Job Description

About Kirsh Philanthropies

Kirsh Philanthropies’ portfolio includes a range of philanthropic initiatives across Southern Africa, Israel, the UK, and the US. It focuses on providing essential building blocks to vulnerable populations in southern Africa as well as furthering the safety and vibrancy of Jewish communities around the world, with an emphasis on providing “fishing rods rather than fish” to promote initiatives with longer-term sustainability. Kirsh Philanthropies has deep ties to the various communities in which it is active and works constantly to be responsive to the changing needs of its beneficiaries.

About this role

The Kirsh Philanthropies team is a global collective that oversees giving across multiple continents. The team includes experienced grants managers with a deep understanding of philanthropy and an operations team whose work ensures the seamless administration and execution of grants. The Grants Management Director is responsible for ensuring the integrity, efficiency, and scalability of our grantmaking processes, which support the deployment of hundreds of grants across more than 20 countries. The Director will lead a small, highly effective team and partner closely with global colleagues, program leads and grantees. This position will be the organization’s principal architect of grants administration – refining systems, strengthening compliance and reporting, and enabling program leads to deliver on our mission with excellence. This high-responsibility role is well suited to a collaborative, strategic leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should bring a mix of technical acumen, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Strategic Grants Infrastructure

• Oversee and continuously refine the full lifecycle of grantmaking—ensuring systems, policies, and workflows are robust, scalable, and aligned with philanthropic strategy.
• Lead the long-term development of grants operations, including data systems, internal controls, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Act as the primary point of contact and thought partner to senior leadership around grants operations, compliance, and process design.

Systems & Technology

• Lead the management, optimization, and strategic evolution of the Fluxx grants management system.
• Oversee integration of grant data across functions (finance, program, and compliance).
• Supervise relationships with software consultants and external vendors.

Governance, Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure grantmaking processes meet internal and external compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions as established by the trustees and senior leadership of the organization.
• Produce clear, timely reporting for internal stakeholders, including dashboards and metrics tracking.
• Conduct monthly reconciliations and lead audits or reviews related to grants and compliance.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manage and mentor a team of 2–3 grants administrators with a focus on high performance, continuous learning, and cross-functional alignment.
• Build strong relationships with programmatic and finance leads to ensure effective coordination and alignment of grant activities with organizational priorities.

Capacity Building & Internal Support

• Develop and deliver training and capacity-building resources to ensure organization-wide understanding of grant processes and systems.
• Serve as a coach and resource to colleagues and grantees alike—helping them navigate systems and maximize impact.
• Ability and willingness to perform the function of the grants administrators when needed in order to maintain an up to date knowledge of the platform and provide hands-on support to the grants operations team.

Overall, the Grants Management Director ensures that the administrative side of grant-making runs efficiently, allowing the organization to focus on its mission-driven work.The role will include a wide range of tasks, large and small. Attention to detail, systems-mindedness, a high degree of self-motivation, and the ability to creatively problem-solve are essential for working with our highly collaborative, fun, and mission-focused team.

Candidate Requirements and Personal Attributes

• Prior experience working in administrative or operations roles, with a strong interest in developing these skills and learning about philanthropy
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in grants management, with at least 2 years in a leadership role
• Proficiency with grants management software—Fluxx strongly preferred
• Team player who takes pride in contributing to the team’s success
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Professional demeanor and strong interpersonal skills
• High level of personal responsibility, integrity, and accountability
• Discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information
• Ability to see even the smallest tasks as part of larger successes
• Interest in learning best practices for grantmaking
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and inquiries simultaneously
• Well-suited for a small-office environment that values flexibility, cooperation, a good sense of humor, and resourcefulness
• Takes responsibility for mistakes and learns from them
• Willing and able to take initiative, problem solve, and own projects

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