Grants Accounting Senior Associate

Position Description

Title: Grants Accounting Senior AssociateDepartment: Finance

Location: NYC Office FLSA: Exempt

Reports To: Controller Direct Reports: none

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is a national leader in land protection and creating connections to nature and the outdoors for all people. Over the past five decades, OSI has protected more than 2.4 million at-risk, irreplaceable acres of forests, wetlands, and shorelines across the North American Eastern Seaboard. Expanding in both scope and size, OSI employs entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and expertise to protect the land that matters most – to preserve clean drinking water; improve the public’s access to parks, public trails, and greenways; save at-risk wildlife habitat; strengthen communities; and to combat climate change and mitigate its effects. OSI has an operating budget of $45 million, of which $32 million is derived through philanthropy, and is engaged in several multi-year campaigns and initiatives to support its mission.

Position Summary

The Finance Grants Associate assists in tracking restricted funds and budgeting for the conservation programs at OSI and handles donor reporting. OSI has an expanding portfolio of grants and contracts, transaction agreements and other funding mechanisms received from donors, and requires advanced systems tracking of grants and compliance requirements; working with program managers on allocation of revenue and expenses to grants; budgeting and forecasting all financial activities and managing documentation and system related information and reporting.

They are a key member in the OSI Finance Team. The team, as a whole, is responsible for the following:

• GAAP-based accounting and monthly closing procedures using OSI’s financial software (Sage Intacct) Handling the annual audit of OSI’s financial statements
• Preparing and filing tax returns (including OSI’s annual Form 990)
• Organizational budgeting, and forecasting, coding and tracking of revenue and expenses to programs Internal controls
• Tracking of capital activity including land transactions, grants tracking and reporting Treasury functions including banking and investments
• Accounts payable and accounts receivable processing Loans administration
• Reporting to all stakeholders including the board of trustees, senior management, programs and donors

Job Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Development team to understand grant related activity, collect grant related documents including agreements, budgets and reporting formats; responsible for the setup of this data in OSI’s financial systems
• Reviews all grant documents and handles Funding Source Transmittal for all new grants coming into OSI and ensures they are created timely and accurately
• Works collaboratively to ensure that activities are recorded accurately, tracks and monitors all charges made to funding sources and program related projects against donor authorized budget lines and work with programs to input the correct codes on transactions
• Monitors funding source balances for overdraft
• Responsible for Citizen Action Management fees and financial reports
• Assists with the maintenance of Sage dimensions including Funding Sources, Project Codes, Vendors, Employees, and Customers
• Assists in the preparation of financial reports for distribution to programs
• Provides support for the annual audit and IRS Form 990 tax return
• Assists with new staff onboarding training for Finance systems.
• Handles contribution batch reporting and works with Development on accurate coding, including pledges; books all contributions including, credit cards, wires and stock gifts

This job description is not intended to represent a complete, comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities that may be required in this position. There may be unplanned activities and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s Degree, a business or accounting degree preferred, or equivalent relevant professional experience
• 2+ years of general accounting or business experience required, non-profit experience is desirable, concern for environmental issues a plus

Skills

• Strong data analysis and problem solving skills
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• A collaborative team player who enjoys keeping their work well-documented and organized
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive issues with appropriate level of confidentiality
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in promoting the goals and objectives of the organization

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• The position is based in OSI’s New York City office.
• Frequently sits for long periods of time
• Frequently speaks, reads, writes and used a computer keyboard
• May require occasional standing, walking, lifting, stooping, bending, moving files

Please note: If you do not wholly meet the above qualifications but believe you are otherwise well-suited to meet the needs of this position, we encourage you to apply.

Apply at https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/careers

Attach a cover letter that includes where you learned of the job posting along with your resume. This job requires working onsite in midtown Manhattan up to 4 days per week.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through April 1, 2024. You will receive an acknowledgement once your application has been submitted.

OSI is committed to providing a competitive compensation package. The starting salary for this role ranges from $70,000 to $80,000 commensurate with candidate skill level and experience. The recruiting team is committed to sharing details regarding compensation based on the candidate's qualifications during the interview process. OSI offers a generous benefits package including: comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, life and disability insurances, retirement plan, professional development assistance, and other resources designed to support the passion, commitment and energy that is vital to our team members.

OSI is an equal opportunity employer and is actively recruiting a diverse workforce. Land conservation benefits all people. Our mission is best advanced by the contributions and leadership of people across varying identities, including racial, gender, spiritual, and cultural. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment that fosters belonging and we look for future team members who share that same value.We encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, height, weight, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We consider qualified applicants with arrest/conviction records for employment.