Miami Waterkeeper (MWK) is an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Biscayne Bay and the surrounding watershed. Launched in 2010, MWK has become a leading advocate for clean water, inspiring a movement of empowered citizens dedicated to protecting South Florida’s waterways by advocating for resilient solutions grounded in science, rooted in nature, and driven by community. Addressing issues on multiple fronts, we use community outreach, scientific research, and civic and legal action to advance our mission. Miami Waterkeeper is a fast-paced and dynamic work environment. We are a small and hard-working team that is mission-driven and passionate about our environment and our community.

Essential Responsibilities

Grant Proposal and Report Development (50%)

• Prepare, write, and submit competitive LOIs, grant proposals and renewal requests, including narratives, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Prepare, write, and submit high-quality grant reports — including narratives, expense reports, and supporting documentation — that highlight the impact a funder had.
• Collaborate with program staff to understand program funding needs, gather necessary information and data for grant proposals, co-developing programming and projects as needed to align proposals with funder priorities while maintaining focus on the organizational mission.
• Coordinate with program, marketing, and finance teams to collect content, data, and budgets for proposals.
• Collaborate with finance to understand grant budgets, ensuring budgets align with allowable expenses, and draft budget justifications that are aligned with proposal narratives and goals.
• Ensure proposals reflect MWK’s mission, values, and programmatic impact while meeting all funder requirements.
• Ensure all grant applications and reports are submitted in a timely manner and comply with the requirements of each funding source.

Compliance and Management (30%)

• Oversee the full lifecycle of awarded grants, including tracking deliverables, milestones, deadlines, and compliance requirements.
• Lead post-award grant kickoff meetings to streamline understanding of grant requirements across the organization.
• Monitor implementation of grant-funded projects and assist teams as needed in tracking progress against goals and outputs, ensuring timely completion of grant-funded activities and reporting metrics.
• Work with finance staff to monitor expenditures, reconcile budgets, and ensure compliance with grant terms.
• Maintain detailed records of grant proposal submissions, awards/declines, contracts, reporting deadlines and submissions, and a pipeline of upcoming opportunities.
• Streamline and maintain systems for tracking grant deadlines, reporting schedules, and deliverables, as well as grant performance, renewals, and multi-year funding opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with all grant agreements and reporting requirements.
• Monitor grant reviewer feedback for proposals that are not awarded and incorporate lessons learned into resubmissions and new proposals.
• Maintain the shared Grants folder with up-to-date organizational documentation, including, but not limited to, IRS Letter of Determination, Form 990s, organizational audited financials, board lists, organizational charts, etc.

Research and Qualification (10%)

• Identify, research, and qualify new potential grant sources and opportunities for diversifying funding streams across government agencies, foundations, corporations, and other sources.
• Stay informed on current environmental issues, policy developments, scientific research, and funding trends relevant to MWK’s campaigns and mission areas, ensuring alignment with emerging opportunities and challenges.

Relationship Building (10%)

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective funders, including foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Collaborate with program and executive teams to cultivate funder relationships and alignment of priorities.
• Ensure alignment between funding opportunities and program needs through communication with foundation program managers and MWK program managers, as needed. 
• Represent MWK in meetings, site visits, and presentations with funders and partners.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate, support, and contribute to organization-wide initiatives and events, including State of the Water, staff and team retreats, and collaborative fundraising efforts.
• Participate actively in internal meetings, cross-functional planning sessions, and collaborative team building.
• Support miscellaneous administrative and troubleshooting tasks as needed to ensure seamless grant operations.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in English, writing, environmental science, nonprofit management, communications, public administration, or a related field, or equivalent work experience that demonstrates the necessary knowledge and skills.
• Minimum 5  years of experience in grant writing, management, and institutional fundraising within the nonprofit sector. Proven track record of securing and managing multi-year five- and six-figure grants from foundations, corporations, and/or government sources.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a strong ability to translate complex programs into compelling narratives.
• Demonstrated understanding of nonprofit financial management and grant budgeting.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Collaborative and detail-oriented, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficiency in grant management and project management software, Google Workspace, and CRM/database systems.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience managing government grants and contracts, including compliance and reporting.
• Familiarity with South Florida’s environmental landscape, water quality issues, and community-based environmental advocacy.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plan
• Retirement Account (with 3% 401K matching)
• Generous time off policies
• Remote work flexibility (2 days remote/week)
• Relaxed work atmosphere and dress code

Reports to: Vice President of Development

Miami Waterkeeper is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. We encourage candidates who are passionate about environmental conservation and share our commitment to sustainability to apply.

Miami Waterkeeper is committed to the principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.