Director of Grant Programs

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERIEW 

Main Street America (MSA) leads an inclusive, impact-driven movement dedicated to re-energizing and strengthening downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through place-based economic development and community preservation.  We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.  

Since its founding in 1980, the MSA network has helped to generate over $100 billion in local reinvestment, create 700,000 new jobs, and start 160,000 new businesses in over 2,000 communities. Main Street America is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Click here to learn more about our Strategic Plan.

ABOUT THE TEAM 

MSA is a growing, geographically dispersed team. Our group is passionate about Main Street’s mission, with ambitions to significantly scale and deepen our impact in communities across the country. Staff members have deep expertise across a broad range of disciplines including economic development, historic preservation, urban planning, finance, and public affairs. They have a proven track record in helping a diverse range of communities through direct technical assistance, professional development programs, thought leadership, and targeted tools.  

We strive for a culture that is team-oriented, collaborative, high performing, and committed to equity and inclusion. MSA provides an environment in which team members can thrive in both their professional and personal lives by offering flexible work arrangements, including the option to work remotely. 

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Grant Programs is a new leadership role at MSA, reporting to Bethany Rogers, Director of Strategic Projects, in the Innovation Division. This individual will lead MSA’s grantmaking efforts, overseeing program design, operations, growth, and impact measurement while managing a team of three direct reports. This role is critical in scaling MSA’s grant programs, ensuring systems and processes are optimized, and fostering strong relationships with partners.

Our grantmaking work started in 2021 with a $1 million grant program. In 2025, MSA aims to grant over $14 million across 5 separate grant programs, continuing our trajectory of rapid growth. The Director of Grant Programs will ensure the success of these efforts while aligning grantmaking practices with MSA’s mission and strategic objectives.

MSA’s grantmaking function will become a standalone department and move to the Impact Division, reporting to the Chief Impact Officer. The Director of Grant Programs will help manage this transition and take on departmental leadership responsibilities.

Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis and the final deadline for submissions is February 23rd, 2025.

Requirements

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Team Leadership

• Manage and inspire a team of three direct reports, fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Oversee and support management of five active sub-granting programs.
• Provide coaching and professional development opportunities for team members.

Grantmaking Systems & Process Improvement

• Lead assessment of grantmaking platforms and implement improvements for efficiency and scalability.
• Audit existing tools like Submittable, Docusign, Airtable, and Asana, ensuring alignment with program needs.
• Design and refine systems to improve grant program management and impact measurement.

Program Growth & Revenue Analysis

• Develop strategies to grow grant programs as a revenue source for MSA.
• Monitor budget performance and revenue outcomes, identifying opportunities for optimization.
• Align grant operations with long-term organizational goals and network value.
• Advise on and help manage sub-granting programs housed within other MSA departments.

Partner Relationship Management

• Build and maintain relationships with funder partners, including corporate, philanthropic, and government stakeholders.
• Represent MSA in external engagements to strengthen partnerships and secure funding.
• Collaborate across teams to reconcile partner priorities with MSA’s mission and capacity.

Top Candidates MUST HAVE the following characteristics:

• At least five years of demonstrated leadership experience in grantmaking or sub-granting, including budget management, system design, and impact measurement.
• Strong orientation toward systems design and process improvement, with experience using grant management or project management software.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in grantmaking practices.
• Proven ability to lead and manage a team, fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Experience with change management and leading teams through growth or transitions, and comfort with ambiguity.
• Exceptional planning, adaptability, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience aligning operations and systems to support revenue growth.

Extraordinary Candidates may have the following Nice to Have qualifications:

• Direct experience with Main Street community economic development, community preservation, or related fields.
• Direct fundraising experience.
• Experience working with tools like Salesforce, Submittable, and Airtable.
• Experience leading teams in a remote-first environment.
• Participation in funders networks or holds relevant credentials or professional certificate in grantmaking or fundraising.

Benefits

Main Street America is a remote-first organization with staff working across various locations. This position offers a competitive salary range of $114,000 – $117,600 annually. 

Main Street America is a dynamic, diverse, remote-first team. We hire empathetic managers, create a fulfilling work environment, and provide excellent benefits. We strive to balance achievement, connection and rest through key structures:

• We all organize our work annually around our six long-term objectives of our strategic plan
• We meet in person twice a year at team retreats, and many staff attend our annual conference
• We have more than 25 paid holidays (including the last week of December and the week surrounding the fourth of July), and have meeting-free weeks (“Rejuvenation Weeks”) the last week of August and first week of January for deep focus and planning.
• We keep a 35-hour work week, and most of our team works Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Some positions require additional hours and time outside regular business hours.

Full-time, regular employees are entitled to:

• Health Insurance: Our group benefit plans include medical, EAP, dental and vision, life, and disability plans.
• Paid Sick Leave: Full-time employees accrue sick leave at a rate of 3.23 hours per pay period (maximum accrual at 420 hours).
• Vacation Accrual: In addition to the more than 25 paid holidays mentioned above, full-time employees begin with two weeks vacation, and accrue vacation at a rate of 4.85 hours per pay period for the first 3 years. At years 3 – 10, the accrual rate increases to 6 hours, and employees with tenures of more than 10 years accrue at a rate of 6.92 hours per pay period (for a maximum accrual at 210 hours).
• 401(a) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan: At its discretion, Main Street America makes an employer contribution typically equal to 5% of earned compensation no later than April for the prior calendar year in which you worked at least 1,000 hours. Vesting begins at 20% after two years, and increases until it reaches 100% after five years.
• 403(b) Individual Retirement Plan: Employee pre-tax contributions are permitted up to IRS limits.
• Professional Development: At its discretion, Main Street America provides $1,500 in professional development funds to each employee annually, as well as other team-wide professional development trainings.