Development Manager, Institutional Grants

Position Summary The Vector Institute is building its resource development capacity to attract new funding and to establish a structured system for securing grants. Reporting to the Director, Strategic Partnerships, the Development Manager, Institutional Grants will manage a grant portfolio for the Vector Institute while developing necessary business systems, corporate processes, and supporting relationships that will help scale Vector's funding.

Working closely with Vector's research community and the Research Services team, the Development Manager will identify open funding opportunities, prepare compelling proposals, and coordinate funding submissions across both technical and administrative teams.

This role demands three core strengths: 1) an ability to find the right opportunities through prospect research with resource-based analysis, 2) skills to frame technical and research output into a compelling narrative of potential opportunity, and 3) a capacity to orchestrate multi-stakeholder proposal processes efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and submission of 8-10 high-value grant applications annually, driving the application process from opportunity identification to final proposal submission;
• Manage post-award compliance and reporting for Vector’s active grant portfolio, ensuring all financial and narrative funder obligations are in compliance and met on schedule;
• Serve as the primary proposal writer and translator, extracting highly technical concepts from Vector’s AI researchers and engineering teams and framing them into compelling, impact-driven narratives for non-technical funders;
• Cultivate strategic relationships with program officers across priority funding agencies and foundations;
• Coordinate proposal development across research, engineering, finance, legal, and program work streams, including developing cross-functional workflows;
• Provide proposal development and submission support for faculty-led grants, leveraging these applications to build Vector’s external funding history and institutional credibility;
• Project manage Vector's current grant activities with Horizon Europe, including work package tracking, financial reporting, consortium partner coordination, and exploration of additional research collaboration opportunities;
• Monitor a cross-jurisdictional view of funding opportunities across various philanthropic foundations, public agencies, corporate funders, and international programs;
• Conduct targeted prospect research using external grant databases to identify funding sources; evaluate opportunities by assessing alignment between Vector’s AI research and funder mandates to ensure strategic fit and high probability of success;
• Build and maintain a forward-looking grants pipeline in Salesforce with stage management, forecasting, and tracking;
• Develop institutional knowledge assets including coordination protocols, content libraries, proposal templates, and submission checklists; and,
• Other related duties as assigned from time to time.

KEY SUCCESS MEASURES

• The Vector Institute’s grant portfolio is managed with consistent quality, strong alignment with funder priorities, and full compliance across the grant application and award lifecycle;
• Funder relationships generate early intelligence and highly targeted proposal strategies and stronger pre-submission positioning, with Vector recognized as a credible partner across priority funding channels;
• Institutional infrastructure – frameworks, tools, and processes – is built, adopted, and demonstrably reduces the effort required to develop and submit high-quality proposals; and,
• Faculty and cross-functional teams consistently experience the grants function as a reliable, well-organized, and strategic organizational partner.

PROFILE OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., communications, public policy/administration, business, social sciences, a scientific/technical discipline) or an equivalent combination of education and experience; a Master’s degree is preferred;
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience in advancement, with at least three (3) years dedicated specifically to institutional grants management and proposal development at a research institution, university, hospital foundation, or similarly complex organization;
• Proven track record securing and managing competitive grants ($250K+ awards), including active funder stewardship;
• Strong understanding of the research landscape with a proven ability to translate highly technical or abstract AI concepts into clear, impact-driven narratives for funders;
• Advanced prospect research capabilities using grant databases and analytical frameworks;
• Project management expertise coordinating multi-stakeholder proposals under tight deadlines;
• Systems builder mentality – has developed grants infrastructure and knows what operational excellence looks like;
• CRM proficiency (Salesforce preferred) with an ability to configure systems and manage complex pipelines;
• Experience cultivating program officer relationships and navigating funding agency cultures;
• Self-starter who can work independently while collaborating effectively across organizational boundaries;
• Experience with the AI and technology research funding landscape, including private foundations, government programs, and international funding vehicles such as Horizon Europe, EUREKA, bilateral programs, and global philanthropic foundations is preferred; and,
• Background in research administration, academic grant offices, or similar high-growth environments where building processes and infrastructure from scratch was part of the role is preferred.

TOTAL REWARDS: The expected salary for this position will be $64,400 - $80,500 per year, plus benefits if applicable. The final salary offer will reflect the successful candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications, in alignment with the Vector Institute's Compensation Policy and may differ from above.

The Vector Institute’s Total Rewards approach extends beyond traditional compensation and benefits. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive suite of supports that recognize and value employees, including vacation time, floater days, GRRSP, a Health Spending Account, a Summer Hours program, and flexible work arrangements.

POSITION STATUS: This posting is for a new position.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE : Vector may use both internal and external third party AI-based tools to assist in the screening of applications for this posting. Any data collected will be used solely for recruitment purposes and handled in accordance with Vector’s External Privacy Policy and Use of AI-Based Tools in Recruitment and Selection Policy .

INCLUSION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT: Vector believes AI powers possibility by advancing cutting-edge research and translating it into real-world impact through collaboration with research, industry, and government. Vector is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture that reflects its values.

The Vector Institute welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including those who are Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized persons/visible minorities, women, and people with disabilities.

If you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment or selection process, please contact [email protected]. The Vector Institute team will be happy to work with you to ensure your experience is as inclusive and accessible as possible.

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