Vice President of Funding Infrastructure

Partners for Rural Impact’s (PRI) ultimate goal is for an America where all kids are successful, regardless of zip code, income, background, or ability. At PRI, our focus is on ensuring that all children in rural places achieve success. Partners for Rural Impact was born out of our place-based partnership in Appalachia, where we’ve worked for 25 years to create student opportunity and success.Position SummaryThe Vice President for Funding Infrastructure is a newly created, term-limited position (maximum of five years) that reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This role has two primary objectives: (1) to assist rural organizations in identifying and implementing federal funding opportunities, and (2) to secure federal and state grant funding to advance PRI’s mission of improving outcomes for rural youth from birth through career. A key responsibility of this role is to lead PRI’s efforts in sharing public grant opportunities with rural organizations nationwide, ensuring they are equipped to apply for funding that supports their work in enhancing educational and career outcomes in their communities. The Vice President will also collaborate with the CEO to strategically design, develop, and write large-scale federal grant proposals. Additionally, the Vice President will develop and deliver webinars on specific federal grant programs (such as Promise Neighborhoods, Full-Service Community Schools, AmeriCorps, etc.) to help rural organizations stay informed and prepared to pursue these funding opportunities. The role also involves working closely with the Executive Vice President to implement and manage newly secured funding. This position plays a vital role in advancing Partners for Rural Impact’s goal of ensuring

All Rural Students Succeed .Primary Duties and ResponsibilitiesTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Collaborate with the CEO as a strategic thought partner to develop a comprehensive plan for securing public funding to support both Partners for Rural Impact (PRI) and rural organizations nationwide, aiming to improve outcomes for rural students from cradle to careerLead the development of a five-year federal funding strategy for PRI, ensuring that the organization has the capacity to secure necessary public funding and implement it with measurable impactServe as a strategic advisor to rural leaders within PRI and partner organizations, helping them identify challenges that public funding can addressPartner with the Executive Vice President and other Vice Presidents to ensure the effective launch and implementation of newly awarded fundsLead PRI’s efforts to enhance the capacity of rural organizations in securing and operationalizing public and private grantsDevelop and deliver virtual support resources—such as webinars and training sessions—for rural communities exploring public grant opportunities, acting as the lead trainer for these initiativesProvide coaching and guidance to rural partners as they seek, secure, and implement public funding for the first timeCollaborate with partners to develop a federal grants dashboard that helps rural organizations identify and access funding opportunitiesCollaborate with PRI leadership to design and refine processes for PRI to distribute public and private funding to rural organizationsOversee the review and refinement of PRI’s grant distribution processes to ensure transparency, efficiency, and effectivenessCo-design opportunities with agencies and partner organizations for PRI to direct funding towards rural initiatives focused on improving outcomes for rural children and youthConduct research on federal and state grant opportunities aligned with PRI’s mission and objectives and provide strategic recommendations to the CEO on which opportunities to pursueCo-develop grant proposals in partnership with the CEO to secure funding for PRI initiativesLead and oversee large, cross-organizational teams in the development of grant proposalsServe as the senior writer for significant federal and state grant proposalsOffer guidance and oversight to teams of contracted grant writers and developersUpon receiving public funding, convene and lead PRI’s first-quarter launch team to ensure the smooth and effective operationalization of the funded projectOther roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist and support in the attainment of our mission,

All Rural Students SucceedPosition Location & ScheduleThe position is eligible for remote work.Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET with in-office, hybrid and/or remote work a possibility. Because of the nature of the responsibility to schools, partners, funders, and to the service region, individual offices or departments may have operating hours that extend beyond this period and may include evening and/or weekend hours.Minimum QualificationsEducation required to ensure success in this position:Bachelor’s degreeExperience required to ensure success in this position:At least 10 years of public grant development writing experience with demonstrated success in securing multi-million-dollar federal grant opportunitiesAt least 10 years of experience training and supporting others who seek to develop, write and submit federal grantsSpecial skills, knowledge and abilities:Demonstrated knowledge of federal agencies, the discretionary grants of said agencies, and the protocols of grant submissionExceptional written and verbal communication skills; Ability to cater language and tone to diverse audiences and use a variety of platforms to share ideasHighly proficient writing and editing skillsSuperior interpersonal and organizational skillsDemonstrated ability to cross boundaries of race, class, ethnic origin and personal philosophy; capacity to work effectively with a broad range of constituenciesSkills to effectively represent the organization in meetings for sharing knowledge, collaborating and building partnershipsCompetencies to effectively manage consultant contractsProven leadership skills with experience leading staff who monitor time-sensitive and confidential informationDemonstrated project management experience with a focus on systems alignment and entrepreneurial thinkingA strong personal commitment to the mission of Partners for Rural Impact, with the gravitas to influence the Partners for Rural Impact result that All Rural Students SucceedLicense, certification, or registration necessary:Valid driver’s licenseAbility to successfully complete pre-employment background check