Senior Manager, Grants & Contracts

Senior Manager, Grants & Contracts 

Position Location: Flexible 

 

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs. To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. 

With a staff of more than 200 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible. We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone. 

 

About the Position 

Reporting to the Senior Director, Government Business Development, the Senior Manager, Grants & Contracts will support JFF’s pursuit and proposal development for mission-aligned federal, state, and/or local grants and contracts (most notably, the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, and other agencies) as well as institutional and individual funding opportunities, as needed. To ensure that proposals are accurate, competitive, and ultimately successful, the Senior Manager will work closely with other colleagues on the Development Team as well as JFF staff members in program roles who are responsible for executing on these awards. 

This role is designed to address critical capacity needs for supporting state and federal contract submissions, including prospecting, opportunity assessment, pre-bid setup and organization, proposal drafting and assembly, and post-award tasks. The work is increasingly proposal operations- and process-heavy, and strong execution capacity in this role will help free senior team leadership to focus on relationships and strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on being organized, detail oriented, and energized by managing complex, mission-critical projects in a fast-paced government development environment. 

 

What You’ll Do 

Project Management of Proposal Process 

• Develop proposal templates, proposal elements documents, and timelines. 

• Coordinate proposal team meetings to include multiple JFF teams as well as external partners when appropriate. 

• Facilitate the request and receipt of resumes and other personnel materials from JFF staff and proposal materials from external partners. 

• Coordinate with other JFF departments including Finance for the development of budgets, budget narratives, and budget templates. 

• Project manage state and federal contract proposals that are often complex, run on compressed timelines, and require coordination across proposal team members, partners, and functional teams to produce drafts, budgets, letters of commitment, teaming agreements, supplemental documentation, editing, and submission materials. 

Contribute to the Overall Effectiveness of JFF’s Development Team 

• Develop and/or improve proposal development processes in consultation with the Senior Director. 

• Update and create new government proposal templates as needed. 

• Manage federal and government proposal/award portals and accounts, including grants.gov, G5, JustGrants, etc., in consultation with the Senior Director. 

• Develop and maintain boilerplate language, past performance, and documentation for proposals. 

• Assist in monitoring government grant and contract opportunities. 

• Support institutional and individual funding opportunities, as needed. 

Strengthen Government Development Operations and Execution 

• Support prospecting, opportunity assessment, and pre-bid setup and organization for state and federal opportunities. 

• Help build strong operational discipline around proposal execution for RFP-driven submissions that require technical understanding of government regulations and processes. 

• Contribute to process clarity and execution capacity in a function where the bulk of the work is proposal development and submission. 

• Partner with internal colleagues and external contributors to ensure proposal components are complete, well-organized, and submitted on time. 

 

Who You Are 

The qualifications listed within this job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work. 

• You have previously managed programs/projects within the education, workforce, economic development, and/or other social impact setting. New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5-10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions. 

• You have familiarity with proposal development work, with a preference and interest in the landscape of government grants and/or contracts. 

• You value and are skilled at developing effective relationships with your colleagues and other stakeholders in order to collaborate on projects and make meaningful contributions to the work. 

• You are a creative problem-solver who pursues opportunities to improve processes, collect relevant data, leverage feedback, develop skills, and acquire knowledge to better support your team and increase the value of your work. 

• You have developed subject matter expertise within the field and are eager to leverage it within your work. 

• You demonstrate good judgment, clear analytical thinking, and strong decision-making skills. 

• You have strong time management skills in order to effectively execute multiple workstreams and priorities. 

• You set ambitious and achievable goals and manage your time effectively to consistently deliver high-quality outputs and fulfill commitments that align with your organization’s strategic goals. 

• You demonstrate awareness of your performance, impact, and of those around you with respect to the cultural context of your organization. 

• You are an active listener who communicates clearly, openly, and respectfully, whether verbally, in writing (reports, memos, briefs, etc.), and/or when facilitating. 

• You take ownership of work by keeping yourself and others focused and accountable to the work. 

• You leverage professional development and other learning opportunities to stay current with advances in your field and grow your subject matter expertise. 

• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work. 

• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s inclusion, belonging, and well-being values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing and celebrating the differences that each individual brings to JFF. 

• You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own. 

• You are able and willing to travel up to 10%. This includes traveling to the Boston office up to 3 times per year to meet with the Development Team and participate in both team and organizational retreats, as needed. 

 

What We Offer 

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers. 

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed. 

 

The hiring range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands. 

 

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF 

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for all. 

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we hire based on qualifications, and experience, and we are committed to fair opportunity for all qualified candidates – including those without a 4-year degree or formally incarnated individuals. 

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders. 

 

To Apply 

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Michelle Carson outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

We are accepting applications through June 12, 2026. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of [week after the application deadline].