Description

ABOUT US
The Encore Institute for Social Impact is a strategy-driven consulting and training firm composed of purpose-driven nonprofit experts. We partner with nonprofit organizations to build sustainability, strengthen organizational health, and increase measurable impact. 

Our approach is holistic, rooted in strong program design, quantifiable outcomes, realistic budgeting, and long-term revenue strategies. Encore operates on Agile principles that include continuous improvement, transparency, and sustainable pace,  and maintains a culture that values high professional standards and quality of life for both teammates and clients.

POSITION PURPOSE
The Grant Strategist II is a senior consulting role responsible for leading nonprofit clients through complex  grant-seeking strategy, program design, and funding system development. This is not a grant-writing production role; it is a high-level strategic advisory position requiring independent client leadership, executive-level engagement, and demonstrated success with sophisticated funding opportunities.

 Grant Strategist II consultants manage a portfolio of nonprofit clients simultaneously, providing strategic guidance beyond individual proposals to shape annual and multi-year funding strategies. They are thought partners to nonprofit executives, internal mentors to junior team members, and contributors to Encore's continued growth and infrastructure.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

Strategic Grant Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact guiding nonprofit clients in developing and refining comprehensive grant-seeking strategies.
• Conduct and refine funder prospect research; assess alignment, competitiveness, and award viability across local, state, federal, and national funding landscapes.
• Lead end-to-end development of highly persuasive grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and post-award reports, including complex national foundation, state agency, and federal submissions.
• Independently design new programs, complex multi-line budgets, and comprehensive evaluation plans in partnership with nonprofit leaders.
• Ensure all submissions are competitive, compliant, and compelling across a range of funder requirements and reporting standards. 

Client Partnership and Executive Engagement

• Facilitate effective client conversations and translate complex input into cohesive proposals, program designs, and funding strategies.
• Support nonprofit executives in mapping agency-wide strategic direction and aligning funding strategy to organizational goals.
• Assess complex or ambiguous client challenges, identify underlying issues, implications, risks, and opportunities, and use advanced professional judgment to develop practical, well-reasoned recommendations.
• Independently identify client needs and make strategy-level recommendations both internally to Encore and externally to clients.
• Manage client progression through the full grant-seeking cycle: research, cultivation, submission, and post-award.
• Identify and cultivate opportunities to deepen client relationships and expand Encore's partnership value. 

Team Leadership and Internal Contribution

•  Invest in the professional growth and development of earlier-career team members through mentorship, feedback, and collaborative engagement.
•  Contribute to internal planning initiatives and organizational infrastructure improvement efforts.
•  Assist with developing and implementing internal and external training initiatives.
•  Contribute to proposal templates, shared content libraries, and best practices documentation.
•  Uphold and model Encore's standards for clarity, quality, and field-recognized ethics in grant development.
•  Demonstrate high proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or Canva.

 This description reflects the general scope of the role and is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Duties may evolve as Encore and client work continue to expand.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 3 or more years of full-time grant development experience with documented success securing awards from complex application processes, including state and federal funders.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing complex proposal submissions from inception through award.
• Ability to independently design new programs, complex multi-partner budgets, and comprehensive evaluation plans using logic models or other relevant frameworks.
• Demonstrated understanding of nonprofit finance, compliance requirements, and organizational sustainability principles.
• Proven ability to cultivate and strengthen client partnerships over time, including engagement at the executive level.
• Strong narrative writing and editing skills; ability to assess and improve mechanics, persuasiveness, and information architecture in own and others' work.
• Willingness to accept and incorporate constructive feedback from all team members.
• GPC (Grant Professional Certification) strongly preferred; candidates not yet eligible must commit to obtaining the credential within 12 months of eligibility. 
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.

 Preferred

•  Experience in a multi-client consulting environment.
•  Experience mentoring or coaching junior grant writers or nonprofit staff.
•  Demonstrated experience shaping annual or multi-year funding strategies beyond individual proposals.
•  Familiarity with Scrum and/or other Agile project management methodologies; participation in an Agile project management team is a plus.
•  Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva and MS Access is a plus. 

Core Competencies

• Clear, Persuasive Writing: Produces compelling, well-structured grant narratives independently across complex funder types.
• Strategic Thinking: Thinks beyond proposal mechanics to the broader funding, program, and organizational strategy. 
• Independent Leadership: Manages complex client portfolios, multi-stakeholder proposals, and team responsibilities without close supervision.
• Executive Communication: Communicates clearly and credibly with nonprofit executives, funders, and internal stakeholders.
• Emotional Intelligence: Approaches client relationships and team interactions with empathy, self-awareness, and professionalism.
• Mentorship and Development: Actively invests in the growth of earlier-career teammates through coaching and constructive feedback.
• Systems Orientation: Builds and models organized systems for tracking, documentation, and workflow management.
• Mission Commitment: Genuine and sustained dedication to mission-driven work and the nonprofit sector.

LOCATION

This is a fully remote position. We have a strong preference for candidates located in the Kansas City metropolitan area, followed by candidates located in Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina, or Texas, where Encore currently employs team members.

Due to state-specific employment and payroll requirements, we are not currently considering candidates who reside and work in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, or Washington. 

Candidates located in other states will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 TO APPLY

To be considered for this position, please submit the following to office@encoreisi.com with Grant Strategist as the subject:

• Resume
• Cover letter briefly describing what interests you about Encore’s consulting model and why this type of role appeals to you.
• Grant application writing samples reflecting your independent work (not heavily edited by someone else):
  • Please submit one or two narrative sections (e.g., need statement, program description, program evaluation, etc.) from two different grant applications you have written.
  • If possible, please include the full application question or prompt associated with each writing sample.
  • Writing samples may be anonymized or redacted to protect confidential information. All materials submitted will be kept strictly confidential.

Applications should be thoughtful, specific, and tailored to this role. Generic submissions will not be considered. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

We believe strong teams are built through inclusion, respect, and the value of varied lived experiences. Encore is committed to cultivating an environment that reflects diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Employment with Encore is at will, meaning that either the employee or the organization may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable law.

Encore is proud to be a GPC Endorsing Employer, supporting excellence in the grant profession.