Senior Grants Manager

Company Overview
Founded in 2015 by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal expands opportunity and equality for all people through high-impact investments, philanthropy, and advocacy. We accelerate social progress by removing barriers that hold people back. Our impatience with the status quo is fueled by an optimism that progress is always possible.

Inspired by our founder, we reach across communities and sectors to bring together changemakers who can scale up proven ideas and catalyze new ones. We learn from their experiences, amplify their resources, then step back so they can lead. We strive to be creative and innovative in our work and flexible in the approach we take to solving problems.

Role Description
The Senior Grants Manager is responsible for managing the end-to-end grantmaking process in support of and collaboration with the Program Strategy and other grantmaking functions. This role supports both the processing and compliance aspects of grant portfolios and brings deep expertise in grant administration, regulatory requirements, and operational excellence. This role requires a strong understanding of legal and compliance issues—both in the U.S. and globally—impacting grantmaking within complex, multi-entity philanthropic ecosystems.

This individual applies creative problem-solving skills to identify solutions within established grantmaking tools and approaches. This position provides guidance and appropriate escalation to the Director, Grants Management and legal counsel, and partners closely with the Senior Specialist, Grants Management and the Finance team to coordinate and manage payments. Success in this role requires deep expertise in philanthropic grants management, including the legal and operational complexities of working across multiple entities and regulatory frameworks. This individual brings a collaborative, inclusive, and equity-centered approach to problem-solving, and is prepared to lead through periods of transformation.

Role Responsibilities
Strategic Management of Grant Lifecycle

• Support end-to-end grant execution—from idea to closeout—by collaborating with strategy teams to align on goals, anticipate challenges, and manage the grants pipeline.
• Foster strong cross-functional partnerships to advance shared grantmaking goals.
• Facilitate regular coordination meetings with strategy leads to track pipeline, align on approaches and timing, and ensure grant review and closeout processes run smoothly.
• Provide grantee portal support as needed to ensure ease of use and compliance.
• Support onboarding and training for new grant makers and maintenance of internal guidance tools.
• Apply compliance screening to all grants, identifying and analyzing business, legal, strategic, and reputational risks, engaging necessary stakeholders and decision-makers, while meeting internal requirements.
• Identify when to involve counsel, Finance, or other business partners, serving as interlocutor between recommenders and counsel such that all understand the factors shaping legal advice (accumulating knowledge over time).
• Track grant reporting deadlines, review deliverables for compliance, and ensure timely disbursements.
• Oversee delegated grants management work, ensuring quality and alignment with standards.
• Cultivate relationships with grantees and funders through site visits, strategic communications, and partnership-building.

Enhancement of Systems, Process, and Practice

• Manage grants data in Salesforce and other systems, partnering with Finance and Grants Management teams to ensure data integrity.
• Analyze grant data and develop dashboards to inform decision-making and process improvement.
• Maintain deep knowledge of grant types and tools to provide flexible, creative solutions.
• Stay current on U.S. and international grantmaking regulations (e.g., IRS), applying knowledge across work and explaining reasoning to stakeholders.
• Scan for emerging grantmaking practices and surface promising approaches for consideration and testing.
• Support the Director, Grants Management and collaborate across teams to enhance and align grantmaking processes and systems with organizational needs and priorities.
• Contribute to enhancing grant technology systems by supporting the design, testing, training and implementation.
• Develop and deliver clear, accessible learning resources for grant makers.
• Lead onboarding of new hires engaged in grantmaking, ensuring clarity on systems and processes.
• Participate constructively in project teams, working groups, and other cross-team and cross-organization efforts.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES
To perform this role successfully, individuals must demonstrate the skills and behaviors aligned with our Pivotal Principles that define what success looks like across all roles. These competencies reflect the expectations for how we work together, lead, grow, and deliver impact for all employees regardless of function or level.

Build and Maintain Trust
Act with integrity and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.

• Is Inclusive – Advance a culture of equity and belonging.
• Act with Integrity – Tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, meet your commitments, and act ethically.
• Collaborate – Build trusting relationships and treat people with dignity and respect.

Drive Impact
Deliver high-quality work that is aligned with Pivotal Strategic Initiatives.

• Solve Problems – Identify issues and seek diverse perspectives to develop potential solutions.
• Propel Work Forward – Take initiative, prioritize work appropriately, and complete work on time.
• Center Stewardship – Use resources responsibly, consider and manage risk, and follow Pivotal policies and procedures.

Learn and Grow
Demonstrate a commitment to continuous individual and organizational development.

• Contribute Constructively – Participate in advancing individual, team, and organization-wide well-being and resilience.
• Occupy Growth-Mindset – Embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and focus on improvement.
• Share Knowledge – Document work appropriately, assess outcomes, and share explicit and tacit learning.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10-12 years of experience in grants administration support in the philanthropic sector or an equivalent combination of advanced training and experience.
• Understanding of the process and compliance considerations for making grants from private foundations to public charities, or from a similar philanthropic entity.
• Experience with client relationship management.
• Proficiency using Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint).
• Fluency in use of systems necessary to role (e.g., Salesforce, Workday).

Preferred Qualifications

• Commitment to working with or in a foundation or not-for-profit organization, or experience in a role that demonstrates commitment to social impact, particularly in or closely connected to Legal teams.
• Experience supporting organizations through times of significant growth and/or change.
• Experience in a philanthropic ecosystem with multiple types of entities.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
The salary range for this position is $180,582 - $189,709 and it is based in Pivotal's Seattle, WA or Washington, D.C. office.

Benefits for full-time employees currently include medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and long-term care insurance, fertility benefit, caregiving support, 144 hours of vacation, 96 hours of sick leave, 401k, HSA, FSA, an opportunity to earn a discretionary annual target performance bonus and more. Eligibility for and the amount of benefits provided are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, in Pivotal's discretion, with or without notice.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, in Pivotal's discretion, with or without notice.

Pivotal values diversity and is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants seeking employment. All employment decisions at Pivotal are based on the candidate's or employee's capabilities and qualifications without regard to race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), color, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, caste, veteran or military status, marital, parental, or familial status, disability (including sensory, physical, or mental disability), medical condition, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, political ideology, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law. Pivotal complies with federal, state, and local equal opportunity and disability laws and makes reasonable accommodation consistent with those laws for applicants and employees with disabilities. Please contact for assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process.

Applications may be submitted via the Pivotal Ventures Careers page.