Grants Financial Specialist

Title:                       Grants Financial Specialist
Supervisor:            Director of Finance
Office Location:     Warrenton, VA
Job Classification:  Full-time, non-exempt

About PEC

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) conserves and restores the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. Founded in 1972, PEC is a locally-based, community-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accredited land trust. At the core of PEC’s approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities.

Your Role

We’re looking for an experienced Grants Financial Specialist to join the PEC team. The Specialist serves as a financial steward for PEC’s grant portfolio, which consists of federal, state, county, community foundation and private foundation grants. As a member of the finance team, this role ensures that all grant-funded activities align with internal budgets and external funder requirements. This position will track the lifecycle of grant funds, ensuring transparency, compliance and successful spenddowns.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve grants management processes and financial tracking systems and tools across the organization.
• Work toward automated, transparent and data-driven solutions to give PEC staff relevant and timely information to help accomplish our grant-supported work.
• In coordination with the Grants Manager, build budgets for grant proposals and programmatic staff and apply and improve standard metrics for allocating personnel costs, indirect operational costs and shared organizational overhead across multi-funded projects.
• In coordination with the Grants Manager and relevant programmatic staff, prepare highly accurate and timely financial reporting, reimbursement requests, and closeout documentation in accordance with funder requirements.
• Provide reports of grant spenddowns to respective PEC programmatic staff on a scheduled cadence.
• Initiate, manage and continuously find ways to improve communications with advancement, finance and relevant programmatic staff on all awarded grants, including, but not limited to, organizing grant kickoff meetings, periodic status meetings (noting spenddowns, anticipating needs, addressing concerns, and verifying grant progress), and planning meetings for reporting deliverables.
• Work with the grants manager and the finance team to reconcile grant-related income and expenses on a monthly basis.
• Monitor approximately 24 active grants for spending and compliance, with anticipated portfolio growth.
• Manage compliance needs for grants, including updating PEC’s Grants Manual(s). This includes educating relevant staff on grant compliance as needed and making compliance materials accessible.
• Work closely with the grants manager and communicate with appropriate programmatic staff when needed to keep PEC’s grants portfolio updated.
• Properly organize relevant grant paperwork, provide data needs for reporting and renewal opportunities, and communicate opportunities for funder communications.
• Manage and maintain sensitive and confidential information, ensuring it is handled securely and in compliance with the organization’s policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong work ethic and commitment to PEC’s core values, mission and vision.
• Minimum of five years of grant management experience.
• Minimum of five years’ accounting experience, nonprofit preferred.
• At least three years’ experience managing a portfolio of federal grants.
• Experience managing a grants calendar and meeting multiple proposal and report deadlines.
• Excellent and compelling oral and written communication skills when interacting with directors, staff, funding agencies and other individuals regarding relevant grants.
• Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative abilities, including the ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and work styles.
• Proficiency in the following softwares (or similar): CRM Products (Salesforce), financial software (QuickBooks), project management systems (Asana), MS Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Strong ability to plan, organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple projects with initiative and time management skills to meet deadlines consistently.
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles and procedures.
• Reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work with donor and program data, grant portals, financial documents and other required items for grant applications.
• Well-versed in AP style and editorial rules.
• Experience and/or interest in public policy, with an emphasis on environmental, conservation, and/or land use issues.

Geographic Focus

This position will be based out of PEC’s headquarters office in Warrenton, VA. After an initial onboarding period (90 days) and at the manager’s discretion, this position is eligible for hybrid status to be decided jointly with the specialist’s supervisor. The nature of this role will require at least three days in office. This position may include limited travel within PEC’s nine-county service area. Occasional nights and weekends may be required for organizational special events.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This position will be completed in an office environment. Office work requires extended sitting or standing and the use of a computer, keyboard, and mouse. Occasional lifting of materials up to 30 lbs. is required.

Compensation

This position is a non-exempt / hourly position with benefits. Salary range of $28.87 to $36.06 per hour (equivalent to $60,000 to 75,000 annually), commensurate with experience.

Benefits

PEC offers an outstanding and robust benefits package including:

• Two health plans (83% employer paid premium for employee only plan, 80% employer paid for added dependents)
• Short- & Long-Term Disability*
• Group Term Life*
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity insurances*
• HSA account (with employer match up to $750 per year)
• FSA accounts (health & dependent care)
• 403(b) pension plan with employer contribution after 1 year of service with 100% vesting from day one
• 10 paid holidays
• 2 floating holidays
• PTO leave – 24 days per year, accrued each pay period
• 1 day per year of paid leave to volunteer at another non-profit or charitable cause
• Salary continuation leave for employee or family illness – from 2 to 8 weeks fully paid leave eligibility every 24 months, depending on length of service
• Paid bereavement, jury duty and military service training leave
• Travel expense reimbursement
• Hybrid work environment and flexible work schedules
• Cell phone reimbursement, up to $75 per month
• Professional development support
• Payment for relevant licenses & professional membership fees.

*Indicates that this insurance premium is 100% paid by PEC for employee’s coverage.

The Piedmont Environmental Council  recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations during the Application or interview process may be requested. If you have any questions or concerns, please email apply@pecva.org.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.