5.3. Grant Program Manager

Phoenix Tailings · Burlington, MA

About Phoenix Tailings 
Phoenix Tailings is a rapidly growing clean mining and metals production startup dedicated to sustainable and economic critical metals production. Our mission is to be the world’s first fully clean mining and metals production company, delivering the essential resources that power modern technologies—without harming the planet. 
 
Why Phoenix Tailings 
At Phoenix, we believe that nothing great is ever accomplished alone or without the passion of people who push and motivate one another. If you share our relentless pursuit of a better future, passion for innovation, and excitement about working with some of the brightest minds in the world, then Phoenix Tailings is the place for you. 
 
Our Values: 
● You are only crazy if you are wrong, it’s ok to be wrong
● Lead with Compassion
● Be Resourceful
● Listen
● Hustle
 
Who We Are Looking For 

Phoenix Tailings receives significant non-dilutive funding from federal agencies including DOE and ARPA-E. As we grow our grant portfolio, we need a dedicated owner for everything that happens after award the compliance obligations, agency relationships, reporting cadences, and milestone certifications that protect our funding and our reputation with the federal government. 

The Grant Program Manager owns that function entirely. This role is not just about writing grants it is about fulfilling them. You will be the primary point of contact between Phoenix Tailings and our grant-issuing agencies, responsible for keeping every active award in good standing and ensuring our internal teams meet every obligation on time. 

 
 

Key Responsibilities

  • Research, locate and suggest state and federal grant opportunities that would support the Phoenix Tailings business model.
  • Coordinate and lead the Phoenix Tailings staff in the timely and accurate submission of state and federal grant opportunities ensuring the formulation of competitive packages.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between Phoenix Tailings for state and federal grant agencies (DOE, ARPA-E, and others) for all contracting, negotiations, award management and post-award matters.
  • Own the compliance calendar for each active award and yearly reporting requirements: reporting deadlines, milestone certifications, budget period renewals, and closeout requirements
  • Lead award deliverable management across all active grants, ensuring technical, financial, and programmatic deliverables are scoped, tracked, reviewed, and submitted in accordance with award requirements and internal timelines.
  • Coordinate internally with R&D, engineering, finance, and legal teams to collect required deliverables and ensure submissions are accurate and on time
  • Manage grant drawdowns, personnel time tracking on active awards, invoicing, and budget tracking in coordination with Finance; flag variances and scope changes that require agency approval
  • Prepare and submit all required progress reports, financial reports, and milestone documentation to issuing agencies
  • Maintain a centralized record system for all active awards: award documents, modifications, correspondence, and compliance artifacts
  • Monitor and interpret agency guidance and award-specific terms and conditions; flag regulatory changes that affect compliance posture
  • Identify and escalate risks potential non-compliance, missed milestones, scope drift before they become problems
  • Support post-award audits and agency site visits
  • Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in federal grant administration or post-award management, ideally in energy, defense, advanced manufacturing, or clean tech
  • Direct experience managing awards from DOE, ARPA-E, NSF, NIH, NDA, or similar agencies
  • Experience managing project deliverables and coordinating technical teams to meet contractual milestones, reporting requirements, and program objectives.
  • Organized and detail-oriented able to manage multiple active awards simultaneously without dropping compliance threads
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable corresponding directly with federal program officers
  • Experience coordinating cross-functionally with technical, finance, and legal teams
  • Familiarity with federal reporting portals (e.g., PAMS, grants.gov, SAM.gov)
  • Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience at a startup or early-stage company where you had to build processes, not just follow them
  • Background in or exposure to technical R&D environments (not required to be an engineer)
  • Experience scoping and coordinating collaborative proposals involving industry, academic, government, or strategic partners.
  • Experience managing DOE, ARPA-E, or OIE awards specifically
  • Working knowledge of 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) or federal award compliance frameworks
  •  

    We offer a competitive compensation package that is based on expertise. We also offer the following benefits:

    This pay range reflects best estimate for the total cash compensation which includes salary + discretionary bonus for this role. Total package may vary based on experience and qualifications.

    Pay Range: $100,000- $130,000 total cash compensation plus equity
  • Healthcare: 100% Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employee
  • Stock Options: Ownership in a fast-growing venture-backed company. 
  • Time Off: Unlimited PTO. 
  • Learning: Learning and development opportunities to grow your skills and career. 
  • Program Management pay context

    Based on 1,302 disclosed Program Management salaries on RoleSuite, the role pays a median of $159K/year, with most offers between $127K and $193K (10th–90th percentile: $96K–$227K).

    This posting lists $100K–$130K, below the $159K market median.

    See the full Program Management salary breakdown →
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