Specialist, Global Youth and Education: Grant Management and Operations

Position Title: Specialist, Global Youth and Education: Grant Management and Operations

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid, 2 days a week)

Department: Global Youth and Education

Reports to (supervisor): Senior Director, Finance – Global Youth and Education

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Hourly Rate for US Staff: $24.93 - $26.39

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With nearly four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in more than 170 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org. 

Position Summary:

Special Olympics advances inclusive education and youth leadership worldwide through the Global Youth and Education (GYE) department, supporting programs that promote belonging, equity, and leadership for young people with and without intellectual disabilities. To deliver this work effectively at scale, GYE is strengthening its grant management and operational infrastructure.

The Specialist, Grant Management and Operations will serve as a centralized grant and operations specialist supporting all GYE initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Director of Finance, this role will oversee the full lifecycle management, administration, and tracking of departmental grants, including youth, schools, and other grant-specific funding streams. The Specialist will ensure strong financial compliance, accurate reporting, and efficient grant operations across multiple funding sources.

In addition to grant oversight, the Specialist will support department-wide operations, including finance operations, budgeting coordination, internal systems, and process improvement efforts. This role will work closely with GYE leadership, program teams, regional staff, and the Finance team to ensure grants and operational processes are aligned, well-managed, and positioned to support sustainable growth and impact.

Responsibilities:

Grant Management and Operations

• Assist with full lifecycle management of GYE grants across youth, schools, and other grant-specific funding streams, including application, award, payments, monitoring, reporting, and close-out phases
• Manage and track grant budgets in coordination with the Senior Director of Finance, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and alignment with approved funding agreements
• Maintain and oversee grant management and tracking systems, including Smartsheet and other internal tools, conducting regular audits to ensure data integrity and completeness
• Serve as a primary point of coordination with Regional staff on grant status, timelines, and financial requirements
• Collaborate closely with GYE leadership and Finance to ensure consistent application of financial protocols, grant policies, and internal controls
• Develop and manage standardized processes for grant reporting, documentation, and data collection from Regions and Programs
• Prepare regular internal reports and analysis on grant performance, spending, and compliance for GYE leadership and Finance
• Support donor-required reporting, financial documentation, and audits, as applicable
• Manage and support grant management interns or temporary staff, as applicable

Department-Wide Operations and Finance Support

• Support GYE department operations with a focus on finance coordination, budget tracking, and operational process improvement
• Assist with departmental budgeting cycles, financial reconciliations, and coordination between program teams and Finance
• Support operational systems and tools used across GYE, including documentation, tracking, and workflow management
• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors to support contracts, invoices, and payment processing related to GYE grants and operations
• Liaise with translation, learning, and other shared service teams to support department-wide operational needs, as applicable
• Support onboarding of new GYE staff, interns, and fellows related to grant processes, systems, and operational workflows

Other Duties

• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of GYE priorities and operational needs

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience plus One to Three years of relevant work experience. Experience and/or coursework in the area of grant management is a plus.

• Background in data collection, management and analysis
• Strong organization skills and high level of attention to detail
• Self-motivation with ability to work well independently
• Strong personal time management and prioritization skills
• Ability to work as a team player and manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Excellent computer and remote collaboration skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams)
• Ability to represent the organization in a professional manner
• Demonstrated global awareness and ability to work cross-culturally

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience as a Special Olympics youth leader and/or Unified Sports participant
• Experience working internationally or collaborating cross-culturally, especially in a disability-related field
• Grant management experience
• Experience with Smartsheets
• Strong project management skills

*For USA based staff: Special Olympics offers full-time employees a generous and comprehensive benefits package, which includes: medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life insurance, disability, retirement, legal resources, and PTO. 

Special Olympics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

Special Olympics is an E-Verify Employer