Grants Accounting and Compliance Specialist

Vander Weele Group; Highland Park (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Vander Weele Group is seeking a Grants Accounting and Compliance Specialist to support compliance monitoring initiatives and conduct rigorous reviews of federal and state grant data. You will test internal controls, prepare clear testing reports, and ensure adherence to Uniform Guidance and grant agreements.

Responsibilities include sampling expenses, reporting findings on compliance, collaborating with management, and delivering timely, precise analyses across multiple client assignments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or higher.
• CPA and CFE preferred; CPA/CGMS adds significant value.
• 7+ years in internal/external audits or grants monitoring.
• Strong knowledge of Federal grants and Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• Excellent written communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor compliance with federal grant rules and regulations, plus state statutes.
• Review, sample, and test financial data to identify allowable vs. unallowable expenditures.
• Draft clear, technical recommendations and comprehensive reports within deadlines.
• Collaborate with management to implement solutions and manage multiple client assignments.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Critical thinking

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting

CPA

CFE

CPA CGMS (plus)

Job description

Description

Grants Accounting and Compliance Specialist

Salary: $85,000 - $95,000 per year

At the Vander Weele Group, we provide leading grant monitoring and federal oversight solutions. We leverage deep domain expertise to streamline compliance management processes, mitigate risks, and enhance transparency across critical nationwide programs.

We are seeking a Grants Accounting and Compliance Specialist to support compliance monitoring initiatives and perform rigorous compliance reviews, testing internal controls to ensure full adherence to federal and state statutes, regulations, grant agreements, and procedures. This role demands meticulous attention to detail, precision, and accuracy in all written deliverables.

What Success Looks Like

• Apply an Analytical & Objective Lens: Review and sample expense reimbursements for equipment, supplies, and personnel against Uniform Guidance and applicable laws to produce clear, defensible testing reports.
• Assess Risk & Evaluate Internal Controls: Participate in single-entity risk assessments by analyzing workflows, organizational capacity, and process documentation, while interviewing stakeholders to mitigate noncompliance, fraud, waste, and abuse risks.
• Maintain 100% Data & Compliance Integrity: Meticulously test processes and internal controls to verify that practices strictly align with federal grant rules and project requirements.
• Drive Continuous Improvement & Efficiency: Draft actionable recommendations to address past auditing or monitoring deficiencies, help develop monitoring tools and compliance matrices, and deliver positive, responsive client service.

You’ll Own

• Following established procedures to monitor compliance with federal grant rules and regulations, as well as state statutes and procedures.
• Review, sample, and test financial and operational data using various sampling methodologies to identify allowable versus unallowable expenditures.
• Drafting clear, technical recommendations and comprehensive reports summarizing testing results and audit findings within required project timelines.
• Collaborating with management to implement reasonable solutions that improve oversight, attending project/client meetings, and managing work across multiple client assignments

Requirements

You’ll Thrive Here If

• You hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Accounting (CPA and CFE preferred; dual CPA/CGMS certification is a significant plus).
• You have at least 7 years of experience performing internal/external audits, grants monitoring (full grants management lifecycle experience and consulting experience a plus), compliance, or regulatory review work.
• You possess strong working knowledge of Federal grants and the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
• HUD/CBG/DR/NSP/RHD/TAX CREDITS a plus.
• You demonstrate outstanding critical thinking and academic-level writing skills to form technical judgments and synthesize complex fiscal data into written recommendations.
• You excel in a team-oriented environment, manage multiple projects efficiently under strict deadlines, and communicate constructively with clients and stakeholders.