[Lancaster Clean Water Partners] Project and Grant Coordinator

Project and Grant Coordinator
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The Lancaster Clean Water Partners is seeking an experienced project and grants manager to manage a multi-million dollar Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant. This includes coordinating conservation practice implementation as well as reporting for the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) land management plans and contracts. In addition to the RCPP grant, this position will coordinate reporting and tracking for other grants that support the Partners such the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and private donors.

The Lancaster Clean Water Partners – Organizational Overview

The Lancaster Clean Water Partners (the Partners) is a countywide, collaborative partnership of more than thirty diverse partner organizations – local leaders in business, municipal public service, higher education, conservation planning, and non-profit management – that come together with a shared vision of clean and clear water in Lancaster by 2040. The need for water quality improvement is urgent because the streams in Lancaster need reduced pollutants at a pace that is not only on target with the Bay watershed’s 2025 goals, but also achieves local water quality goals. The cross-sector collaboration of this group is essential to accomplishing goals and requires intentional outreach, strategic and strong partnerships, as well as transparency and inclusive practices. The Partners has come together to design and drive a strategy with a collective approach so that Lancaster County will see improved water quality across the landscape.

Key members of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners

• Steering Committee and Executive Committee
• Six Action Teams
• Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs
• Senior Advisor
• Communications and Program Manager

Learn more about staff and leadership on our website: https://lancastercleanwaterpartners.com/leadership-staff/

The Partners’ mission is to rapidly accelerate and expand the ability of the partner organizations to restore and sustain healthy Lancaster County waterways. The vision is to make Lancaster County’s streams clean and clear by 2040. The Lancaster Clean Water Partners is a program of the Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County (CFLC), an independent 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to promote, support, and sustain the stewardship, education and conservation activities undertaken by the Lancaster County Conservation District and other local partners. The RCPP proposal discussed in this job description was submitted by the CFLC as the applicant, with the Partners as the lead entity on behalf of a dozen organizations with a common interest. The person filling this position will be an employee of the Lancaster County Conservation District but will focus completely on the work of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, reporting to the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Project and Grant Coordinator serves as the key leader for administration of grants and contracts related to technical and financial assistance for partner coordination and restoration work primarily in the RCPP project, in addition to other funding sources managed by the Lancaster Clean Water Partners.

The Coordinator’s primary responsibility is to oversee the financial integrity and procedural standards for successful projects and programs within the RCPP on behalf of the CFLC and the organizations participating in the program. The Coordinator will also be responsible for tracking partner contributions and filing required reports for the RCPP as well as other grants on time and within each grant system portal. Within designated catchment areas, this person will coordinate the partner organizations doing landowner outreach, track and report water quality monitoring, ensure common messaging is available, and document the innovative conservation approaches outlined in multiple grants.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Primary Responsibilities

• Manage grants initiated/led by the Partners including but not limited to application development and submittal, reimbursement requests, contribution/match tracking, documentation of deliverables, internal coordination, and development and submittal of required reports.
• Manage project elements of the RCPP grant including completing forms in the NRCS grant portal, coordinating with designated catchment leads on progress, and ensuring resources are available for all partner organizations involved with the RCPP grant
• Establish a grants management process and system that tracks the above mentioned tasks and documents specific timeline and targeted goal achievement as required by each grant.
• Coordinate with grantors (such as National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resource Conservation Services, Department of Environmental Protection, private family foundations, and more) for programmatic and grant documentation specifics.
• Coordinate with sub-awardees or subcontractors to ensure contracts, project deliverables, and collaborative tasks are in process or completed appropriately
• Relay updates on progress and follow up with project and/or grant leads
• Collaborate with partner organizations on new grant development as appropriate
• Facilitate synchronization between the Conservation District, CFLC, and partner organizations for non-traditional funding opportunities.
• Accumulate data and serve as point person for partner organizations completing grant deliverables.

B. Operational Activities

• Act as liaison between grant funded programs and on-the-ground technical work.
• Provide clear guidance to partner organizations about grant performance expectations and help find resources for the accomplishment of expectations as needed.
• Develop mechanisms for apprising partner organizations of project progress. Provide mechanisms for project teams to report successes and where additional resources are needed.
• Assist with writing press releases and/or articles about conservation successes as needed.
• Stay informed of and help find funding opportunities that will assist Lancaster County with achieving its Countywide Action Plan that could not be done by individual partner organizations.
• Coordinate with CFLC staff and District Manager to contribute and strengthen the CFLC’s mission-driven work. Attend and participate in related meetings as needed to drive the Partners’ collective efforts.

C. Essential Skills and Requirements

• Comfortable working on a small team
• Must be a flexible team player who is collaborative and maintains a “no job too small” attitude
• High level of maturity, empathy, and grace under pressure
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple complex sets of tasks (effectively multitask)
• Ability to meet hard deadlines
• Ability to effectively interact with a diverse set of colleagues including grantees, trustees, partner organizations, and community members
• A bachelor’s degree plus 2-5 years of experience in grant writing, grant management, and/or project management
• Experience specifically related to federal grant management from agencies such as NRCS and/or Environmental Protection Agency is a must
• Proficient with tools such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google Drive
• Proficient with grant software such as EasyGrants, Foundant, Field Doc, and the NRCS online portal and willing/able to learn specific software tools (e.g. PracticeKeeper, Google Drive, mapping tools).

This is a grant-funded full-time position intended for 40 hours per week. The position will be physically located in the Lancaster County Conservation District office. The Lancaster Clean Water Partners offer competitive compensation and benefits as well as a flexible work environment.

To apply, please provide a cover letter and resume on Indeed. If we feel you are a good match, we will send you an email address to use for the rest of the required material. This should include a cover letter, resume, salary requirements, and writing sample. Use the email subject “Program and Grant Coordinator Application.”

The Lancaster Clean Water Partners encourages diverse candidates to apply and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. The Lancaster County Conservation Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.