Contracts and Grants Staff Accountant

Job Description

The Contracts and Grants Staff Accountant plays a critical role in an evolving grants/contracts management infrastructure. She/he maintains the integrity of the general ledger and ensures that accounting processes are in compliance with GAAP and private and government funding regulations. She/he applies and reviews rational costing methodologies to ensure that direct, allocated, and matched costs are necessary, reasonable, and consistently treated as per grant/contract provisions. She/he works closely with the accounting team to ensure that restricted and unrestricted revenues are property documented, tracked, and reported. The Staff Accountant prepares internal analytical and external financial statements. The Staff Accountant assists in educating Teach For America staff and sites on internal controls and general financial management policies and procedures. She/he will assist in the year-end closing process and with special projects as necessary. The Contracts and Grants Staff Accountant is supervised by the Grants Director, Fiscal Compliance and the Contracts Director, Fiscal Compliance.

DIRECT RESPONSIBILITIES:
·Assist in grant budgeting process, configure report templates, provide analytical documentation to guard against potential cross-funding
·Review all expenses coded against unrestricted and restricted funding streams
oEnsure direct expenses tagged to grants/contracts are allowable under contract/grant provision
oEnsure consistent costing methodologies for allocated costs
oEnsure expenses tagged to match shares are correctly calculated across multiple government contracts
·Work closely with the Accounting, Payroll, and Development Operations teams to review funded position salary allocations and alert appropriate managers to inconsistencies in codings and reporting
·Responsible for preparation of daily cash deposits, coordinate cash receipting process with Development Operations team.
·Prepare grant/contract budget to actual variance reports for management review
·Prepare funder financial status reports for management review
·Assist in mentoring staff and training sites on contract provisions and TFA fiscal policies, procedures, processes; conduct periodic site audits to ensure efficient fiscal internal controls
·Assist in ensuring a constant state of annual fiscal and funder audit readiness, work closely with Accounting and Development Operations staff in prep of audit workpapers and in resolution of corrective actions
REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENTS:
·Bachelors degree in accounting, business, or finance
·CPA certification preferred, but not necessary
·Min. 3-5 years experience in government contracts or private grants management or heavy cost accounting
·Proven experience in a rapidly growing environment; ability to design, create, and implement analytical systems, policies, and procedures
·Excellent customer service skills; ability to effectively communicate in writing, over the phone, and in person
·Strong work ethic; appreciation for deadlines and adherence to project plans
·Proficient in Excel, accounting software packages commonly used within medium and large organizations, and Internet based technology solutions
·Positive attitude, desire to be a part of a diverse team, and commitment to Teach for America’s mission