Job Description for: Controller- Grants & Contracts
Program Area: Grants and Contracts, Economic Development, Compliance, Administrative
Job Classification: Exempt, Full-time
Reports to: General Counsel & Chief Operating Officer
Last updated: July 2024
Salary: $140,000-$155,000 (DOE)
Organization Summary
Community Health Councils dba Rising Communities (RC) is a non-profit, community-based health advocacy, education, and policy organization, established in 1992 out of the Los Angles Uprisings, in response to the growing healthcare crisis. RC’s mission is to collectively build equitable systems. Rising Communities (RC) has been at the forefront of systems change initiatives at all levels to eliminate disparities in health and wellbeing for historically disinvested communities. RC’s current policy priorities include Health Systems, Food Justice, and Community and Economic Resiliency. Each area represents a unique opportunity to engage members of impacted communities through a wide variety of community interventions and strategies, as well as representative leadership in coalitions and collaborations. RC also promotes and invests in the continuous growth and development of a highly diverse, professional team within a collaborative, flexible, creative, and fast-paced work environment that seeks to live into the equity practices it advocates for the communities of South Los Angeles and beyond.
Department Description
The Controller -Grants & Contracts is a member of RC’s Grants & Contracts department which is a dynamic team that oversees all of RC’s contractual agreements and requirements, including on-boarding new contracts, submission of required reports, budget development and modification needs, closing out contracts, subcontractor contractual needs, vendor and/or consultant contractual needs, etc. The Grants & Contracts department also works closely with the Rising Communities Foundation in growth and development of our fiscal intermediary government contracts, in budget development for grant opportunities, and provides other critical financial analysis needs for our Finance team.
Department and Organizational Culture
RC has been in an exciting period of tremendous growth, particularly since 2021. We carry out 5-year strategic plans and serve our work through the social determinants of health framework. We provide precise, efficient & highly skilled work needs (i.e., contract development, contract compliance, on-time payment of invoices, contract budgeting, etc.), with uncompromised, unapologetic community input. The G&C Department works closely with the Rising Communities Foundation to provide a bridge between the skilled work demands to meet the needs of our larger government agency clients and the community, largely by providing technical assistance to community-based organizations. Our team produces both high level and detailed work products for internal and external needs that are rapidly deployed.
We seek a highly organized, detail-oriented individual who is passionate, and energetic about uplifting BIPOC communities across LA County in innovative and inclusive ways. We pivot across many evolving, transformative, and creative projects. We provide impeccable, respectful, and responsive customer service to funding agencies and emerging BIPOC community-based organizations. We advocate for changes in the governmental contracting system to benefit community-based organizations with our funding agencies. Our passion is to make contractual processes easier for BIPOC-serving organizations so they can do what they do best. Our team is adaptable, flexible, we support and care for each other’s development and learning, and we share knowledge freely for everyone’s benefit and growth.
Summary:
Working with the General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer (GC-COO), the Controller -Grants & Contracts will play a pivotal role in leading the oversight of grants and contracts portfolio at RC. This position requires a strategic thinker with a strong understanding of grant and contract management processes, grant accounting, excellent leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
The Controller-Grants & Contracts is responsible for working across multiple teams to coordinate and manage contractual and compliance aspects of grants and contracts management for the organization, including working with the G&C team to research and implement a new Grants Management System. In addition, the Controller - Grants & Contracts will ensure that the team conducts proper and careful documentation, processing, data, and payments related to subcontractors of RC’s grants and contracts. They will understand compliance regulations and agreement requirements pertaining to each funding source that are administered by RCs and provided to the subcontractors.
This position requires specialized and advanced knowledge and experience in managing risk, compliance, development, and auditing of service-related grants and contracts at all levels. The Controller- Grants & Contracts will support and oversee all aspects of a grant or contract award, from post award to contract close out including award on-boarding (review to ensure compliance with all Federal, State, and local requirements); award management (contract budgets, budget modifications, no cost extensions, project modifications, and submission of progress reports); auditing of subcontractor invoices, providing technical assistance and training to community-based organization subgrantees and partners.
The position will also help the Director of Grants Development and any potential partnership organizations draft grant opportunity budgets before submission deadlines.
Personal Attributes:
The Controller - Grants & Contracts is comfortable with receiving and providing constructive feedback and are enthused to incorporate such feedback in real-time. They have a high degree of communication that involves emotional and professional intelligence and maturity, can function in circular and linear thinking modes, and will be working with a supervisor and team who provides guidance, coaching, and mentorship. They are highly organized, detail oriented, meticulous, take initiative, love to determine efficiencies, processes, and protocols, are excited to engage in and develop their project management software skills, and have strong excel skills. They have strong communication skills to provide clarity and context in a concise and compassionate manner.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of the Controller- Grants & Contracts demands a diverse set of technical, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Financial Planning, Analysis, and Management:
- In partnership with RC senior leadership, develop, monitor, and manage project budgets, ensuring financial compliance with grant and contractual requirements. Ability to analyze financial reports, identify variances and implement corrective actions as needed.
- Collaborate with RC’s Finance team to further enhance utilization and development of accounting software (Sage Intacct) mapping and budget planning capabilities to efficiently reconcile reimbursement requests and ensure grant funds are spent within the grant term.
- Manage and oversee all contracts and grants allocation methodologies, grant accounting/ billing, and project fiscal reporting.
- Train all Contracts & Grants staff on fiscal fluency to enhance RC’s capacity as a fiscal intermediary and to maximize utilization of grant funding.
