Grants Administrator–Connecticut Charter Schools Program (CT-CSP)
Be the financial backbone of a new charter accountability system in Connecticut. Federal grants expertise meets real impact on students in the state's highest-need communities.
OUR PURPOSE & IMPACT
The Mind Trust Connecticut (TMT-CT) is a nonprofit organization working to expand access to high-quality public charter schools across Connecticut's Alliance Districts — the state's highest need communities. Through its Charter Schools Program State Entity grant, TMT-CT supports the launch, replication, and expansion of charter schools serving predominantly low-income students and students of color, while building the authorizer accountability infrastructure that Connecticut's charter sector has never had. The team has extensive authorizing experience and has designed several key initiatives to ensure that Connecticut’s authorizer (the Connecticut State Board of Education (SBE)) is administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education. TMT-CT is building Connecticut’s first independent, publicly verifiable data system tracking charter school and sector performance.
The Mind Trust, Inc is a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, dedicated to creating an educational system that ensures every student has access to high quality education – no exceptions. We achieve this by fostering a supportive environment through policy advocacy, community engagement, and empowering talented educators to establish new schools. Additionally, we support existing schools in attracting and retaining exceptional talent. Since our founding in 2006, we’ve launched 51 schools and 15 education nonprofits and placed over 1,800 educators and school leaders in classrooms across Indianapolis.
WHO WE ARE & HOW WE WORK
At The Mind Trust, we operate in a dynamic, results-driven culture that prioritizes collaboration and flexibility. We are a nonprofit that invests in public education to transform lives and increase academic achievement in Indianapolis, across Indiana, and beyond. This includes managing student-centered programming, growing new high-quality public charter schools, supporting existing schools and educators, and engaging the community in every region we serve. Everything we do aims to create a positive impact on student learning because we believe all students, regardless of background or income, deserve an education that helps them meet their full potential in life.
OUR APPROACH TO TALENT & GROWTH
We believe in fostering a high-capacity team that aligns with our mission and values to drive transformational educational outcomes. Our culture encourages team members to bring their authentic selves to work, fostering a sense of belonging and care for one another. Empowered and self-driven, our leaders operate with autonomy and commitment to continuous learning and growth. We invest in professional development, promoting innovation and curiosity as we strive for excellence in our mission.
YOUR IMPACT
TMT-CT is seeking a Grants Administrator to serve as the backbone of Connecticut's Charter Schools Program State Entity grant (CSP-CT). Reporting to the Project Director, the Grants Administrator will oversee all federal financial compliance, subgrantee fiscal administration, and grant administration functions for a multi-year federal award, ensuring TMT-CT meets its obligations under 2 CFR Part 200 and ESEA Title IV, Part C.
HOW YOU WILL SUCCEED
Subgrant Administration & Project Coordination
Manage the full subgrant lifecycle from RFP release through closeout, including application coordination, peer-review logistics, award documentation, subgrant agreement execution, and amendments.
Serve as the day-to-day operational coordinator for CSP-CT, maintaining project timelines, milestone tracking, and cross-functional task management across the TMT-CT program, finance, and TA staff.
Prepare and maintain the annual subgrant monitoring calendar, coordinating site visit scheduling, report deadlines, and CSDE oversight activities to ensure a non-duplicative, sequenced oversight calendar for subgrantees.
Manage subgrantee onboarding, including distributing the CSP-CT Allowable Cost Guide, orienting new grantees to reporting requirements, and connecting schools to relevant TA resources.
Maintain the central subgrantee portfolio — tracking award status, drawdown progress, risk tier, CAP status, and sustainability plan submissions across all active subgrantees.
Support the Project Director in preparing Annual Performance Reports to the U.S. Department of Education and other required federal submissions.
Coordinate quarterly CSDE collaboration meetings, including preparing agendas, maintaining minutes, and tracking follow-up items.
Federal Grant Administration
Manage all aspects of CSP-CT grant drawdowns, reimbursements, and reporting to the U.S. Department of Education.
Maintain budget-to-actual tracking across all grant years and prepare quarterly financial reports.
