Grant Accounting Manager

About Elemental Excelerator

Elemental is a nonprofit investor in climate technologies with deep community impact. We bring more than a decade of experience across the climate sector, with an active and maturing portfolio of 150+ companies. Elemental fills two gaps fundamental to addressing climate change: funding projects for climate technologies in communities, and embedding equity and access into climate solutions. We invest in transformative technologies to create a system change for a more resilient, equitable future. 

With more than a decade of experience investing across many sectors and stages of climate technology, we have a maturing and active portfolio of 150+ companies, and a robust pipeline of thousands more. We invest deeply in entrepreneurs from traditionally excluded backgrounds and embed equity and access through every aspect of development through implementation. We heavily focus on project deployments that meaningfully bring in community input and deliver community impact. 

We do more than write a check; we find innovative and creative ways to identify and fill financing and support gaps in the market. Our wraparound support includes carbon finance, policy, equity and access coaching, corporate connections, diverse talent acquisition, follow on funding partnerships and beyond.

About the role

Elemental is seeking a Grant Accounting Manager to join our financial operations team. In this role, you will manage the financial aspects of philanthropic and government grants and ensure compliance with funding requirements. The Grants Accounting Manager will collaborate with the Development team in building grant budgets, communicating grant spending progress, and ensuring compliance with financial and other forms of grant requirements. This role is part of an operational support team within the organization that will ultimately be expected to improve the organization’s internal satisfaction and efficiency, particularly in collaboration with the Development team.

Elemental is a highly dynamic and innovative organization that frequently pivots. This role requires an adaptable and open-minded individual who can facilitate and promote compliance among colleagues.

This position will report to the Controller. The position requires outstanding collaboration skills, proficiency in financial reporting and communication, adept workflow management, and the ability to gather program information and formulate comprehensive budgets. The ideal candidate is someone with relevant grant accounting and management experience who is excited to support our rapidly growing portfolio of restricted grants through the entire lifecycle of the grant, from proposal and budgeting to providing donor reporting and through to grant close-out.

The Elemental fundraising team has recently hit its peak performance with great success in securing substantial new grant funding. As a result, this large portfolio of donor-restricted grants requires careful management to ensure effective donor stewardship and continued growth through successful execution. We seek the right candidate to add strength to this team with experienced, creative leadership. The successful candidate will be able to work collaboratively to build policy, procedure, and process to manage the grant portfolio effectively.

Key Responsibilities Include:                         

• Grant Financial Management
  • Collaborate with program managers to develop grant budgets.
  • Provide financial analysis and insights for budget planning and forecasting.
  • Monitor budget variances and implement corrective actions as needed.
  • Collaborate with program managers, development team, and other stakeholders to understand grant requirements.
  • Provide financial guidance and support to program staff regarding grant management.
• Oversee the financial aspects of grants, from proposal budget development to final financial grant reports. Work closely with the Development and program teams to create comprehensive budgets.
• Ensure compliance with grant restrictions, regulations, accounting policies, and procedures.
• Monitor and manage grant budgets, track expenses, and forecast financial needs.
• Continual communication of grant financial standing with key stakeholders.
• Identify and communicate funding and spending needs across all programs.
• Designing and maintaining a grant database.
• Support the development and implementation of fundraising plans by identifying potential shortfalls and communicating those to leadership on a timely basis.
• Play an integral role in the monthly close process: reconciling grant-related accounts, reviewing financial transactions, and ensuring accuracy in grant reporting and additional closing procedures and processes.
• Administer & support procurement compliance 

Additional Responsibilities 

• Managing grant compliance requirements where necessary
• Support internal and external audits
• Identify opportunities for process improvement in grant accounting and financial management
• Stay updated on changes in grant regulations and accounting standards
• Assisting the Controller with other tasks as needed
• Supporting the Operations team as needed
• Manage our subrecipient monitoring processes

About You

You could be a great addition to our team if you are:

• A creative problem solver who is eager to learn about our programs and internal processes
• A continuous learner who is highly coachable and open to receiving feedback
• Skilled at gathering information from formal and informal sources
• Energized by building out efficient internal operating systems and conducting multiple strands of fast-moving activity into a symphony of harmonious sound
• Want exposure to a broad array of projects on climate tech, government operations, innovative finance, and other emerging climate issues while others dive deep
• Have experience in a complex funding environment (10 to 50+ grants) with multiple restricted sources of funds, including government grants 
• Passionate about the intersection of technology, policy and social equity in underserved or underrepresented communities

Qualifications (even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, we still encourage you to apply!)            

Desired skills:                              

• Multiple years of experience working in non-profit fund accounting, building and managing budgets, and designing financial reports and procedures
• Philanthropic and/or government grant administration experience
• Familiarity with, or eager willingness to learn, computer software, including accounting software (i.e. Quickbooks, Netsuite), Excel, Google Suite, AirTable, Bill.com, Expensify, and others
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• The ability to work independently, stay organized, and prioritize tasks that align with the team's goals
• A strong desire to interact and work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to cultivate positive and productive relationships

Standout skills:                                                                                     

• Experience with federal grants and CFR 200
• Federal procurement experience
• Direct experience with cost-reimbursable grants
• Understanding of IRS regulations for grantmaking, including expenditure responsibility rules.
• Experience and knowledge of equity, justice, and community engagement issues and principles related to climate solutions
• Experience with accounting consolidations

And if you are interested in this opportunity but don't have direct experience, here are transferable skills that we believe are applicable and will help you in this role: 

• GL accounting 
• Federal contract administration
• Financial analysis

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time "at-will" position working at least 40 hours per week. You will be asked to travel for work periodically. 

The salary range for this role is $75,700 - 126,800, which is based on market data and the organization's compensation philosophy. Individual salary offers will depend on and may vary with location, relevant education, knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer comprehensive employee benefits, including a professional development stipend and three weeks paid time off (more details here).

Location

We will consider candidates located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Elemental has a hybrid working model and if you are within a reasonable distance to one of our offices in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco Bay Area, or Honolulu, we are asking employees to come into the office at least one day a week to build community with the team. Currently, most people come in 1-2 times a week, but we encourage those who are interested to come in more often if they’d like. 

Other Details:

We will accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Although all applications will be considered, we may be unable to respond to all inquiries. Please note that we do read cover letters, so we advise spending adequate time on them to share your relevant stories and experiences with us. We also ask that you refrain from using tools like Chat GPT and keep the cover letter to 1-2 pages long.

Elemental is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Candidates from the following groups are especially encouraged to apply: Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities; people who have disabilities; and people from low-income backgrounds. 

Elemental is also committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws.

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