Job Title

About Us LeanScaper is evolving the green industry through efficiency, growth, and innovation. Our mission is to empower 100,000+ landscaping professionals with lean systems, smart technology, and a shared community of knowledge and mentorship. LeanScaper AI is powered by the LeanScaper Operating System, the same framework used to scale one of North Americas Top 100 landscape companies. We believe in people-first success, leadership development, and operational excellence. As we expand sustainability-driven initiatives across Canada and the USA, we are building strategic funding partnerships to accelerate impact. Role Overview We are seeking a proactive and strategic Grant Specialist to lead the identification, development, submission, and management of grant funding opportunities that support LeanScapers sustainability, workforce development, innovation, and industry advancement programs. Working closely with the CFO and Director of Accounting & Finance, this role will ensure compliance, build funder relationships, and help translate funding into measurable impact directly enabling LeanScaper to accelerate industry transformation across North America. Key Responsibilities 1. Grant Pipeline Development Identify relevant federal, provincial, and private grant opportunities across Canada (e.g., Innovation Canada, CanExport, SDTC, NRC-IRAP, and provincial/industry programs) Build and maintain a prioritized grant pipeline in LeanScapers Grant Tracker, including statuses, deadlines, and owners Apply LeanScapers Grant Opportunity Scorecard to assess eligibility, competitiveness, and ROI of each opportunity Develop grant calendars and submission roadmaps, with internal deadlines set at least 2 weeks ahead of funder deadlines Prepare and distribute a monthly Funding Opportunity Report to the leadership team 2. Proposal Development and Submission Lead the end-to-end grant writing process Collaborate cross-functionally with the CEO, Department Leads, and Product & Engineering team to gather program, financial, and impact data Develop compelling narratives aligned with funder priorities and LeanScapers strategic objectives Prepare budgets and financial justifications in collaboration with the CFO Ensure all submissions are compliant, complete, and on time 3. Grant Management and Compliance Track reporting deadlines, deliverables, and funder correspondence Ensure compliance with grant terms, funding agreements, and audit requirements (7-year record retention) Coordinate financial and impact reporting with CFO and assigned Project Leads Ensure grant expenses are coded to dedicated accounts in ERP Maintain audit-ready grant documentation 4. Budget and Financial Integration Work with the Finance team to embed all approved grants into LeanScapers annual budgets and rolling forecasts Support cash flow modeling for milestone-based disbursements Contribute to monthly actual vs. budget tracking included in financial reports to the Executive Leadership Team Track and report the funding impact per crew as a measure of added capacity or profitability 5. Impact Measurement and Reporting Define measurable KPIs tied to each funded initiative Build reporting frameworks for sustainability and workforce outcomes Support development of impact reports and case studies Translate grant outcomes into marketing and partnership stories that position LeanScaper as a credible sustainability partner 6. Relationship Development Build and maintain relationships with funding agencies, industry associations, and strategic partners Represent LeanScaper in funding-related meetings and information sessions Support strategic partnership development aligned with grant funding opportunities Qualifications Required: 3+ years of experience in grant writing or grant management Proven success securing Canadian government or institutional funding Strong understanding of compliance and reporting requirements Excellent writing and storytelling skills with the ability to craft persuasive, funder-facing proposals Strong financial literacy and ability to interpret and build budgets Exceptional organizational and project management skills Proficiency with Notion, Google Drive, OneDrive, Office 365 and AI tools Preferred: Experience with sustainability, climate, workforce development, or industry transformation programs Familiarity with both Canadian and US funding systems Experience with ESG, impact measurement, or outcomes-based reporting Familiarity with ERP systems Background working in startups or high-growth organizations Competencies Strategic thinker with operational discipline Highly detail-oriented without losing big-picture alignment Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity Strong cross-functional collaborator What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months) 5+ relevant grant opportunities identified and entered into the pipeline Submitted a slate of high-quality grant applications with a target 50% success rate Secured funding aligned with LeanScapers strategic priorities Average turnaround from opportunity identification to submission of 8 weeks 100% of approved grants embedded in budget, forecast, and monthly financial reporting Built a repeatable grant management system with clear compliance and reporting frameworks Positioned LeanScaper as a credible sustainability and innovation funding partner Role Type: full-time contract or fractional (to start, with growth potential) Why This Role Matters This role will directly enable LeanScaper to accelerate industry transformation, expand sustainability programming, and unlock scalable impact across North America. The Grant Specialist is a key strategic contributor turning funding opportunities into real capacity for the landscaping professionals we serve.