Grants Accountant

Better Cotton; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Better Cotton is hiring a Grants Accountant to oversee the financial management of grants from donors. This role involves preparing financial reports, ensuring compliance with regulations, and supporting project teams while offering a competitive benefits package and opportunities for development. The candidate will be part of the Finance team in London with hybrid working options.

Benefits

Hybrid working

Flexible working

25 days paid annual leave

Enhanced parental benefits

Continuous learning and development

Qualifications

• Experience in a finance support function.
• Experience in financial reporting to donors.
• Ability to work autonomously and with international organisations.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with donors' financial requirements.
• Prepare financial reports as per donors' requirements.
• Monitor project expenditure in collaboration with project managers.

Skills

Excellent command of Excel

Bookkeeping

Financial reporting

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Recognised qualification in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration

Tools

FinancialForce (Certinia)

Job description

Application closing date: 16th July 2025

About the Job

Better Cotton is seeking a Grants Accountant to support project teams with the financial management and administration of grants received from donors. You will be responsible for preparing financial reports for donors for grant-funded projects and will work closely with project teams to ensure those projects are delivered within budget and in accordance with the donors’ requirements.

The position sits within the Finance team and is supervised by the Grants Accounting Manager (based in London).

This challenging role offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional development, together with a competitive benefits package.

Responsibilities

Grants compliance

· Ensure compliance with donors’ financial requirements, rules and regulations, and internal and external deadlines.

· Prepare accurate, timely financial reports as per donors’ requirements.

· Provide training, guidance and direction to Better Cotton staff and project partners to ensure compliance with those requirements.

· Work closely with the project teams to ensure that required procurement processes are followed.

· Coordinate project audits, liaise with auditors and project team, collate audit documentation, and respond to auditors’ queries.

· Follow-up on audit recommendations and corrective actions.

Financial management and accounting

· Monitor project expenditure in collaboration with project managers, addressing variances and mitigating actions.

· Maintain accurate accounts and allocation of expenditure, ensuring adequate supporting documents for all grant-funded expenditure.

· Prepare funding requests to donors and monitor grant income.

· Provide support and guidance to budget holders on monitoring the project budget and forecasting.

· Undertake project financial close out (including reconciliations).

· Allocate staff costs to grant-funded projects based on timesheets.

· Monitor, maintain and administer the timesheets application and data in SalesForce and FinancialForce (Certinia).

· Support with quarterly accounting for grants (e.g. recognising income, reviewing balance sheet codes).

General

· Support grant proposals, including budget development and financial review.

· Support with budgeting and forecasting for the organisational budget preparation and monitoring cycles.

· Provide support with year end processes and statutory audits.

· Undertake all other duties that may be determined by the line manager and that are compatible with the job description.

Profile

The selected candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Recognised qualification in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration
• Excellent command of Excel and literacy in other Microsoft 365 apps (Word,
• PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Bookkeeping and Accounting: experience in a finance support function
• Experience working with an ERP or accounting package
• Experience in financial reporting to donors
• Experience in preparing financial reports for budget holders and managers
• Experience in grants financial management and compliance with contracts (in
• particular with donors’ contracts)
• Excellent time management and ability to meet deadlines, with strong
• organisational skills
• Close attention to detail and accuracy, with strong analytical skills
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, with attentive listening abilities and
• the ability to communicate clearly and concisely
• Flexibility, initiative, ability to work autonomously
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills, with a service-oriented attitude
• Experience working with international organisations
• Experience of working in both not-for-profit and profit-making organisations
• Aptitude for manipulating data with computer systems
• Advanced computer and IT skills
• Experience with using FinancialForce (Certinia)
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment with respect for diversity
• Interest in and commitment to sustainability

What we offer

- Hybrid working – Two to three days/week in the offices central London

- The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year

- Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time

- Continuous learning and development

- 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 days off over Christmas

- Enhanced parental benefits

- A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued

- The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full time (40 hours per week) and will be based in London. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm, and operates a hybrid working model.

Travel may be required to visit other Better Cotton offices (up to 5%).

Apply now

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 16.07.2025.

In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening:

Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicant. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.

Interviews:

If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.

Assessment and Testing:

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.

Reference Checks:

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.

About Better Cotton

Better Cottonis aglobal not-for-profit organisationsupporting theproduction of moreequitableandsustainable cotton at farmlevel. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming communitywithpartners,governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm tobrand.In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world’s cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)

Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.