5 Ignite Chief Financial Officer Jobs Hiring Near You

EOE Statement
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Description
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Title: Director of Government Grants & Compliance
Salary: $70,000 - $75,000/year
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Senior Director of Impact, Learning & Evaluation
Ignite stands with youth on their journey to a home and a future with promise. We are a leading non-profit, human services organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for youth, ages 10-26. While Ignite has a long-standing history that dates to 1976, we continue to create new ways to serve our community. Today, we have more than 63 full-time and part-time staff as well as over 100 volunteers who contribute to our mission.
Through housing, education, employment, career planning, financial empowerment, mental health support, and community connection, we enroll more than 800 youth per year, on the path to reaching their full potential. Following their time with Ignite, many of our youth achieve financial stability and move into their own long-term home. Ignite intends to be the last program our youth will ever need, but the family and place they can always call home. As a 2025 Chicago Innovation Award winner, Ignite is leading the way in creating new housing and service models that help youth put homelessness behind them for good. At Ignite, we envision a world where all young people have the support they need to be defined by their potential, not their circumstances.
Position Summary
The Director of Grants & Compliance leads Ignite's government grant compliance, renewal, and proposal development efforts. This role is responsible for ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local contract requirements; leading preparation for monitoring visits; managing renewals; drafting new government grant proposals; and supporting government funding prospecting efforts. This position builds and maintains the infrastructure that protects Ignite from compliance risk while strengthening its government funding portfolio.
The ideal candidate is an experienced government grant writer and compliance professional who is systems-oriented, deadline-driven, and comfortable operating across departments.
Primary Responsibilities
Government Grant Proposal Development

• Lead development and submission of new government grant proposals (federal, state, and local).

• Review NOFOs/RFPs and develop proposal workplans and timelines.

• Draft compelling and compliant narratives, including need statements, program design, staffing plans, implementation approaches, and sustainability sections.

• Coordinate required attachments, MOUs, letters of support, and compliance documentation.

• Collaborate with Finance on budget development and budget narratives.

• Ensure proposals meet all formatting, eligibility, and compliance requirements prior to submission.

• Maintain a library of boilerplate language, standard attachments, and proposal templates.
• Ensure proposals are in alignment with Ignite's strategic priorities.

Government Grant Compliance & Infrastructure

• Lead compliance oversight for all government-funded programs.

• Develop and maintain a master compliance calendar for renewals, monitoring visits, and key contract deadlines.

• Review contracts to interpret deliverables, performance benchmarks, and documentation requirements.

• Identify potential compliance risks and communicate proactively with leadership.

• Develop internal compliance checklists and guidance for Program Directors.
• Identify trends across funding streams and recommend process improvements to strengthen compliance, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

Monitoring & Audit Readiness

• Serve as primary internal lead for government monitoring visits and desk reviews.

• Coordinate documentation collection and preparation across departments.

• Maintain organized, audit-ready compliance documentation systems.

• Track and oversee implementation of corrective action plans when required.

Government Funding Strategy & Prospecting

• Track upcoming government funding opportunities and renewal cycles.

• Maintain a government grants pipeline tracker.

• Conduct light research and initial analysis of new government funding opportunities.

• Support leadership in evaluating alignment between funding opportunities and program capacity.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Work with the team members to ensure contract requirements align with submitted performance reports.

• Collaborate with Finance to ensure budget compliance and alignment with contract terms.

• Work closely with Program Directors to ensure program implementation aligns with funded scope.

Position Requirements
Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.

• 5 years of experience in government grant writing and compliance or equivalent experience within a nonprofit or public agency.

• Demonstrated success securing federal, state, and/or local government funding.

• Exceptional writing and editing skills with the ability to translate program operations into compelling proposals.

• Experience with HUD, DHHS, IDHS, DFSS, or similar public funding streams preferred.

• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines.

• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

• Ability to interpret contracts and identify compliance risks.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with data management systems.

• Commitment to Ignite's mission and values.

Ignite Employee Benefit Package:

• Career Growth: Ignite offers access to comprehensive Professional Development programs and structured Leadership Training to accelerate your career trajectory.
• Promote from Within Culture: Ignite takes pride in our promote-from-within culture, offering continuous learning opportunities and career advancement tracks for dedicated team members.
• Generous Health Insurance Contributions: We invest in your well-being. Ignite offers comprehensive medical and dental coverage with generous employer contributions.
• Invest in Your Future: We care about your long-term financial well-being. Employees are eligible to participate in our comprehensive 403(b) plan and provides a generous match.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Ignites' Employee Assistance Program provides short-term counseling, resources, and support for personal or work-related challenges.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Ignite provides FSA options for both healthcare and dependent care, letting you save on eligible out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., commuter/parking, etc.).
• Paid Time Off: Ignite offers a generous paid time off packet for full-time employees, which includes 13 paid company holidays annually, 2 personal days, 9 sick days, and generous vacation accrual rates that range from 10-20 days per year.
• Strong Financial Safety Net: Ignite offers short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance benefits at no cost to all of our full-time employees.
• Employer Sponsored Staff Celebrations: Ignite hosts a variety of employer sponsored staff and community events throughout the year (i.e., Thanks 4 Giving, Annual Carnival, Quarterly Staff Meetings/Team building, and Holiday Celebrations).

Equal Opportunity Statement
Ignite is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Full-Time/Part-Time
Contingent
This position is currently accepting applications.