- Provide timely, accurate and insightful financial reporting that will inform management and the Board of Directors on the performance of the organization and provide them with the backup to make better decisions about formulating and executing business strategy.
- Effectively work with external partners to ensure that financial issues are addressed, and relationships maintained.
- Compliance and Regulation:
- Serve as the in-house expert on contract funding regulations and principal liaison to chief counsel on legal matters. Stays up to date on all relevant laws and regulations governing grants and contracts to ensure compliance and manage associated risks.
- Ensure that the G&C team create, maintain, and execute a quarterly calendar schedule for compliance monitoring of all subcontractors under various funding.
- Manage and support all C&C staff in auditing subcontractor invoices to ensure payments can be made based on correct supporting documentation.
- Work with external subcontracts, applicants, and grantees to facilitate grant/contract allocation and monitor activity including the performance of periodic fiscal and programmatic review, as necessary.
- Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation, Code of Federal Regulations, sponsor-specific policies, intellectual property policies, conflict of interest requirements, publication rights, application of indirect cost rates and other complex concepts in grants and contracts.
- Provide timely and efficient response to Finance team regarding RC annual audit information needs and requests.
- Project Management:
- Plan and execute grant and contract activities by prioritizing tasks and allocating resources effectively to ensure the successful completion of projects and deadlines.
- Direct the G&C team to design, develop and manage internal grants and contracts tracking and protocols, including implementation of a Grants Management Software system and optimizing compliance and contractual templates.
- Manage and update external grant management portals and tools.
- Work with Legal to develop and execute all contracts and subcontracts in a timely and efficient manner.
- Direct the Contracts & Grants team to create, update and maintain Standard Operating Procedures on oversight of grants and contracts, including tracking status of contracts, subcontracts, contractual needs, invoice payments, etc.,
- Oversee and work with finance and programmatic teams to ensure contract Statement of Work and other contractual requirements are met.
- Provide hands-on contract and grant administration to RC programs on agreements with numerous funding agencies, such as various federal government entities, public health organizations, local education agencies, non-profits, and private organizations. Namely, partner with RC Foundation Program Officers on Best Start Grantee contracts, LA Food Rescue contract support, CDC CARS contract support, and other contract support needs as directed by executive leadership.
- Assist the RC Executive Director and General Council and Chief Operating Officer in providing guidance and support to program staff related to contractual matters in various federal, state, and local proposal efforts. This includes reviewing terms, suggesting alternate language, preparing standard forms, and informing all internal department and program staff of potential issues.
- Manage end-to-end process of grant- and contract-making (sending out requests for proposals, driving key deadlines for submissions, revisions, as well as sending reminders to grantees/vendors for required reporting as needed.
- Manage, train, and support the professional development of department staff.
- Grants Accountant
- Subcontracts Fiscal Manager
- Contracts & Grants Officer (or Project Administrator)
- Regular and predictable attendance is required.
- May be assigned additional or alternate duties as organizational needs require.
Minimum Qualifications and Experience
- A bachelor’s degree from accredited college in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Nonprofit Management, CPA/ CMA or a related discipline.
- And a minimum of 5 years’ experience in grants and contracts management or a related field.
- If no degree, demonstrated experience in successfully overseeing grant and contract processes, grants accounting, compliance and reporting of at least 9 years.
- Strong financial analysis skills are a must.
- Certificate in contracts management or procurement management desirable.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.
Other Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
- Efficient Workflow: Excellent time management skills to be able to effectively handle multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
- Manage significant volume of transactions.
- Maintain independent judgment; strong organization and communication skills; and a customer service focus across broad and diverse subject areas.
- Strong verbal & writing skills (concise, clear, contextual, and to the point) for a variety of audiences while ensuring adherence to funding guidelines.
- Ability to exercise diplomacy, gather information from others, make inquiries and synthesize information; ability to convey information and explain or discuss organizational policy and procedure with others in person, written or by telephone.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to contribute to the long-term planning, development, and execution of RC’s strategic plans for its grant and contracts portfolio. Guide staff to identify and establish strategic workplans in alignment with RC priorities and overall mission.
- A commitment to RC’s values, mission, and vision – evidenced, in part, by exhibiting a high level of personal and professional integrity, humility and humanity. Strong commitment to advancing social justice and equity for BIPOC communities.
- Ability to work with staff and community members from diverse racial, sexual orientation, gender identity and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Comfortable with changing one’s own mindset around capitalist, paternalistic, and post-colonial processes that continue to harm BIPOC communities.
- Knowledge in Asana and Airtable is a plus. Emphasis on Excel.
- Provide mentorship and leadership for other’s professional growth.
Other Position Requirements
- Work from home.
- Attend in-person meetings as required or needed.
- Willingness and ability to travel locally.
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekend days.
Physical and Emotional Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:
- This job requires that the employee must occasionally lift or move up to 20 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties listed. The inability to cope with a stressful work environment does not constitute a protected disability.
TO APPLY: Please email a 1-page Cover Letter describing how your experience is a match for this position, and Resume to humanresources@risingcommunities.org. No calls, please. Include the title of the position you are applying for in the Subject line of your email.
RC, formerly Community Health Councils, is a non-profit, community-based health advocacy, policy and educational organization. We offer a competitive salary and generous benefits including medical, dental, vision and 403b plans with employer match, vacation, sick and holiday benefits. To view more details on employment benefits please visit: https://risingcommunities.org/join-our-team/. RC is an equal opportunity employer. Women and persons of color are encouraged to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $140,000.00 - $155,000.00 per year
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Los Angeles, CA 90018