Administer the CSP-CT Allowable Cost Guide and advise staff and subgrantees on permissible, prior-approval, and prohibited expenses under 2 CFR 200 and ESEA § 4303(h).
Coordinate the federal Annual Performance Report (APR) financial component.
Trained Monitor to Federal Requirements, including completing annual monitor training.
Subgrantee Fiscal Monitoring
Conduct pre-award risk assessments for all subgrant applicants per 2 CFR 200.332(b), including review of prior federal CSP awards via USAspending.gov.
The Grants Administrator will review each subgrantee’s audited statements (including the internal-controls report and management letter) within 30 days of posting. Any audit finding or material management-letter observation results in immediate escalation to Tier 4.
Review quarterly subgrantee financial reports; flag budget-to-actual variances exceeding 10% and escalate to Tier 4 Enhanced Monitoring as warranted.
Review each subgrantee's annual independent audit and management letter within 30 days of posting; initiate corrective action plans (CAPs) for any findings; and review Agreed-Upon Procedures (AUP) reports for
subgrantees expending ≥$750,000 in CSP funds in a fiscal year.
Manage fund withholding, recoupment, and de-obligation processes for non-compliant subgrantees per 2 CFR 200.339–200.343
Compliance & Internal Controls
Ensure all CSP-CT expenditures comply with federal cost principles, budget categories, and period-of-performance requirements.
Maintain complete, audit-ready grant files, including subgrant agreements, amendments, and correspondence.
Coordinate with CSDE on shared data systems and aligned monitoring calendars under the formal MOU.
Support annual monitor training and inter-rater reliability processes alongside the Project Director.
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE
Essential Skills, Experience, & Attributes
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, public administration or related field
3+ years of experience managing federal grants, preferably under 2 CFR Part 200
Demonstrated experience with subgrantee fiscal monitoring, audit review and corrective action
Familiarity with ESEA Title IV programs or other U.S. Department of Education grants
Strang analytic skills; proficiency in Excel or comparable financial tools
Dedication to embracing new ideas to drive educational transformation
A collaborative spirit and the ability to work effectively in teams and build meaningful relationships with stakeholders
Additional Strengths & Qualifications
Experience with Charter Schools Program (CSP) grants at the state or local level
Knowledge of Connecticut’s charter school funding framework (ECS, DRIP, CHEFA)
CPA, CGFM, or equivalent credential preferred
WHAT WE OFFER
At The Mind Trust, we support and prioritize the wellbeing and development of our team members. As part of our commitment to our employees, we offer a wide range of robust benefits designed to support your health, wellbeing, and professional growth.
Healthcare: Access comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with substantial premium support
Retirement Savings: Secure your future with a 403(b) plan featuring generous employer matching
Life and Disability Coverage: Gain peace of mind with life and disability benefits, ensuring financial security for you and your loved ones
Professional Development: Engage in continuing education opportunities to foster growth and learning
Generous Time Off: Prioritize work-life balance with a competitive PTO policy and paid holidays
Family Support: Our family leave, adoption assistance, and childcare reimbursements are designed to ease the journey of welcoming new additions and managing family dynamics, ensuring you have the support you need to thrive both at home and in the workplace
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions, which might include but are not limited to, remaining stationary for extended periods, occasional movement throughout the department, and occasional transport of objects weighing less than 25 pounds. This position requires the ability to communicate to exchange accurate information with others, and occasional travel within and outside the state of Connecticut, including overnights.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Mind Trust is committed to equal employment principles and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws and regulations. The terms and conditions of the employment relationship with all worksite employees are to be nondiscriminatory – without regard to age, race, physical characteristics historically associated with race, color, national origin or immigration status, citizenship, work authorization status or the period of such a status, ancestry, sex, gender, reproductive health decision making, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religious creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, HIV testing status, status as a victim of a crime or violence, marital status, familial status, veteran status, military status, or any other protected category or class that may be applicable to a candidate or employee.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
- Department
- Connecticut
- Locations
- The Mind Trust CT Office
- Remote status
- Fully Remote
- Yearly salary
- 100,000
- Employment type
- Full-time
About The Mind Trust
Great schools are transformative. They improve the lives of the students they serve and create new possibilities for the communities where they are located.