How to hire a grant coordinator

How to hire a grant coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grant coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a grant coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new grant coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a grant coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a grant coordinator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A grant coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, grant coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of grant coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Grant Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Grant Coordinator		$17-30
   Contractor/Consultant	A contractor is a self-employed businessperson who agrees to work for a fixed price. His/her job involves the evaluation of clients' needs and actual performance of work... Show more	$27-59
   Principal Consultant	A principal consultant is responsible for evaluating business' needs and opportunities, identifying potential leads to create project proposals, and maintaining strong business relationships that would generate revenues and increase the organization's profitability. Principal consultants must be up-to-date with the current market trends to ensure that the business adapts to the industry's changes... Show more	$43-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Grants Management
   • Financial Reports
   • Professional Development
   • Public Health
   • PI
   • Technical Assistance
   • PowerPoint
   • Project Management
   • Grant Administration
   • Data Collection
   • NIH
   • Medical Education
   • Mental Health
   • Community Outreach

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Facilitate intake process for manage care admissions; streamline medicaid, medicare admissions to regional NY inpatient hospitals.
   • Provide quality care for all applicants through the appeals process.
   • Assist program director by creating PowerPoint presentations for board meetings and events.
   • Archive official new grant files and deploy existing to data warehouse according to FEMA guidelines.
   • Ensure financial records are maintain per the scope of work on each FEMA funding project.
   • Work with CDBG fund sub-recipients to build organizational capacity and implement housing projects.

   More grant coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your grant coordinator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A grant coordinator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, grant coordinators' average salary in alabama is 39% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level grant coordinators earn 44% less than senior-level grant coordinators.
   • Certifications. A grant coordinator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a grant coordinator's salary.

   Average grant coordinator salary

   $48,357yearly

   $23.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level grant coordinator salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average grant coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$62,268	$30
   2	Rhode Island	$58,687	$28
   3	New York	$58,086	$28
   4	Washington	$56,789	$27
   5	District of Columbia	$56,646	$27
   6	Oregon	$56,023	$27
   7	Massachusetts	$55,386	$27
   8	Connecticut	$54,824	$26
   9	Alaska	$54,732	$26
   10	Minnesota	$52,231	$25
   11	Michigan	$52,185	$25
   12	Kansas	$52,176	$25
   13	Nevada	$51,647	$25
   14	Illinois	$50,755	$24
   15	Pennsylvania	$50,743	$24
   16	Virginia	$50,345	$24
   17	Ohio	$49,059	$24
   18	Maryland	$47,896	$23
   19	Florida	$47,429	$23
   20	North Carolina	$46,672	$22

   Average grant coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Wayne County, Michigan	$62,303	$29.95
   2	University of Southern California	$59,604	$28.66	1
   3	North Arkansas Regional Medical Center	$59,457	$28.59
   4	City of Louisville	$59,067	$28.40
   5	MLK Community Healthcare	$58,989	$28.36
   6	Columbia University in the City of New York	$58,734	$28.24	11
   7	Polaris	$57,569	$27.68
   8	City of Springfield	$57,247	$27.52
   9	Contra Costa College	$56,853	$27.33
   10	Boston Public Schools	$56,834	$27.32
   11	Mount Sinai Health System	$55,652	$26.76	12
   12	Minnesota State Fair	$55,339	$26.61	3
   13	Clark County	$55,300	$26.59	1
   14	Doylestown Health	$55,108	$26.49
   15	Massachusetts General Hospital	$54,864	$26.38
   16	University of Alaska	$53,037	$25.50	2
   17	Washington State University	$52,937	$25.45
   18	Global Exchange	$52,251	$25.12
   19	Kaiser Permanente	$52,088	$25.04	4
   20	Archdiocese Of San Antonio	$51,509	$24.76	4

4. Writing a grant coordinator job description

   A grant coordinator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a grant coordinator job description:

   Grant coordinator job description example

   Market Range: 08
   
   Hiring Salary: $21.28/ Hourly
   
   JOB SUMMARY/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
   
   Under the direction of the Grants Administrator, this position supports the grants and contracts administrative and financial functions for the Department of Pediatrics. This position's primary responsibilities include but are not limited to; assisting with preparation and management of proposals, submitting and tracking sub-award agreements, monitoring post-award activities, coordinating compliance with grant reporting, submitting reports to funding agencies, maintaining grant and contract files for audit purposes, and assisting with electronic reconciliations of ledgers.
   
   DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   * Assists faculty in preparation of grant proposals by reviewing guidelines and budgets to ensure compliance; works closely with office of sponsored programs, principal investigators, and subcontractors on research contracts.
   * Organizes and prioritizes timing of various submissions to ensure all deadlines are met.
   * Coordinates with PI to review grant guidelines, deadlines, needed forms, information and prepare grant documents.
   * Maintains current knowledge on all new NIH procedures for submission
   * Uploads proposals and reviews grants to ensure all requirements are met and all appropriate documentation are included.
   * Assists with updating and editing pertinent research documents.
   * Implements grant budgets upon being awarded.
   * Assists PIs with budgets and monthly expenditure reports for federal, foundation, and privately sponsored grants and contracts, preparation of progress and final reports.
   * Processes and routes grant agreements for approval.
   * Assists with reconciliation of the monthly electronic ledgers for compliance.
   * Responds to special requests from internal or external stakeholders (e.g. sponsors) on matters relating to the department's grant operations.
   * Other duties as assigned.
   
   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
   
   EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree in Public or Business Administration, Financial Management, or related field of study and one (1) year of related accounting/administrative experience, preferably in an academic or health care setting; OR a combination of related college course work in an academic or business setting to equal nine (9) years. Coursework in bookkeeping or accounting preferred. Ability to manage time and work on multiple projects simultaneously. Ability to think and work independently as well as collaboratively. Demonstrates effective listening, oral and written communication skills. Ability to read and proof documents for accuracy. Demonstrated experience in accounting, management, financial standards, fiscal policies and procedures. Knowledge of federal guidelines for grant proposal submissions. Excellent organizational skills (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right grant coordinator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your grant coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit grant coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit grant coordinators, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new grant coordinator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the grant coordinator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a grant coordinator?