlines of addressing the homelessness crisis, particularly among veterans, for almost 30 years. Established in 1993, Operation Dignity (OD) is a nonprofit organization that operates emergency, transitional, and permanent housing programs in Alameda County. Our mission is to create pathways to health and housing for the most vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, with a special focus on veterans and people living in encampments. We help participants reach their housing goals by providing a continuum of service from comprehensive street outreach and shelter to permanent supportive housing. 

We are the largest transitional housing provider for veterans in the county, and the only such provider in the area serving women veterans and veterans with children. In 2021, we placed 83% of the veterans who exited our transitional housing into permanent housing, ending their homelessness. Among our core values are meeting people where they are while cultivating a strong peer community, inclusive of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Grants and Contracts Director is responsible for managing and growing an institutional funding portfolio of over $8 million in revenue from private corporate and foundation grants (5%) and public government contracts and grants (95%). The Director will prepare and submit grant applications and reports and federal and local government contracts as well as maintain and cultivate these funder relationships to help maintain and expand grants and contracts revenue.

For more information, please visit https://operationdignity.org/. 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Director will report to the Executive Director and supervise one staff member, the Development Associate.

OPPORTUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Salary range is $100,000-$115,000

  • Benefits include:

    • Holidays: 13 paid holidays and 1 floating holiday

    • Vacation: Unlimited PTO for exempt employees

    • Paid Sick Time: One hour for every 16 hours worked (accrue a max of 16 days)

    • Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance: 80% of premiums covered for employees (employees are responsible for paying for their dependents)

    • Employee Assistance Program

    • 401(k)

    • Life/AD&D

  • The opportunity to create pathways to housing for vulnerable populations who are experiencing homelessness, including veterans and those in encampments. 

YOU ARE

  • Deeply experienced, organized and detail-oriented professional who is proficient in writing, negotiating, and tracking government contracts and private grants. 

  • Diplomatic relationship builder who is excited to cultivate authentic partnerships with funders, individual donors, internal team, Board Members, and community stakeholders.

  • Possessing a deadline driven and strategic approach to turning visionary ideas into reality.  

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Government Contracts 

  • Manage Operation Dignity’s publicly funded contracts, which includes the Department of Veterans Affairs, City of Oakland, City of Emeryville, City of Alameda, and Alameda County. 

  • Maintain a calendar of contract requirements, including application and report deadlines and other compliance-related activities. 

  • Write, edit, and manage documents and materials for contracts, reports, and updates. 

  • In collaboration with the Executive Director and leadership team, negotiate contracts with government agencies. Carefully review all contract scopes of work and budgets and provide recommendations to leadership. 

  • Prepare budgets with the finance team and ensure that they are aligned with the relevant contract scope of work. 

  • Support finance and program staff to monitor spending throughout the contract period and recommend adjustments as needed to avoid over- or underspending.

  • Serve as Operation Dignity’s HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) liaison. This position registers staff for HMIS training, attends Alameda County data quality meetings, and serves as the internal HMIS expert and go-to for data questions. 

  • Prepare and present a contracts progress report at board meetings every other month.

Private Grants 

  • Manage and grow Operation Dignity’s private grants program with existing grant funders.

  • Maintain a forecast in the Salesforce database of grant applications and reports due and new grant opportunities. 

  • Write, edit, and manage documents and materials for grant applications, reports, and updates. 

  • Research and cultivate new grant opportunities. Leverage the Board of Directors, Executive Director, donors, and other stakeholders to identify and cultivate relationships. 

  • Collaborate with finance to prepare grant application budgets. 

  • Prepare and present a grants progress report at board meetings every other month.

Fundraising Writing and Operations

  • Supervise a Development Associate who is responsible for day-to-day administrative, gift processing, in-kind giving, writing projects for individual donors, grant/report writing support, and donor relations activities. 

  • Oversee content writing and materials development for two annual appeals to individuals, two e-newsetters, and other fundraising and marketing materials as needed. 

COMPETENCIES

  • Bachelor's Degree

  • 7+ years of experience in public or private grant writing and management

  • Experience in organization funder identification, cultivation, and stewardship preferred

  • Excellent time and project management skills with ability to prioritize tasks, work with deadlines, and coordinate with a team to get things done

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills 

  • Strong attention to detail

  • This position must be comfortable with a large volume of writing, as well as having a strong understanding of budgets and the ability to collaborate with colleagues on developing and managing budgets

  • Ability to present complex information in writing in a direct and appealing way to various audiences

  • Strong team player who can collaborate well with departmental and program staff, along with external partners/stakeholders

  • Ability to establish effective professional relationships with culturally and racially diverse staff and partners 

  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook

  • Experience with Salesforce database and Clarity/other HMIS software is desirable 

  • Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends

  • Compliant with State and County health orders regarding COVID-19 vaccination 

EQUITY STATEMENT

“Our mission is to create pathways to health and housing for the most vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, with a special focus on veterans and people living in encampments. We help participants reach their housing goals by providing a continuum of service from comprehensive street outreach and shelter to permanent supportive housing. Among our core values are meeting people where they are while cultivating a strong peer community, inclusive of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.”

TO APPLY

To apply for this position, or for additional information on the opportunity, please send a copy of your resume with a cover letter to Victoria Silverman at apply@cooksilverman.com

All applications and inquiries will receive a response and be kept strictly confidential.

Operation Dignity is an Equal Opportunity Employer.