Grant and Governmental Affairs Director (50937)

JOB SUMMARY: This position is responsible for leading the Kiowa Tribe's grant portfolio across federal, state, and private funding and supervises a team of Grant Writers embedded in the divisions they serve. Approximately 20% of the duties will encompass governmental affairs. The Grant Director represents the Kiowa Tribe with its federal partners and builds the relationships that make the portfolio work. This is a named duty, not an afterthought. Program officers who know the Tribe, trust its reporting, and pick up the phone are worth more than any single application.

The Kiowa Tribe Grants department mirrors the National Grants Management Association five best practices

for tribal grants professionals which are: 1. establish and enforce policy and procedure, 2. build the internal

network across departments, 3. run a grants management training plan, 4. make the project officer a genuine

partner, and 5. grow grant capacity inside the Tribe. The responsibilities of the program will follow this

structure.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The Kiowa Tribe's Master Grants Policy runs twenty-four sections and is nearing executive approval. This position executes and implements that policy across every department that touches a grant.
• This position does not own compliance. It works with Compliance, the Self-Governance Coordinators, and department directors to keep money and activity moving cleanly.

Policy Execution

• Executes and implements the Kiowa Tribe's Master Grants Policy across every department that receives grant funding.
• Incorporates policy into operating practice, including the proposal-seeking process, execution, fund management, and close-out.
• Creates and maintains the Grant department standard operating procedures.
• Possesses the authority to enforce the Kiowa Constitution, policies, procedures and other relevant Kiowa tribal laws.

Portfolio Management and Systems

• Serves as the signature authority for all Tribal grant portals, including but not limited to federal, state, and private sources.
• Oversees Euna as the Tribe's grants management system and single source of truth for applications, awards, deadlines, financials, and reporting. A Senior Grant Specialist owns the Euna relationship as an assigned project. This position oversees that work rather than running it day to day.
• Provides guidance and technical assistance to every director and administrator running a grant program.
• Tracks budgets and expenditures against award terms, including cash match and in-kind requirements.
• Ensures progress, statistical, narrative, and financial reports reach funders on time.
• Maintains the Tribe's registrations and roles across federal portals, including but not limited to SAM.gov, Grants.gov, GrantSolutions, eRA Commons, and agency systems.

Submission and Authorization

• Prepares and finalizes grant submissions for the Tribe.
• Prepares the accuracy certification and fiscal readiness memo that accompany each submission and obtains final written authorization from the Executive Director of the requested division before any submission moves forward.
• Coordinates final submittal through the authorized official for each portal, whether that is the Signing Official, the Authorized Organizational Representative, the business point of contact, or the Chairman.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Works with Compliance, the Self-Governance Coordinators, and department directors to ensure funds and necessary documentation is supplied as needed.
• Coordinates with Finance on drawdowns, indirect cost application, and the flow of funds.
• Supports Compliance on Single Audit readiness and funder program reviews by supplying portfolio records and context.
• Provides reactive technical assistance to program directors and other relevant personnel to ensure grant requirements are met.
• This position does not own compliance but provides the necessary technical assistance.

Supervision of Grant Writers

• Supervises Grant Writers embedded in the divisions they serve.
• Leads a distributed team. The writers are housed with their divisions; therefore, this position leads through cadence and clarity rather than proximity.
• Holds weekly check-ins with each Grant Writer.
• Holds a monthly team meeting with all four writers together.
• Reviews applications before submission to confirm they meet funder requirements.
• Sets standards and assigns work.
• Responsible for evaluating, counseling, discipline, time & attendance for all Grant department personnel.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, or a related field, OR an equivalent combination of experience and training which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this position.
• Preferred Education: Master's degree in Grants Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field preferred.
• Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) or equivalent certification preferred.
• Prior tribal government experience and familiarity with self-governance and 638 funding preferred.
• Working knowledge of the Kiowa Tribe, Indian Country, or southwest Oklahoma preferred.
• Five (5) or more years of grants management experience across the full lifecycle, from pre-award through close-out, including drafting applications, reading award letters, budget development, budget monitoring, and reporting.
• Must possess a minimum of three (3) years of supervisory work experience.
• Experience leading a distributed or embedded team is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build and hold relationships with federal program officers. This role treats the project officer as a partner rather than a gatekeeper.
• Working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance, enough to know when a grant requirement and a program reality are about to collide.
• Experience with a grants management system such as Euna, eCivis, AmpliFund, or equivalent.
• Experience working alongside compliance, finance, and program teams to keep funds and activity moving.
• Experience with indirect cost rates and their application.
• Proficiency navigating federal grant portals, such as SAM.gov, Grants.gov, GrantSolutions, eRA Commons, JustGrants, or agency-specific systems.
• Experience executing or implementing a grants management policy across an organization.
• Ability to enforce processes when a department wants an exception.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and the ability to manage many awards and deadlines at once.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess a valid Oklahoma driver's license and be insurable under the Kiowa Tribe's motor vehicle insurance.
• Must submit to and pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug test.
• Positions are subject to random drug testing according to the Tribe's Drug-Free Workplace Policy.
• Must meet federal background requirements and be able to obtain and maintain the credentials required to access federal facilities and military installations, including Fort Sill and Tinker Air Force Base. This includes REAL ID compliant identification and installation access screening.
• Must sign a confidentiality agreement and abide by confidentiality regarding program and personnel matters.
• Adheres to and follows all Kiowa Tribe policies and procedures.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is primarily performed in an office environment.
• Regular travel for federal partner meetings, agency site visits, grants training, and national conferences.
• The public affairs portion of this role requires being in rooms with funders.
• Travel across the divisions to work with embedded Grant Writers.
• Regular sitting, standing, walking.
• Occasionally reaching, stooping, bending, and lifting of items weighing 20 pounds or less.
• Evening and weekend work as needed around submission deadlines and legislative sessions

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Kiowa Tribe does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

 According to the Kiowa Tribe Human Resources Policies and Procedures, the Kiowa Tribe recognizes Kiowa Preference first, other federally recognized tribes second and other races last.  

Indian Preference applies in accordance with Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472), BIA Form 4432, Tribal Identification or Certificate Degree of Indian Blood must be submitted with employment application to receive Indian Preference.