Grants Accounting Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Basic Function: Provides recommendations and strategies on prospective funding opportunities to program leadership. Prepares grant applications and proposals, including program concepts, budgets, and associated work/project timelines for program implementation. Reviews grant applications to make sure proposed activities comply with funder requirements. Provide support and leadership on Finance and Accounting Special Projects. Completes timely all accounting assignments, financial analysis, calculations, postings and verification of financial data for use in the preparation and maintenance of the general ledgers.

Reporting Relationship:

Reports To: Director of Financial Analysis and Special Programs

Supervises (Position Title): N/A

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct grant monitoring, readiness, goal achievement through the grant cycle for all grant funding streams.
• Works with program staff on implementation and ensure compliance with funding source reporting requirements.
• Work across the organization and with partners to drive goal achievement. Main point of contact with partner organizations.
• Coordinates project timelines with approved budget expenditures, ensuring the budget timelines coincide with project timelines.
• Analyzes and compiles all required monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual cost financial reporting on a timely basis and as per the signed and approved contract awards deadline.
• Assists supervisor in planning the accounting requirements of the Agency’s external reporting requirements for received contracts and awards from governmental agencies (federal, state, county, and City of Chicago, including foundation and corporate funding awards)
• Responsible for monthly accounting close-out process for any grants, including billing, reports and posting to accounting system.
• Attends any mandated training, orientation, or continuing education sessions with governmental agencies and related field agencies.
• Performs accounting tasks, applying well-established management and accounting principles and practices to a variety of problems to include analyzing and preparing reports as required.
• Completes grant monthly recurring and standard journal entries for month end.
• Studies and standardized procedures to improve efficiency of processes including understanding business processes and driving conversations for improvement.
• Document processes or Cross trains back –up person to assure minimal interruption during paid leave periods.
• Administers monthly journal entries in accordance with accounting principles and documents with the required back-up transaction documents. Assures to maintain accurate archiving rules in view of annual external audit.
• Responsible for all quarterly, semi-annual account reconciliations of designated expenses accounts and related balance sheet accounts.
• Reviews and examines staff work and output for accuracy, completeness, balance, quality and conformance to policy. Challenges unsubstantiated balances and ensures problems are resolved relating to the back-up chart.
• Determines work procedures, working schedules, and expedites workflow.
• As needed and directed, initiates and maintains contacts with Agency management staff and outside individuals and organizations such as auditors and banks.
• Maintains confidentiality of all information and adheres to the Agency’s Code of Ethics.
• Performs complex statistical functions and other related duties as assigned.

Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting
• Five or more years of computerized general accounting experience preferably in the not-for-profit industry. Supervisory experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Thorough knowledge of grant process, accounting principles, procedures practices and laws and regulations related to accounting activities.
• Proficient with personal computer hardware and various software applications, such as fluency with Microsoft Office Plus 2016 – Excel is a must. Microsoft Business Solutions/Dynamic – Great Plains is a must.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Leadership experience in a wide range of topics a plus.
• Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals, and a wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected.
• Highly motivated and being a self starter.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, planning and communication skills.
• Ability to use the computer to analyze, prepare and retrieve data, reports, and to do planning.
• Ability to train and supervise personnel.
• Ability to develop, recommend and implement effective and defensible approaches to achieve organization goals.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with divisions, department heads, managers and outside individuals and groups as appropriate.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical information in mathematical or diagram form.
• Ability to remain composed and recommends appropriate actions under stressful conditions which may result from increased responsibilities and timetables.
• Ability and willingness to work overtime hours as required

Mental/Physical Demands: Ability to read, analyzes, and interprets general business periodicals, professional journals and technical procedures and governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, and employees. Ability to calculate figures, rates, ratios, and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, hear, and to use hands to operate the computer. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus. Work Environment

Duties are usually performed in an office environment. While performing the duties of this job employee may occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This description documents the general contents and requirements of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhausted statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. The principal duties and responsibilities shown are all essential job functions except for those indicated with an asterisk (*). The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.