Federal Funding Assistance Manager

Federal Funding Assistance Manager

About VertueLab

Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, VertueLab is a nonprofit fighting climate change by providing funding and holistic entrepreneurial support to cleantech startups. Our mission is to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship that will solve environmental challenges and catalyze shared economic prosperity. We are at an exciting moment in our organization's history as we have recently embarked on an ambitious and robust 3year strategic plan to propel our mission forward. Through over a decade of work, we have proven that our model can accelerate climate solutions that are key to reversing our climate crisis.

Why we need you

VertueLab is a nonprofit fighting the climate crisis by providing funding and holistic entrepreneurial support to climate tech startups. Through a decade of work, we have proven that our model can accelerate climate solutions that are key to reversing the climate crisis. We were the first in the nation to utilize patient, risktolerant, concessionary, and flexible capital to invest in early-stage climate tech startups. VertueLab will address both the causes and the impact of climate change in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). We will demonstrate how innovative capital and services provided to emerging and/or underserved innovators and climate solutions adopters will address not only the climate crisis but capture a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create lasting economic opportunity in the region.

There are billions of non-dilutive dollars available to early-stage startups via Federal Government funding programs. In addition to this continuing funding, recent legislation, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), promise an additional $1.4 trillion in climate action spending over the coming decade. Our goal is to help as many PNW-based climate and cleantech companies as possible access these federal grants and contracts to accelerate their innovative solutions to some of today's most challenging issues.

This position will provide consulting, grant writing, and proposal development assistance to small businesses across sectors in the Pacific Northwest that are seeking funding from federal agencies under their SBIR/STTR programs and federal programs for climate-related technology development and deployment. We have offered these programs for over a decade, and now need to grow our team to meet the growing demand and opportunity.

Pay and Benefits

$65,000 - $75,000 annual salary accompanied by a competitive benefits package including: 20 days of paid vacation per year 10 days of sick leave per year 4 days of volunteer leave per year 11 paid holidays Medical and dental insurance 401k with a 100% match up for the first 3% of employee's compensation contribution and an additional 50% match for the next 2% of an employee's compensation contribution

 Mostly remote work and some flexibility in work schedule

Our Work Environment

VertueLab has no formal office and staff work primarily in a remote environment with some business-related travel and in-person meetings required in the Pacific NW. Given that, it is required that the person hired for this position resides within this region. VertueLab will provide a work laptop for each employee, as well as a $250 reimbursement per year for other equipment, supplies or furnishings for their home office.

Travel

Limited travel required. Any travel will likely be within the Pacific Northwest region, with the possibility of occasional conference/training attendance outside the region.

Responsibilities

The Federal Funding Assistance Manager is responsible for facilitating the successful procurement of climatefocused federal, state, and local contracts, subcontracts, and funding opportunities, with a priority of supporting BIPOC, women-owned, and underrepresented small businesses. Committed to the success of our entrepreneurs, this individual connects prospects to resources within the ecosystem that will support sustainability and innovation for these companies. Specific responsibilities of the position include:

Provide technical support and guide businesses through the process of identifying and bidding on climate-focused federal, state, and local government contracts, subcontracts, and funding opportunities.

Remain up to date on technology innovation and climate-focused federal, state, and local government contracts and funding opportunities. This includes researching and analyzing emerging acts and policies, such as IRA and IIJA, as well as SBIR/STTR solicitations issued by federal agencies to identify opportunities that could best match businesses we support and businesses looking to enter the climate tech ecosystem.

Provide technical bid and proposal writing support, ensuring submitted proposals and bid requests are competitive and meet the required agency/funder's standard.

Perform assessments to determine the capacity/suitability for government contracting and provide recommendations and consulting on areas of improvement needed in order for companies to be more competitive in procuring contracts and funding opportunities.

Network and develop partnerships with agencies and offices dispersing government funds, as needed, in order to proactively identify emerging opportunities and better understand each agency/office's needs, standards, and requirements regarding proposal and contract bid submissions

Review and summarize SBIR/STTR and other federal funding opportunity announcements from agencies to identify opportunities that could match businesses we support and businesses looking to enter the

climate tech ecosystem. Include opportunities in websites posting and other outreach activities with a goal to simplify opportunity identification for small companies.

Participate in project plans for outreach, intake, and company screening that is aligned with the annual solicitation schedule published by the federal agencies. Assist in development of outreach content to be utilized in website postings, announcements, and newsletters.

