Hawkeye Community College is seeking a full-time Grants Specialist to help turn innovative ideas into fully-funded realities. Are you passionate about supporting education and training through strategic funding opportunities? If so, the Grants and Resource Development team has an opportunity for you!

As our Grants Specialist, you will play a vital role in developing compelling proposals that attract funders to invest in our students' futures. Working alongside our experienced team, you'll assist in identifying promising funding opportunities and support grant activities throughout the process from research to submission. Your growing expertise in grant writing, attention to detail, and communication skills will contribute directly to expanding resources for our college and the communities we serve. If you're ready to develop your skills while making a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you!

Hawkeye Community College is a comprehensive community college focused on meeting the needs of the community by providing quality, affordable learning experiences for a wide array of students through more than 50 career and technical programs and liberal arts transfer programs, our Adult Learning Center, Business and Community Education Department.  Hawkeye Community College’s mission is about empowering students, strengthening businesses and enriching communities with a vision to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. 

Essential Job Functions  

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Operates in collaboration with the Foundation staff to utilize public and private funding within the resource development model to support the college’s identified priorities.
• Assists with the research, interpretation, dissemination, pursuit, formulation, submission, receipt, and implementation of grants from the local, state, and national levels.
• Acts as a resource to college staff and provides coordination assistance in the planning, developing, writing and/or editing of grant applications/proposals including budgets.
• Collaborates with internal or external staff to obtain and analyze data for grants.
• Assists with implementing specific institutional grant development procedures to address institutional priorities and needs.
• Maintains grant records on submitted and funded external proposals for the College.
• Serves as an institutional liaison communicating with funding agencies.
• Participates in campus committees as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Education, English, Communications, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities or related field and one (1) year of related experience or equivalent combination of experience and education to total five (5) years.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and match college priorities with potential funding sources, to align project ideas with grant guidelines, and to manage multiple projects.
• Demonstrated ability to read, comprehend, interpret, and apply complex language such as legal or government regulations and proposal guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to work flexible hours including extended workweeks, evenings, and weekends as needed to meet compressed deadlines and the College’s funding needs to support programming, faculty, staff, and students.    
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide array of students, faculty, staff, and the general public.
• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal communication
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, and video conferencing technology.
• Demonstrated ability to execute organization and department policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential/sensitive information with discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree
• Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential
• Experience working in post-secondary education
• College coursework in a field that contributes to writing, research, and communication skills
• Four (4) years or more of experience with coordinating the full grant life-cycle of multiple projects with different outcomes

Employment Status

Full-time, exempt position with comprehensive or competitive benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, and LTD insurance, a Section 125 plan for medical and dependent care expenses; holiday, personal, sick, and vacation leave; tuition reimbursement and tuition remission; and a choice of retirement programs—IPERS (defined benefit) or TIAA (defined contribution).

• Salary is configured considering a candidate’s education and experience. 
• The salary/wage range for this position begins at $48,250. 

Working Conditions

Anticipated schedule is Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm with occasional weekend or evening hours based on business/project need.

Work is performed either in or a combination of an office setting and/or classroom setting using technology.  Requires good hand-eye coordination including visual acuity to use a keyboard and read technical information; arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp.   Sit, stand, bend, lift and move frequently during working hours. During course of day, interact with students, faculty and staff in person, by telephone and computers.

Application Procedure

• Complete an online application www.hawkeyecollege.edu/employment

• Submit/upload a cover letter addressing the following:
  • Discuss your grant-related education, training, and/or professional development in the past two years.
  • Describe your process for researching, analyzing, tracking, and prioritizing grant prospects.
  • Summarize your grant proposal development and compliance experience, including the names of funding agencies and award amounts for your three most successful grant projects.
  • If selected to interview, be prepared to bring two related writing samples
• Submit/upload a resume.
• Submit/upload 3 references with a minimum of 1 being from a current/past supervisor.
• Application Deadline:  Wednesday, September 10, 2025
• Priority screening is set to begin: Thursday, September 11, 2025. 
• Completed applications, along with the required materials, received after the priority screening date will be considered at the discretion of the college. 

 

Hawkeye Community College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to equity and diversity in its educational services and employment practices: https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/equal-opportunity. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex; race; age; color; creed; national origin; religion; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity; genetic information; or actual or potential parental, family, or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices. Veteran status is also included to the extent covered by law. Any person alleging a violation of equity regulations shall have the right to file a formal complaint. Inquiries concerning application of this statement should be addressed to: Equity Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator for employees, 319-296-4405; or Title IX Coordinator for students, 319-296-4448; Hawkeye Community College, 1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, Iowa 50704-8015; or email equity-titleIX@hawkeyecollege.edu, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov. 

If any applicant is in need of a reasonable accommodation in completing the application process, please notify a member of Human Resource Services.