Mass Cultural Council

Grants Management System Officer

Boston, MA - Full Time

EQUITY STATEMENT
Mass Cultural Council is committed to the equitable investment of all resources and to providing leadership that fosters a cultural sector where racial diversity thrives, decolonization is realized, and inclusion, accessibility, and belonging are the norm. The rich diversity of Massachusetts’ communities, residents, and visitors is essential to the Commonwealth’s continued vitality and success.

We believe that seeing the world through multiple perspectives—and bringing those ideas to life—is the responsibility of the cultural sector and its leaders. Mass Cultural Council supports creative voices through co-created, innovative, equitable, inclusive, and accessible programs and grantmaking.

Our commitment to advancing equity is rooted in meaningful cross-sector collaboration and partnership. This work centers the leadership, insight, and lived experiences of those most impacted by systemic inequities. Together with these communities, we have developed a suite of equity plans that confront structural barriers and commit us to sustained, measurable action:
 

ABOUT MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL
Mass Cultural Council is an independent state agency that advances the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing in public resources through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools.

Our Vision
Mass Cultural Council envisions a diverse creative and cultural sector that is valued as essential in the Commonwealth.

Our work is grounded in the following values:
 
  1. Creativity: We believe that creativity is the key to solving many of society’s concerns and advancing this asset helps to make the Commonwealth a preeminent place in the nation for it to thrive.
 
  1. Public Service: We serve the Commonwealth and all who live, work, visit, and play here by amplifying creativity, providing resources, expanding relationships, and championing transformational changes that maintain and grow a thriving creative and cultural ecosystem.
 
  1. Inclusion: We work to build a diverse and equitable creative and cultural sector in the Commonwealth, ensuring that all who practice and participate in creative and cultural expression see themselves in it.

ADVANCING THE CULTURAL SECTOR THROUGH CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS
Mass Cultural Council is leading a statewide effort to advance the cultural sector and position it as a critical asset and essential partner in addressing the Commonwealth’s most pressing challenges.  Through strategic partnerships, policy initiatives, and relationship building, the Agency collaborates across sectors—including health, education, housing, transportation, climate, agriculture, accessibility, workforce, and economic development—to expand resources, foster growth, advance equity, and expand the cultural sector’s impact. This cross-sector work ensures the sector is embedded in the Commonwealth’s vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient future.


POSITION SUMMARY
The Grants Management Team is responsible for overseeing the full lifecycle of the agency’s grantmaking activities, supporting both internal and external stakeholders, and ensuring the accuracy, availability, and strategic use of grants data.

The Grants Management System Officer (EDP Systems Analyst III) serves as a subject matter expert and technical lead for the agency’s grants management platform. This role ensures system integrity, supports application and review processes, coordinates user training, and provides responsive customer service. The Officer plays a critical role in streamlining operations, advancing equity goals through system design, and maintaining high-quality data to support reporting and decision-making.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. Duties will evolve over time and include other tasks or projects relevant to the position and operational needs.

GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (GMS) ADMINISTRATION (33%)
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for all fiscal-related GMS tasks, including DocuSign issues and updates.
  • Manage notifications, reminders, and workflows related to contracting processes.
  • Maintain and update the fiscal portal annually in alignment with the fiscal year.
  • Import payment data on a weekly or biweekly basis.
  • Distribute monthly grant opportunity announcements once content is approved.
  • Send monthly Local Cultural Council newsletters via GMS.
  • Manage and send ad hoc communications as needed.
  • Run and verify necessary workflows prior to sending any communications.
  • Responsible for maintaining, updating, and overseeing the Meeting Manager
  • Document decision-making meetings, manage panel book records, and coordinate reviewer notifications.
  • Maintain internal training documentation, including regular updates to the staff GMS handbook.
  • Support annual generation of Legislative Reports each year
  • Support special projects as assigned.
     
TECHNICAL GRANT APPLICATION SUPPORT FOR A PORTFOLIO OF PROGRAMS (33%)
  • Autoload and prepare any necessary exported/imported information to start grant cycles each year.
  • As requested, enter annual updates to grant application, final report, score sheets, etc. in grants management application.
  • Ensures that grants that are handed off to the fiscal team have all the necessary fields (for example: Contract Authorization Form process).
  • Support teams’ specific review processes including scoresheets, formulas, randomization, Z-score or normalization, etc.
  • Maintain process documents and instructions in collaboration with program staff
  • Monitor cycle timeline and working with program staff and Senior Director of Program Operations ensure cycles stay on time and run smoothly.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & INTERNAL SUPPORT (33%)
  • On a regular basis check Grants Team email inbox; and provides timely and respectful customer service responses to internal and external questions.
  • Review, categorize, and code new user registrations in the GMS.
  • Provides ongoing internal training and customer support to ensure all program staff have the training and resources to manage grant programs efficiently and successfully.
  • Prepare job aids to educate employees on grants management system procedures and function.


PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 
Below are characteristics we will look for in the selection process. We recognize that the depth of each individually and the balance of all of them collectively may vary from candidate to candidate and as such, encourage applications from individuals with a range of background experiences and skills.
  • At least five (5) years of professional experience (full-time or equivalent part-time) in grants management system (GMS) administration, preferably within a nonprofit, public agency, or philanthropic organization.
  • Advanced technical expertise in grants management platforms—ideally SmartSimple—including system configuration, workflow design, process optimization, and end-user support.
  • Experience managing a helpdesk function or providing direct technical assistance, with a strong focus on service excellence and responsiveness to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Proficient in data systems and analysis, including database administration, reporting, and data visualization using tools such as Microsoft Excel, Access, or equivalent platforms.
  • Demonstrated ability to quickly master new technologies and platforms, with a proactive approach to learning and continuous improvement.
  • Experience designing and delivering staff training and technical support, especially for users with varying levels of digital fluency.
  • Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage detail-oriented processes, including administration, reporting, project management, and facilitation.
  • Ability to navigate change, adapt to shifting priorities, and engage in innovative work that advances equity-centered and systems-level impact.
  • Demonstrated ability to incorporate racial equity principles into grant operations, programs, and services.
  • Ability to understand, explain, and apply the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, etc. governing assigned programs and activities.
  • Technical proficiency, including familiarity with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and work within grants and relationship management platforms.

HYBRID WORK MODEL
Mass Cultural Council currently follows a hybrid work model requiring employees to work in the Boston office (10 St. James Ave) at least eight days per month (minimum 60 hours).  This requirement is reviewed annually and if it changes employees will be notified two months prior to the change. In-person attendance is required for meetings, training, site visits, and events as directed. Employees must live within commuting distance and be available for occasional travel, including evenings, weekends, and short-notice requests. These expectations reflect our dedication to public service and statewide engagement.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The physical and sensory demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws, reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of the job.

Physical Skills: Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  Work requires some agility such as the ability to lift, carry, set up, and break down event materials, such as banners, boxes, easels, signs, microphones, speakers, chairs, and tables.

Motor Skills: Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills: Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

COMPENSATION
Bargaining Unit: 06 NAGE, EDP Systems Analyst III, Grade 14. Salary is set by the NAGE Unit 6 collective bargaining agreement and ranges from $75,000 to $110,000 annually. Most positions are staffed below the top of the range, based on years of relevant experience per contract guidelines.

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.  Please review our Employee Benefits Summary and Manager Benefits Summary guides for more information.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  We strive to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.  We encourage applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply. 

It is important for us that this application process is accessible for all applicants. For any requests or needs regarding accessibility, accommodations, modifications, or specific preferences we should be aware of to ensure your experience is accessible, positive, and supported, please contact, Cathy Cheng-Anderson at [email protected].

Information submitted by applicants is collected through the JazzHR Platform, your submission of application materials constitutes your express consent for this information to be provided to JazzHR for processing. Please do not include any personally identifiable information with your application materials other than that specifically requested by Mass Cultural Council. Mass Cultural Council requests basic information such as name, address, telephone number, and email address. You may also self-identify with your race/ethnicity, gender, disability and/or veteran status. However, you should not provide more detailed personal information such as your date of birth or Social Security Number with your application materials.

Pre-employment requirements
  • A criminal background check (CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information))
  • Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training and Acknowledgement.
  • In compliance with federal laws, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
Apply: Grants Management System Officer
* Required fields
First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Location *
Phone number*
Resume*

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or paste resume

Paste your resume here or attach resume file

Cover Letter*
Please provide 2 references along with contact information below:
Reference 1:*
Reference 2:*
Is your spouse, parent, brother, sister or child, or the spouse of your parent, brother, sister or child, a state employee?*
If you answered Yes, please list below the name(s) of any state employee who is your spouse, parent, brother, sister or child, or who is the spouse of your parent, brother, sister or child, and indicate their relationship to you. Please also list the name of the state agency that employs those relatives.

NOTE: For purposes of this disclosure, a “state employee” is a person holding a paid or unpaid office, position, employment or membership in a Massachusetts state agency. For purposes of this disclosure, a “state agency” is any department of Massachusetts state government, including any department or agency within the executive, legislative or judicial branch, and all councils thereof and thereunder, and any division, board, bureau, commission, institution, tribunal or other instrumentality within such department or agency, and any independent state authority, commission, instrumentality or agency, but NOT INCLUDING an agency of a county, city or town.
The following questions are entirely optional.
To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.
Gender
Race/Ethnicity

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran
  • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
    • a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
    • a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
  • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
  • An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
  • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran status
I IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROTECTED VETERAN LISTED ABOVE
I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN
I DON’T WISH TO ANSWER

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please check one of the boxes below:
YES, I HAVE A DISABILITY, OR HAVE HAD ONE IN THE PAST
NO, I DO NOT HAVE A DISABILITY AND HAVE NOT HAD ONE IN THE PAST
I DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Name Date
Human Check*