Senior Accountant, Grant Accounting

Senior Accountant, Grant Accounting

Year-Round Full-Time (hybrid - three days on-site/ two days remote)

Glencoe, IL, US

Exemption Status: Exempt

Department: Accounting

Reports to: Senior Director of Accounting

Join Us!

Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. We accomplish this by standing behind our values:

Prioritize a culture of GROWTH

Seek to UNDERSTAND

See one another through a lens of RESLILIENCE

Build TRUST through TRANSPARENCY

Full-time employees of the Chicago Botanic Garden are eligible for the following Benefits & Perks:

• Medical benefits eligible first of the month following thirty days of employment
• Dental benefit
• Vision benefit
• Wellness: Wellness Healthcare premiums; Wellness Day; Life Time Fitness and Lawndale Christian Fitness Center; Peloton App
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Life Insurance and AD&D Insurance (Basic and voluntary)
• Disability Insurance: Short-term disability (STD) and Long-term disability (LTD)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Identity Theft Protection coverage
• Legal plan coverage (LegalShield)
• Retirement Plan: up to 4% of your annual salary matched by the Garden
• Time off: Vacation, Sick, Holiday pay (mix of Federal and Garden holidays), Personal days, Birthday
• Parental Bonding Leave: up to 6 weeks paid
• Grandparent Bonding Time: up to 3 days
• Funeral/Bereavement Leave: ranging from 6 to 10 days paid time
• Pet bereavement day
• Garden Membership: Household Plus level discount to purchase additional Garden members, discount to Gift shop, Café purchases
• Garden Library access to books, journals, rare books, etc.
• Camp CBG and Nature Preschool Discounts
• Complimentary general admission to other cultural institutions
• American Public Gardens Association (APGA) membership

OVERVIEW:

The Senior Accountant, Grant Accounting, will play a lead role in the financial management and oversight of a portfolio of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s restricted and unrestricted grants.

The Senior Accountant, Grant Accounting position will guide effective financial management of a diverse award portfolio of government and non-governmental awards through the completion of the grant life cycles. The Senior Accountant will work with staff across various project teams to ensure strong financial management for the award portfolio. This includes but not limited to managing grant reporting deadlines, monitoring the budget and spending status of assigned grants, and ensuring requirements for monitoring and financial reporting are met for all federally funded grant programs as required by 2 CFR Part 200. The Senior Accountant, Grant Accounting will be a detail-oriented, results-driven person with superb interpersonal and organizational skills.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Proposal Development and Budgeting (10%)
• Support budget development process for new proposals within portfolio and as assigned, working closely with the programmatic team to understand project activities and implementation plan.
• Lead budget forecasting, revisions, and reallocation requests.
• Grants Compliance and Monitoring (15%)
• Monitor compliance with federal regulations and spending of subcontracted agencies to ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and reporting requirements. Review subcontracted agencies’ financial reports and track payments to subcontracted agencies.
• Work with the Senior Director of Grant Accounting to ensure appropriate internal controls for all contracts and grants management function.
• Fund Management and Financial Analysis (75%)
• Prepare internal financial reports for assigned governmental and nongovernmental awards; work with project teams to review and analyze spending against budgets; identify variances and determine action needed.
• Monitor spending across grants to ensure appropriate expense allocation, timely use of funds, and compliance with donors’ operational and contractual requirements; document and monitor overall performance, analyze trends, highlight issues, identify gaps.
• Prepare timely and accurate external financial reports that comply with all donor regulations.
• Coordinate drawdowns, invoices, fund transfers, and other regular grant-related processes.
• Work with various stakeholders to complete financial deliverables tied to grant close.
• Participate in the end of fiscal year organizational fund close and reporting.
• Prepare monthly payroll allocation process and reconciliation of staff allocations between grants and financial systems.
• Effectively cross-train to perform tasks outside regular duties and responsibilities to deepen understanding of organizational functionality and support desired career goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in business administration, nonprofit financial management, or accounting preferred
• Two or more years of experience managing grants and nonprofit finances required
• Experience working on federal grants administration desirable
• Experience with information systems (e.g. Financial Edge, Raiser’s Edge, Power Plan) or proven ability to learn new systems quickly; strong computer skills in word processing and spreadsheet programs (Microsoft Excel required)
• Exemplary interpersonal skills: ability to collaborate effectively with culturally diverse staff across departments under shifting and demanding timelines
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to present and explain financial information clearly to colleagues at all levels, including non-financial staff
• Comfort with inheriting established processes and tools, while also assessing areas for improvement
• Working knowledge of trial balance, profit and loss statements, balance sheets and month-end processes

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Office setting. Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, listening, speaking, and keyboarding. Use of office equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, scanners, and fax machines. Some requirements for lifting, pushing, or pulling items less than 30 pounds.

PLANTS.PEOPLE.PLANET.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.