TELUS Spark Science Centre (Spark), a registered educational charity, exists to entertain and inspire people of all ages through creative encounters with science, engineering, technology, math and art. Spark exists to lift people up with the power of curiosity through creative encounters with science!
Calgary’s science centre is a pioneer in science entertainment and programming, with roots dating back to 1967. Home to one of Western Canada’s largest dome theatre, the Digital Immersion Gallery, VR experiences, and innovative spaces like Steven’s Lab, where interactive experiments unfold before your eyes. From the robot-dog Flint to Canada’s first robot-coa5ter, R05iE, and a 15-acre park surrounding the science of the developing brain, Spark is a hub for creative encounters
Position Overview
Spark is currently recruiting for a full-time Specialist, Institutional Grants. Reporting to the Senior Director, Advancement & External Relations, the Specialist will lead the development and coordination of Spark's institutional funding portfolio.
This position will identify and evaluate funding opportunities, develop compelling grant applications, coordinate cross-functional proposal deveopment, and oversee the administration, reporting and fulfillment of institutional funding agreements.
Government funding represents the primary focus of the role; however, the Specialist will also provide grant-writing expertise and proposal support for selected foundation, community foundation and other institutional funding opportunities. The position will collaborate across the organization to support strategic grant applications, including initiatives led outside the Advancement department where specialized proposal development expertise is required.
This is more than a grant-writing role. It is an opportunity to become Spark's internal centre of excellence for institutional funding—helping secure investments that advance science education, Indigenous initiatives, accessibility, workforce development, community engagement, capital projects and innovative programming.
The role is based in Calgary, Alberta, and candidates need to be based in Calgary or willing to relocate before the start date to be considered. Occasional local travel and evening or weekend responsibilities may be required.
Key Responsibilities
- Research, monitor and evaluate government and institutional funding opportunities.
- Maintain Spark's institutional funding calendar and funding pipeline.
- Assess funding opportunities for alignment with organizational priorities.
- Lead the preparation of government grant applications and support selected institutional grant applications as organizational priorities require.
- Coordinate proposal development across multiple departments.
- Prepare persuasive narratives, briefing notes, presentations and submission packages.
- Work with Finance to develop project budgets and financial reporting information.
- Coordinate grant administration, fulfillment and compliance activities.
- Prepare interim and final reports for institutional funders.
- Maintain grant files, reporting schedules and funding documentation.
- Track project outcomes, reporting requirements and funding commitments.
- Develop and improve proposal templates, organizational grant resources and internal processes.
- Leverage AI-enabled writing tools appropriately to improve proposal quality, efficiency and consistency.
- Monitor funding performance and renewal opportunities.
- Provide proposal development support for selected cross-departmental funding initiatives.
- Build productive relationships with government agencies, institutional funders and community partners.
- Support Executive Leadership with funding briefings and correspondence.
- Work collaboratively with teams across Spark to ensure successful funding outcomes.
- Due to the nature of grant deadlines and organizational priorities, occasional evening and weekend responsibilities may be required.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications & Knowledge
- 3–5 years of progressive experience in grant writing, institutional funding, proposal development or a related field.
- Demonstrated success securing institutional funding through competitive grant applications, with significant experience in government funding.
- Exceptional writing, editing and communication skills.
- Strong project-management and organizational abilities.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
- Experience coordinating information from diverse stakeholders.
- Experience preparing grant reports and managing funding agreement requirements.
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
- Knowledge of government funding programs and institutional funding practices is considered an asset.
- Knowledge of Canada Revenue Agency guidelines relating to charitable organizations is considered an asset.
- Experience with CRM systems or grant-tracking databases is considered an asset.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
- Strong ethics and the ability to manage confidential information.
- A high degree of curiosity and creativity, with the ability to leave ego at the door.
- Desire to work on a high-performing team with a continuous-improvement culture to achieve high-impact results.
- A proven track record of adding value to an organization's culture and initiatives.
- Ability to model high performance, flexibility and kindness in a rapidly changing growth environment.
- Willingness to learn, adapt and continuously improve.
- An equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience will be considered.
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply unless they meet every qualification. At Spark, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply. An enthusiasm for Spark's mission and the impact we create can go a long way—you may be just the right candidate for this or another opportunity at Spark.
