Position Title: Grants and Program Accountant
Supervisor: CFO
Employee Status: Year Round, Full Time
Location: Shelburne, Vermont with hybrid work flexibility
Start Date: ASAP
Salary/Wage Range: starting at $50,000/year
Who We Are
Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world. Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded homelands—Ndakinna—of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.
What We Do
- Engage youth and people of all ages in equitable learning experiences that inspire them to build diverse, resilient, caring communities.
- Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
- Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide
Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services. Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
Position Overview
As a member of the Finance / Accounting Team reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Grants & Program Accountant will provide support to the organization’s overall grants management and special projects functions working closely with Accounting, Development, and Program staff.
The Grants & Program Accountant provides fiscal and administrative support on grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with Federal, State, and Private Foundations. Working most closely with the CFO and EVP/Program Director and Grants Manager, this role acts as an integral liaison between Shelburne Farms finance and programmatic staff, helping grow and sustain grant support to advance the organization’s mission and vision.
This position will work internally with finance, development, and program staff as well as externally with funder representatives and Shelburne Farms’ external auditor in developing, implementing and providing ongoing accounting and administrative support for grants management operations, ensuring the appropriate allocation and accurate reporting of all financial transactions on grants and contracts.
Annually, Shelburne Farms receives $1.5M – $2M in funding from public and private foundations and government grants. Additionally, the organization manages approximately $250,000 in annual contracts with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets; and more than $1M in federal funding through Cooperative Agreements with the National Park Service and the USDA Food & Nutrition Services.
What You’ll Do
Grants Management and Program Accounting Responsibilities:
- Update and maintain Accounting’s grants tracking document and ensure alignment with Program managed tracking files.
- Participate in regular grants meetings with Program and Development staff
- Develop and leverage grant systems and tools to ensure grants are administered and accounted for effectively and efficiently; train and support others so they are able to utilize systems and tools.
- Maintain and update Shelburne Farms accounts and passwords on online portals for submission and reporting on grants.
- Support financial budgeting, analysis, applications, and reporting of grants.
- Work with the program and development teams to monitor and track financial requirements for each grant, including spending budget, invoicing, and matching requirements.
- Be a fiscal contact for sub-recipients and funders; understand specific grant requirements; ensure compliance on contract conditions and assurances; ensure reporting requirements are met.
- Evaluate the financial capabilities of sub-recipients and contractors for contract approval. Notify CFO and program staff of any financial issues that may arise with subrecipients and contractors.
- Resolve accounting and reporting issues as necessary; prepare monthly budget-versus-actual status reports for use by the relevant internal program managers; identify grant variances for early analysis and adjustment
- Manage timesheet use and collection by internal program staff as well as subrecipient staff when required
- Provide information to Accounting staff as necessary to assist in month end close activities.
- Prepare invoices and requests for payments to funding agencies
- Assist Accounting and Program staff with entries for labor distribution among grants, projects and departments
- Review invoices and provide account codes, when appropriate, for proper accounting.
- Engage in continuing education on federal grants management and communicate guidance to both finance and program staff
- Reconcile Development department reporting with accounting software
Other Accounting Responsibilities:
- Partner on payroll processing, with the help of the Accounting Staff, as well as annual ACA reporting
- Maintain a schedule of and file monthly and annual VT & Federal DoL reports (OSHA, EEO, BLS, VT Wastewater, etc)
- Process Incident & First Report of Injury reports, and liaison with Workers’ Compensation Insurance
- Perform additional duties as assigned by the CFO, including general accounting support.
Core Qualifications
- We seek a highly organized team player to maintain and improve Shelburne Farms’ grants management systems with a high level accuracy and attention to detail.
- Strong communications skills
- Experience with grant management of federal and state funds is highly desired
- Must be a systems-oriented, creative thinker who is passionate about education and the mission of Shelburne Farms.
- Experience with complex nonprofit accounting and federally funded programs.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Federal regulations, OMB Uniform Guidance, Fund Accounting.
Benefits
- We offer medical coverage with a Health Reimbursement Account, a Flexible Spending Account for medical and dependent care expenses, company paid long term disability, a 401(k) with the potential for company match and paid time off to recharge. Additionally, we offer a 30% discount on farm products.
Deadline to Apply
- Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled.
To Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter to accountingjobs@shelburnefarms.org, with Grants & Program Accountant in the subject line. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.
- Submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, address:
- Why are you interested in this position?
- How do your experiences, values, and/or efforts demonstrate your commitment to the values of diversity, justice, and equity?
- How did you hear about the position?
Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.
Short Summary of Position:
The Grants & Program Accountant will provide support to the Farm’s overall grants management and special projects functions working closely with Accounting, Development, and Program staff and reporting to the CFO.
Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services. Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.