MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday night, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a new grant writer position that they feel may be the first of many within city government.
Introduced by Ward 11 Alderman Norm Vincent, the position seeks to put the responsibility of procuring grants, capital improvement, economic development and special project funding for the city, a task that had been done piecemeal up to this point throughout the city’s various departments by employees in their spare time.
“There are several opportunities that we leave behind as a city, there are a lot of grants out there for millions of dollars that are being bypassed because we don’t have a specific individual looking through grant processes,” said Vincent.
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais praised the concept, noting the complexity and intracy needed for some grant applications.
“I would rather have bamboo shoots up my fingernails than write a federal grant, the federal government can be very particular,” he said.
The position will pay between $65,000 and $85,000 depending on experience and qualifications. The position will also be under the purview of the mayor’s office, although Vincent believed that the position could soon pay for itself if the grant writer was successful and other departments could seek their own dedicated grant writers.
Information on how to apply is available on the Human Resources page of the city website.