Grant writer job description template
A grant writer job description tells candidates what the role covers, what experience it needs and how it is paid. Most grant writer roles combine research, proposal writing, budgets and reporting to funders after an award. Fill in the template below and post it on the job boards, alumni networks and professional association listings where experienced grant writers in your field already look for their next role.
Strong candidates look for three things in a posting: how many proposals the role is expected to submit, who supplies the program and budget details, and whether the job includes reporting on awards. Answer all three up front and the right applicants will self-select.
Free to copy and adapt. Square brackets mark what you replace. Nothing here is tied to a particular funder. Read each funder's guidelines for required headings, page limits and attachments before you paste a finished draft into their application form.
The template
About the role
One short paragraph on the organization and why the role exists.
The [organization name] is hiring a [full-time or part-time] grant writer to grow funding for [programs or mission]. The role reports to [title] and works closely with [program and finance staff].
Responsibilities
List the duties in the order they take up the week. Include a target volume so candidates can judge the workload.
Research federal, state and private funding that fits our programs.
Write and submit about [number] proposals a year, including narratives, budgets and attachments.
Track deadlines and requirements for every open application.
Write progress and final reports for funded grants.
Keep our funder records and boilerplate up to date.
Qualifications
Separate what is required from what is preferred.
Required: [number] years of grant writing experience with a record of funded proposals.
Required: clear, persuasive writing and comfort with budgets.
Preferred: experience with [federal, foundation or corporate] funders.
Preferred: knowledge of [your field].
Pay and schedule
Post a range. Several states require one in the listing. Candidates also skip postings that leave pay out.
Salary: $[low] to $[high] a year, based on experience.
Schedule: [hours], [remote, hybrid or on site in city].
Benefits: [health, retirement, time off].
How to apply
Ask for a writing sample. It tells you more than a résumé.
Send a résumé, a short cover letter and one funded proposal or writing sample to [email] by [date].
Interview questions
Questions that show how a candidate actually works.
Walk me through how you decide a grant is worth applying for.
Tell me about a proposal that was declined and what you changed afterward.
How do you get budget and program details from busy staff?
How many proposals did you submit last year? What share were funded?
Skip the blank page
Quillify gives a grant writer more time to write. It finds open grants that fit, drafts proposals from your documents and scores each draft against the announcement before submission. Your new hire can start on day one with a shortlist and first drafts in hand.
Questions people ask
What does a grant writer do?
A grant writer finds funding that fits an organization, writes the proposals and budgets and often reports to funders after an award. In smaller organizations the role usually covers all of it.
Should a grant writer be paid a percentage of the grant?
No. The Grant Professionals Association's Code of Ethics rules out commission and percentage pay. Pay a salary or a flat or hourly fee.
Full-time or contract?
A full-time writer suits an organization that applies for grants all year. A contract writer suits a few large applications a year. The cost of each is laid out in our guide to what a grant writer costs.
Related guides: How much does a grant writer cost?. The mistakes that repeat in grant proposals. Why proposals get rejected, and what to do next. All free templates.
Let Quillify write the first draft.
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