Director, Public Sector Partnerships

Position description

Overview of the Role

The Atlantic Council is seeking an inquisitive, nonprofit development manager to drive the business development work supporting global policy programs and to oversee the compliant implementation of the organization’s public sector grants and contracts. The Director, Public Sector Partnerships is an integral member of the Vice President of Strategic Partnership’s leadership team, focusing on pre-award activities related to identifying funding opportunities within US government and other public donor institutions, supporting the programs/centers teams in the development and submission of proposals to the set of funders mentioned above, and representing the public sector vertical in leadership engagements, as well as post-award activities related to the compliant implementation of the organization’s awards. The Director oversees a growing team managing awards and submitting proposals for a multimillion-dollar yearly pipeline, liaises with programs/centers leadership, and manages the overall Government public sector funding process.

A successful candidate will have an entrepreneurial spirit, communicate effectively, and enjoy the complexity of managing and leading a rapidly growing program. The candidate should preferably possess excellent management skills, familiarity with cost principles, OMB guidance and FAR, writing and copyediting skills, attention to detail, grant writing, and experience identifying and pursuing funding opportunities from public institutions, primarily the US government. The position requires superb administrative and communication skills, often simultaneously liaising with the organization’s C-suite executives and program/centers staff, understanding of grants and contracts, and managing a dynamic portfolio.

This is a full-time position based at our Washington, DC headquarters with a hybrid work schedule (as agreed upon by Supervisor). Pay is commensurate with experience, education, and organizational equity, with a salary range of $150,000 – $180,000 per year.

Job responsibilities:

The Director will be responsible for setting, in coordination with the Vice President, the Public Sector Partnerships team’s yearly strategy, funding goals, and overall operations providing guidance, support, and training for new business and reporting and compliance requirements as part of its grants and contracts portfolio.

Business Development/Pre-award:

• Manage the Associate Director, Public Sector Partnerships and the Program Assistant, Business Development in public sector business development activities to raise and manage six to seven-figure public grants and/or contracts in support of the work and mission of the Atlantic Council.
• Lead in the strategic development, review, and copyediting of technical applications and the finalization and packaging of proposals for submission.
• Liaise with the relevant government counterparts. Identify and develop relationships with government officials and strategic partners to further the Council’s ability to receive US government funding.
• Oversee the monitoring and identification of forthcoming public procurement bidding opportunities and engage programs and centers in bid/no-bid decisions.
• Provide guidance and support to the program and centers pursuing funding opportunities, including funder requirements, submission procedures, drafting or reviewing project budgets, producing supporting documentation and contributing proposal content when needed.
• Oversee and approve all federal award proposal submissions.

Post-Award / Grants and Contracts Implementation:

• Oversee and approve all federal reporting including narrative and financial.
• Serve as subject matter expert on compliance with funder requirements including 2 CFR 200, FAR, OMB guidance by implementing policies, processes, support, and trainings that support full organizational adherence.
• Oversee non-US government funding process. Support programs and centers in developing scopes of work for external partners and review by Executive Office, Legal Counsel, and the Board of Directors.
• Review, draft when needed, and coordinate internally and externally the full execution of public sector grant agreements and contracts.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a relevant field required. Master’s Degree preferred.
• 7-10 years of experience working in the non-profit, government, and/or corporate sectors preferred. Experience in fields of international development and/or business development required.
• Proven management experience and proven ability to maximize output and impact of a small team with an increasingly large portfolio.
• Knowledge of the proposal development process for US government agencies, required with preference for experience working with Departments of State, Defense, Energy and USAID.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and project management skills, including ability to identify, balance, and rapidly shift priorities as needed.
• Ability to make sound judgments, assume responsibility, and work independently in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines and competing priorities.
• Proven ability to manage upward to move assignments to completion in a timely and professional manner and manage other team members working with and for the VP.
• Strong interpersonal skills appropriate for operating effectively in a multicultural, international team environment.
• The ideal candidate will be a data-driven, detail-oriented, self-starter and a good problem solver.
• Excellent computer skills using MS Office products, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and SharePoint are required.
• Proven experience copyediting, formatting, and grant writing preferred.
• Knowledge of the proposal development process for other government entities preferred.
• Experience working/living internationally preferred.