Grant Finance Specialist

Basic Function and Responsibility:

Under supervision from the Assistant Financial Controller, the Grant Finance Specialist will work to support the College's mission by effectively managing financial post-award activities of external grants that fund initiatives and projects that advance Oakton College's goals. This position serves as the main point of contact for financial post grant award administration. Responsible for ensuring all funds are expended per the terms of the awards and all financial post-award activity is within the approved scope of work of the grant. Develops and delivers financial grant management training to faculty and staff. The Grant Finance Specialist facilitates completion of all administrative processes and forms that are necessary to implement fiscal grant activities.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assists departments, the Grant Strategy and Development Office, and the Accounting Department with all phases of the financial grant implementation process including but not limited to grant compliance, allowability guidance, and general process and procedure guidance.
• Conducts financial training sessions on grant management best practices for faculty and staff, covering college grant administration guidelines, documentation requirements, and record-keeping procedures.
• Coordinates grant-funded credit card requests and credit card spending.
• Assists with budget set-up in the financial system to accurately match budget line items on grantor-required financial reports.
• Monitors grant activity for compliance with approved scope, budget, and regulations, ensuring all expenses are allowable, reasonable, and necessary.
• Reviews spending with all applicable parties to ensure grants are fully spent before closeout.
• Verifies with all applicable parties that expenses are categorized to the correct account.
• Tracks grants Payments/Drawdowns.
• Reviews loaded budgets with all applicable parties to determine if the budget should be modified based on spend.
• Collaborates with grant managers to review and resolve budget variances. Assists grant managers in drafting and obtaining funder approvals for budget or scope modifications. Provides high-level expenditure reports to college leadership based on Budget to Actual reports.
• Meets with grant managers initially and periodically to review award terms and conditions, budgets, expenditures, spending plans, progress on grant objectives, and continuation/renewal dates.
• With assistance from Accounting, creates the financial portion of grants reports for the grants team to review and submit.
• Collaborates with the Office of Grant Strategy and Development and Grant Accountants to update grant management documents and manuals addressing grant implementation, oversight, compliance and related policies and procedures.
• Acts as the point of contact for finance/accounting questions regarding grants.

Qualifications and Working Conditions:

• Bachelor's degree required in Accounting or a related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired.
• Two years accounting experience with a focus on grant accounting preferred.
• Minimum two years working knowledge of accounting and finance modules of an ERP software system (e.g. Ellucian Banner, PeopleSoft etc.).
• Knowledge of accepted accounting practices, legal statutes, and policy and procedure affecting financial record keeping e.g. governmental accounting principles, GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) and federal grant regulations contained in the Uniform Guidance.
• Ability to interpret and apply accounting theory, to plan and coordinate financial programs, to plan procedures and coordinate accounting operations, to interpret laws and regulations, and communicate effectively.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills.

Working Conditions:

Mobility to move from building to building on campuses and between campuses. Work is performed in a general office environment and is sedentary in nature. Little or no exposure to adverse working conditions.

Supervision Received:

Administrative and Functional supervision is received from the Assistant Financial Controller.

Supervision Exercised: None.

Salary: The hourly salary for this position is 27.76 which equates to $55,942 annualized based on Oakton's summer hours schedule.

HOURS - Monday - Friday: 8:15 am - 5:00 pm

Based on the needs of the college and with Administrator approval, some positions at the college may have a hybrid schedule option available after 30 working days.

Below is the link in regards to Oakton's benefits:

https://www.oakton.edu/about/offices-and-departments/human-resources/