Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Financial Grants Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Financial Grants Manager is a critical member of the finance team responsible for the comprehensive financial management of a diverse portfolio of grants from government, foundation, and corporate sources. This individual serves as the central point of contact for all financial aspects of grant management, ensuring strict compliance with funder regulations, particularly federal guidelines like 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance). The role involves intricate budget development, diligent expenditure tracking, timely financial reporting, and close collaboration with program staff to align financial activities with programmatic goals. This position is ideal for a detail-oriented professional with a deep understanding of non-profit accounting and a passion for mission-driven work.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Grants Accountant or Specialist
Senior Accountant (Non-Profit)
Program Manager with heavy budget responsibility

Advancement To:

Director of Grants Management
Controller or Assistant Controller
Senior Finance Manager

Lateral Moves:

Contracts Manager
Compliance Officer
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the complete post-award grant lifecycle, including grant setup, financial monitoring, budget modifications, and closeout procedures for a complex portfolio of awards.
Develop, prepare, and review complex grant proposal budgets and budget narratives in close collaboration with program and development teams, ensuring all costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
Ensure strict compliance with all federal, state, and private funder financial regulations, with a particular emphasis on Federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).
Prepare and submit accurate and timely financial reports, invoices, and reimbursement requests to a wide range of funding agencies according to their specific guidelines.
Conduct regular, in-depth financial analysis of grant expenditures, including budget-to-actual variance analysis, and provide clear, actionable updates to program managers and leadership.
Serve as the primary financial resource for program staff, providing expert guidance and training on grant compliance, budget management, and financial best practices.
Lead the grant closeout process by preparing final financial reports, performing account reconciliations, and ensuring all required documentation is complete and properly archived for audit purposes.
Collaborate with the accounting team to ensure proper recording of grant revenues and expenditures in the general ledger and facilitate monthly and quarterly grant reconciliation processes.
Review and approve grant-related expenditures, including sub-recipient invoices, consultant payments, and purchase orders, verifying compliance with grant budgets and funder restrictions.
Manage the financial oversight of sub-awards, including pre-award risk assessments of sub-recipients, monitoring their financial performance, and reviewing their financial reports for accuracy.
Play a key role in the annual single audit (A-133) process by preparing the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and providing all necessary documentation and support to auditors.
Develop and maintain sophisticated financial tracking and forecasting systems to monitor grant spending patterns, project future revenue, and support strategic financial planning.
Proactively identify and implement improvements to grants management policies, procedures, and systems to enhance organizational efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
Facilitate grant kick-off and regular review meetings with program, finance, and leadership teams to ensure a shared understanding of grant terms, deliverables, and financial status.
Manage the time and effort reporting process for personnel charged to grants, ensuring systems are in place for accurate reporting and certification in compliance with federal requirements.
Resolve complex financial and compliance issues that arise during the grant period, acting as the primary liaison with funding agency representatives to find solutions.
Maintain comprehensive and audit-ready grant files, ensuring all award documents, modifications, correspondence, reports, and financial records are meticulously organized.
Stay current on changes in grant funding policies, OMB circulars, and best practices in grants management to ensure the organization remains compliant and competitive.
Assist in the development of the organization's annual budget by providing detailed projections of grant-related revenue and expenditures.
Review complex grant and contract agreements to identify financial risks, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations, and summarize key terms for internal stakeholders.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to inform strategic decisions.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by providing insights on financial data needs.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements for financial systems.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data and finance teams for system improvement projects.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert Knowledge of Federal Regulations: Deep understanding and practical application of Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), FAR, and other federal grant regulations.
Advanced Financial Reporting: Proven ability to prepare complex financial reports, reconciliations, and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA).
Grant Budgeting & Forecasting: Skill in developing, managing, and forecasting multi-year, multi-funder grant budgets.
Accounting Software Proficiency: Hands-on experience with enterprise accounting systems such as NetSuite, Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT, or similar platforms.
Advanced Microsoft Excel: Mastery of Excel for financial modeling, analysis, and reporting, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, SUMIFs, and complex formulas.
Non-Profit Accounting Principles: Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as they apply to non-profit organizations.
Grants Management Systems: Familiarity with grants management databases or CRM software (e.g., Salesforce, Fluxx, or similar).

Soft Skills

Exceptional Attention to Detail: A meticulous and precise approach to financial data, reporting, and compliance documentation.
Strong Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze complex financial data, identify discrepancies, and develop effective solutions.
Excellent Communication: Ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex financial information to non-financial staff, leadership, and external funders, both verbally and in writing.
Collaborative Spirit: A proven team player who can work effectively with diverse teams, including program, development, and leadership staff.
Superior Organizational & Time Management Skills: Ability to manage multiple competing deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proactive & Independent: A self-starter who can work independently, anticipate challenges, and take initiative to improve processes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

Master’s Degree in a relevant field (MBA, MPA) or professional certification (CPA, CRA - Certified Research Administrator).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting
Finance
Business Administration
Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-8 years of progressive experience in grants accounting or financial grants management.

Preferred:

Direct experience managing a significant portfolio of federal grants (e.g., from NIH, NSF, USAID, HHS) within a non-profit, healthcare, or higher education environment.
Demonstrated experience successfully managing the financial components of the single audit process.