Manager of Grants Acquisition & Administration, Finance Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency (9174)

SFMTA's Finance Division seeks an experienced and strategic grants and funding professional to lead the agency’s multi-million-dollar grants portfolio. The Manager of Grants Acquisition & Administration reports to the Section Director of Capital Budget & Funding Strategy and serves as a senior leader within the Finance Division. This position manages and oversees all aspects of the Grants Acquisition & Administration team, including the full lifecycle of federal, state, regional, and local grant programs, from funding strategy and application through award, reporting, billing, and close-out. 

The Grants Manager collaborates closely with the Capital Budget & Project Controls team to align funding opportunities with agency priorities identified in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP); researches, monitors, and secures external funding opportunities; and ensures the SFMTA’s continued compliance with complex, multi-jurisdictional funding requirements. The position directs staff in developing grant requests/applications and tracking and reporting on all grant awards, negotiates and executes funding agreements, coordinates with internal divisions and external partners, and provides high-level policy and analytical support to executive manager.

The team’s work spans two primary functional areas: 
•    Grant Acquisition – development and submission of competitive grant applications, project allocation and obligation requests, and funding advocacy.
•    Grant Administration – oversight of reporting, reimbursement, compliance, and the financial and programmatic management of awarded funds.
The Grants Manager is responsible for ensuring the agency’s capital grant portfolio is compliant, transparent, and strategically aligned; producing compelling and technically accurate grant submissions for major local, state, and federal funding programs; and submitting progress reports for funding agencies, the Board of Supervisors, SFMTA management, and other stakeholders. The role leads efforts to modernize processes and reporting tools, delivers timely and accurate financial reporting to oversight bodies, and serves as a key liaison with funding partners.

The position develops policies, procedures, and strategies that ensure consistent and efficient management of capital funds across the agency. The Grants Manager evaluates and refines internal practices to improve performance, mitigate risk, and promote accountability. The role demands creativity, resourcefulness, and the ability to synthesize complex financial and policy information into clear, actionable insights that guide investment decisions.

The Grants Manager plays a critical role in advocating for capital financial resources, engaging with policymakers, and representing the SFMTA in external forums, committees, and public meetings. The position supports the agency’s long-term funding sustainability through data-driven analysis, performance tracking, and continuous improvement in fund management and reporting practices.

Core responsibilities include:

• Securing and managing capital funds that support priorities identified in the agency’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) through:
  • High-quality, competitive, and technically accurate grant applications and requests for allocation/obligation.
  • Regular monitoring of funding programs and opportunities across all government levels.
• Providing guidance on grant and contract procurement, packaging, and monitoring.
• Overseeing the timely submittal of over 2,000 progress reports annually to funding agencies, oversight bodies, and internal leadership.
• Directing the production of live, data-driven financial reports and dashboards for agency management.
• Developing and implementing fiscal policies and analytical tools to strengthen financial performance.
• Representing the agency’s capital funding needs to executive staff, project sponsors, and policymakers across public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties 

• Leads the agency’s external funding strategy and serves as the principal liaison on transportation funding with city departments (Public Works, Planning, Port, Environment, Public Health), regional and state entities (MTC, Caltrans, CTC, CalSTA, SFCTA), and federal partners (FTA, FHWA, USDOT, DHS).
• Serves as a subject-matter expert on compliance and eligibility requirements for more than 40 distinct transportation funding programs.
• Leads the review and interpretation of federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, and funding guidance; develops policy briefings, issue papers, and advocacy materials in coordination with the Chief of Staff & External Affairs and Finance leadership.
• Negotiates and resolves complex funding, compliance, and policy issues with external partners to protect and advance agency interests.
• Works with program and project managers to prioritize and prepare projects for funding, balancing short-term readiness with long-term strategic opportunities.
• Oversees development and submission of persuasive and compliant grant applications and allocation requests; serves as the lead point of contact on grant processes.
• Develops, implements, and maintains policies and administrative controls governing grant development, monitoring, and reporting.
• Directs the preparation of financial and programmatic progress reports and responds to time-sensitive inquiries from funding partners and agency leadership.
• Continuously monitors and adapts to changing funding programs, policy directives, and agency priorities.
• Directs and mentors professional staff, allocating resources to achieve results within budget, schedule, and performance goals.
• Prepares clear, concise, and visually effective presentations and reports for executive management, oversight boards, and funding agencies.
• Oversees production of visual materials (models, charts, maps, graphics, and reports) in support of funding applications and presentations.
• Ensures implementation of consistent business practices for accurate fund tracking, billing, and close-out.
• Fosters a workplace culture emphasizing equity, inclusion, collaboration, and professional development.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
   

Qualifications

Education: 
Possession of a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience: 
Five (5) years of professional-level experience in grants management and/or grant writing, such as funding acquisition, funding strategy, grantmaking, fund management, and/or other non-grant proposal writing. Professional-level experience consists of interpreting laws and regulations, and/or exercising independent judgment in the application of defined principles, practices, and regulations; 

AND

Three (3) years’ experience supervising professional-level staff.

Substitution: Additional years of qualifying experience (either in supervisory capacity or non-supervisory experience) may be substituted for the required education in Minimum Qualifications on a year-for-year basis. One year (2000 hours) of qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Notes:
1. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

2. One (1) year full-time experience is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time experience.

Desirable Qualifications:
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring.

• Experience managing complex capital grant portfolios and funding programs at the federal, state, or regional level.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or Power BI for data modeling, analysis, and visualization.
• Experience developing presentation and publication materials using Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).
• Experience using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), particularly ArcGIS, for mapping and spatial analysis.
• Proven experience preparing and delivering presentations before public boards, commissions, and oversight committees.
• Extensive experience in transportation capital funding programs, processes, and procedures across government levels.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Familiarity with and passion for public transportation, infrastructure investment, and public policy.
• Demonstrated integrity, accountability, and commitment to producing high-quality work.
• Experience supervising professional staff in grants management and/or grant writing, such as funding acquisition, funding strategy, grantmaking, fund management, and/or other non-grant proposal writing.
• Ability to resolve complex issues with tact, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal staff, partner agencies, elected officials, and stakeholder organizations.
• Ability to analyze complex financial or policy proposals, develop recommendations, and present findings clearly to executive leadership.
• Ability to build consensus and represent the agency before boards, commissions, and interagency working groups.
• Ability to work well with a multi-disciplinary, diverse workforce, including operations staff, maintenance staff, technical professionals, contractors, executives and elected officials, and stakeholder groups

Additional Information

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification.  Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training, and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included in your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Selection Process:

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience.  Additional screening mechanisms may be used to determine candidates' qualifications.  Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Agency will be invited to move forward in the selection process.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all the steps in the selection process.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

This recruitment may be utilized to fill similar positions in this classification at SFMTA.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

For questions or inquiries, please contact the analyst, Tracy Pon at Tracy.Pon2@sfmta.com.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.