Grants Financial Manager

Legal Aid Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Vacation and sick days

Paid holidays

Paid parental leave

401(a) retirement plan

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Internet stipend

Job summary

Legal Aid Chicago seeks a full-time Grants Financial Manager to join the Finance Team in downtown Chicago. This role manages a grant portfolio, develops budgets, prepares financial reports, and ensures compliance with funder requirements including 2 CFR Part 200 and LSC regulations.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Grants Financial Management, you will monitor grant life cycles, oversee budgets, reports, and financial close-outs, and collaborate with staff accountants and external sponsors.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in business administration, nonprofit financial management, economics, public administration, accounting, or equivalent field preferred; five or more years of experience with grants and nonprofit finances strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of CFR/OMB Uniform Guidance and nonprofit grant accounting.
• Experience preparing reports, budgets, and variance analyses.
• Ability to interpret policies and manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full life cycle of government and private foundation grants, budgets, and reporting.
• Prepare and manage grant budgets and amendments; ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Review grant transactions, monitor fund balances, and coordinate with sponsor questions.
• Reconcile grant activity and support monthly close in the financial system.
• Collaborate with staff accountants and internal departments to ensure compliance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Discretion/Confidentiality

Problem solving

Education

BA/BS degree in business administration or related field

Tools

Blackbaud Financial Edge

Excel

Accounting software

Job description

Description

For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office, located in downtown Chicago at 200 N. LaSalle Street, is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position requires residency in the Chicago metropolitan area of Illinois.

Position: Legal Aid Chicago seeks a full‑time Grants Financial Manager as part of our Finance Team. Reporting directly to the Associate Director, Grants Financial Management, the Grants Financial Manager has primary day‑to‑day responsibility for management of a grant portfolio consisting of some of the agency’s largest and most complex awards. This includes developing and revising grant budgets, preparing and submitting financial reports, analyzing allocable expenses and formulating projections, and ensuring compliance with all funder requirements and policies, including 2 CFR Part 200 and Legal Services Corporation regulations.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee and monitor the complete life cycle of government and private foundation grants, including but not limited to: managing grant reporting deadlines, monitoring the budget and spending status of assigned grants, and ensuring requirements for monitoring and financial reporting are met for all grant programs, including those governed by 2 CFR Part 200 and Legal Services Corporation regulations.
• Prepare and manage grant budgets and initiate requests and provide necessary information for budget revisions or amendment requests.
• Prepare, complete, submit, and ensure accuracy and timeliness of all financial and close‑out reports in assigned grant portfolio, and review financial reports prepared by staff accountants on other grants. Assist with financial oversight and management of grant award funding and communicate with sponsor on questions/issues.
• Review financial transactions allocated to grant awards to ensure reasonableness, consistent treatment, and availability of funds. Analyze and monitor projects’ fund and cash balances to keep project team informed of status.
• Oversee reconciliation of grant financial activity and review general ledger and trial balance detail to ensure grant financial activity is reflected accurately in the financial system each month.
• Participate in monthly grant staff cost allocation process and reconciliation of staff allocations between case management and financial systems.
• Perform contract review and assist with contracting requirements related to onboarding and close‑out of awards.
• Document matching costs where required, including in‑kind service provision.
• Work with staff accountants to ensure timely and accurate processing of payables, deposits, and billings.
• Monitor compliance with federal regulations and spending of subcontracted agencies to ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and reporting requirements. Review subcontracted agencies’ financial reports and oversee and track payments to subcontracted agencies.
• Build relationships and serve as a liaison with government agencies, private funders, and internal Legal Aid Chicago departments funded by or responsible for managing public and private grants.
• Assist with the development of annual indirect cost rate proposal for federal cognizant agency approval and associated implementation.
• Other duties as may reasonably be assigned to support the finance and grant management functions.

Salary: The budgeted salary range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
• Time Off: 21 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays, including four (4) floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
• 401(a) retirement plan with an employer contribution after 3 months of employment
• $100,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
• Monthly internet stipend
• Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non‑profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program

Requirements

• BA/BS degree in business administration, nonprofit financial management, economics, public administration, accounting, or equivalent field preferred; five or more years of experience with grants and nonprofit finances strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of relevant regulations and requirements to meet government and grantee regulations and reporting requirements for grant financial activities, including the Code of Federal Regulations / OMB Uniform Guidance. Sophisticated nonprofit fund and federal grant accounting and management knowledge strongly preferred.
• Experience in preparing reports for submission to sponsor and/or management, preparing regular budget reports, and conducting variance and other financial analyses.
• Ability to interpret and apply sponsor, institutional, and departmental policies.
• Ability to understand, analyze, and interpret financial information in varying formats (including general ledgers) and complete required reports.
• Strong ability to organize workload when faced with competing priorities and to complete work assignments on a timely basis.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in work product.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high level of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Demonstrated skill in providing a high level of service to, and effective relationship‑building with, multiple internal and external constituencies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook. Proficiency in use of common desktop/web applications. Proficiency with accounting/financial software (preferably Blackbaud Financial Edge), spreadsheets and data management systems required.

Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, ex‑offender status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.

If an accommodation is needed to complete this application, contact Human Resources at [e-mail].

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.