Senior Consultant (Grant Writer, Foundation Relations, Institutional Giving)

CIMA Consulting partners with nonprofits, foundations, and social impact leaders to advance causes that matter. Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, we work with organizations nationwide to design customized, collaborative solutions that strengthen strategy, fundraising, operations, and infrastructure, helping our clients deepen their impact and build long-term sustainability. Our clients are socially conscious organizations seeking a thoughtful, agile, results-oriented firm to help them achieve their mission. About the Senior Consultant Role We are currently hiring a full-time senior consultant to contribute immediately to at least two client engagements, in close collaboration with other CIMA consultants. Responsibilities include: Providing top-tier project management and becoming a trusted strategic partner for our clients’ senior staff. Serving as Client Lead for two or more client engagements — leading the client team, managing scope of work implementation, and owning the day-to-day client relationship. Writing compelling narratives for letters of inquiry, proposals, and other collateral; working with clients to understand their organization and desired voice. Identifying funding opportunities through online research, phone calls, and email follow-up. Ensuring CIMA meets goals and client expectations through careful internal tracking of progress, application deadlines, and reporting requirements. Managing and supporting growth of one or more CIMA team members on each client engagement, ensuring CIMA exceeds client expectations. The ideal candidate will have: Proven success in a client-facing project or account management role, including leading a team toward shared deliverables, and/or a track record of relationship building and accountability. At least five years’ experience in grant writing and/or other development functions, a bachelor's degree, or other equivalent experience in persuasive writing. A demonstrated appreciation for or commitment to the nonprofit sector. Proven ability to organize and synthesize large amounts of information into compelling written collateral on deadline. Experience using standard office software/platforms (Excel, Drive, Notion, etc). Skill in organizing and drawing conclusions from data (preferred but not required). Qualities we consider essential for CIMA team members: Extremely organized and self-motivated, able to prioritize multiple deadlines Excellent interpersonal skills (communication and relationship building) Willing to collaborate, take direction and ask thoughtful questions, then work independently to complete tasks Keen writing, editing, and proofreading skills Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, intellectual environment, with the feel of a start-up; willingness to listen, collaborate, and seize opportunities for growth Flexibility, dedication, and the ability to laugh at oneself (and others, but only in a nice way) An understanding and appreciation of DEI principles Our primary office is in Charlottesville, Virginia, but we have a hybrid, flexible-work schedule. While our preference is for team members to be based in central Virginia, qualified candidates wishing to work remotely will be considered. Depending on experience and qualifications, candidates may be hired at a Consultant, rather than Senior, level. Position Details: Working Title: Senior Development Consultant Salary Range: $75,000-$87,500 Benefits: Medical/Dental/Vision, 401-k, Flexible PTO, Profit Share, WFH/PD Stipend Exemption Status: Exempt Hybrid Work Available: Yes. Preference for candidates in or around central VA. Full-time Resumes without cover letters will not be considered. We ask that your cover letter reflects your own voice and not be generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. We value authenticity and personal insight in your application. If we sound like the right place for you, we want to hear from you. There is no “perfect” candidate. Everyone brings something different to the team and those differences make us better. Our goal is to be a company that is representative of the people that we and our nonprofit clients serve. We encourage all interested applicants to apply, including but not limited to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and individuals with disabilities. CIMA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or military status. CIMA is committed to providing equitable, competitive compensation to its employees. As a for-profit consulting firm, CIMA seeks to provide salaries that are in line with compensation at other comparable for-profit social impact organizations.