Assist in the planning, preparation, and delivery of outreach and training seminars on the federal SBIR/STTR and energy funding programs at locations across the Pacific Northwest, for live and virtual delivery, that will educate companies and entrepreneurial advisors on issues, including descriptions of agency involvement, company eligibility, proposal development strategies, and critical success factors. Participate in the development of the content for the seminars.

Assist in SAM and entity registration.

Provide advising services to promising companies consisting of some combination of proposal writing, proposal review, proposal editing, and commercialization planning to ensure that proposals are compliant with agency guidelines.

Seek and collaborate with VertueLab staff in the pursuit of grant funding for existing and expanded services.

Collaborate with partners and key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem for prospect sourcing and referrals and overall project execution, including partners on other grants.

Participate in national forums for best practices and to stay current on rules, developments, opportunities, and resources at the national level with the funding agencies and related, as well as other assistance providers.

Prepare data tracking and reporting as required.

Actively participate in the development and delivery of training and resource tools and other support systems for the federal funding assistance program and VertueLab operations.

This role is part of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship team, leading our efforts in resourcing our entrepreneurs. The Federal Funding Assistance Manager reports to the Federal Funding Assistance Director.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Successful candidates for the Federal Funding Assistance Manager role will have:

Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or science with three years of experience or demonstrated equivalent expertise acquired through experience in project management, grant writing, grant administration, or other proposal writing.

Alignment with VertueLab's mission to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship that will solve environmental challenges and catalyze shared economic prosperity.

Familiarity with federal funding guidelines and proposal development processes.

 Excellent relational skills, including building, nurturing, and tracking relationships with prospective companies and those engaged in the application process.

Ability to build and maintain strong partner relationships. Experience in event planning and coordinating, and leading trainings. Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the identification of prospects and the

approach and delivery of programs and services. Proficient in the use of reporting platforms, CRMs, and spreadsheets to manage a pipeline of prospects

and track relevant information to validate success and inform planning. Up to date on current rules, developments, opportunities, and resources at the national level with the

funding agencies and peer assistance providers Effective verbal and written communication. Tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty. The adaptability required to thrive in a dynamic environment. Exceptional time management and organizational skills. Commitment to understanding the breadth of the work and remaining curious about innovations in the

field

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are mission-critical to VertueLab because... The root causes of climate change and racism were cultivated in extractive economies and inequitable practices. Communities of Color are often the first and worst impacted by climate change. People closest to the problem often have innovative solutions, but don't have the capital or connections to fund and launch their innovation.

The mission of VertueLab sits at the intersection of these opportunities to move from DEI awareness to effective DEI action in ways that benefit people representing all dimensions of diversity. Learn more about our DEI journey at our website.

Our Values

BOLD, WISE LEADERSHIP We take informed action, inspiring others, using our expertise as a trusted navigator with respect and humility, and driving to results.

COLLABORATION We take a systems view of the world to leverage our network for powerful collaborations beyond what we can achieve alone. We recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and that relationships require time to build.

DEI IS MISSION-CRITICAL We recognize the root causes of climate change and racism were cultivated in extractive economies and inequitable practices. Climate change impacts and opportunities to be part of the solution are not evenly distributed. Our mission puts us in a position to change that.

LAB = EXPERIMENTATION

We are always learning. We embrace uncertainty as a given. We are strategic and flexible. We have the knowledge to recognize opportunities, the tools to help ensure they are seized, and the patience and adaptability to see them through to the end.

CARING DEEPLY We care about the work, each other, and our community. We laugh together and have each other's back. We work hard, and value one another's well-being.

To Apply Your online application to the Federal Funding Assistance Manager position includes a few basic, voluntary demographic questions included as part of our commitment to ensuring that we have a diverse pool of applicants for this position and fields for uploading supporting materials, including a cover letter and resume. We ask that in your cover letter you address the following:

How your experience and skills make you a great candidate for this position and would set you up for success in this role.

What most excites you about this opportunity, in terms of the job scope, our organization's mission, or anything else.

What you'd contribute to our team's culture and diversity of lived experiences and perspectives.

In your resume, please identify two references. We will notify you prior to our contacting any reference.

Application Form:

Questions? Please feel free to contact VertueLab's HR Manager, Marisa Messina at marisa.messina@.

Timeline We will begin reviewing applications on February 24th and continue until filled.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download