Lead Technical Grant Writer

LIONBEAR VENTURES

We fund the future of communities.

Lead Technical Grant Writer

20–30 Hrs/Week • Contract • 100% Remote • Must Reside in Michigan

Opportunity to Scale to Full-Time

Who We Are

Lionbear Ventures (LBV) is a woman-owned consultancy on a mission to get programs funded that lead to the betterment of people and planet. Founded in 2022, we work with small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments that lack the capacity to plan and fund transformative projects - and we bridge that gap.

We don't just write grants. We build ecosystems. We partner with accelerators, economic developers, and funding institutions to connect our clients to the capital, strategy, and expertise they need to grow.

Since our founding, Lionbear has helped secure over $26M in local, state, and federal funding. We're growing fast - and we're looking for a technically sharp, strategically minded grant writer to grow with us.

The Work

LBV partners with economic development organizations, university-based accelerators, and innovation programs across Michigan to help their client companies identify, pursue, and win funding. These are organizations on the front lines of Michigan's innovation economy - connecting startups, scaleups, and manufacturers to the capital and contracts they need to grow.

As our Lead Technical Grant Writer, you won't just submit proposals - you'll work directly with accelerator clients to build their internal capacity to pursue funding and government contracts. You'll serve as a strategic advisor and skilled writer embedded in their ecosystems, helping them develop the narrative, systems, and confidence to compete for significant awards. You'll write across a focused set of sectors where the funding landscape is deep and the stakes are real:

• Mobility & Advanced Transportation - EV, autonomous systems, next-gen propulsion, connected infrastructure
• Advanced Manufacturing - Industry 4.0, automation, flexible/sewn goods, defense supply chain
• Product Development & Commercialization - prototype-to-market pathways, R&D grants, SBIR/STTR
• Workforce Development - training programs, apprenticeships, upskilling for tech-sector jobs
• Economic & Business Development - place-based investment, small business growth, innovation districts

This is technical, complex, high-impact grant writing - the kind that shapes industries and creates jobs. You won't be filling in templates. You'll be building compelling cases for funding that move Michigan's innovation economy forward.

The Opportunity

This is not a junior role. You'll operate as a key contributor at LBV and a trusted expert within our economic development and accelerator partner network - working directly alongside the CEO and partner organization leadership to pursue federal, state, and philanthropic funding across a robust and growing portfolio.

You'll own the full proposal lifecycle: opportunity identification, strategy development, narrative writing, budget narrative support, and submission.

Why Lionbear?

We know what it feels like to do meaningful work in a place that doesn't value it. Lionbear is different.

• Fully remote and flexible - we measure results, not hours at a desk
• A small, high-trust team that leads with curiosity, integrity, and impact - not ego
• Real autonomy to do your best work, pursue strong opportunities, and shape our approach
• Performance incentives tied to grant award success
• A direct path to full-time for the right person
• Work that matters - every proposal we submit is a bet on a community, a business, or a worker's future

We care for people and place. We grow through curiosity. We build together. We create real value. And we work in ways that sustain us.