Grant Accountant (Finance)

POSITION TITLE: Grant Accountant (Full-Time Regular) (Classified)
REQUISITION #: req8039
DEPARTMENT: Accounting and Treasury
LOCATION: 215 OFFICE BLDG
BENEFIT CATEGORY: Classified (Non-CBU) View Classifications & Benefits
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-Time Regular
ANNUAL SALARY RANGE: $62,126.00 - 103,544.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)
ANNUAL ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE: $70,000.00 - 87,000.00 (Salaries are paid biweekly)
SELECTION PROCESS: Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. MT on 3/21/2025.

The City of Fort Collins is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully submitted an application. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Please keep your contact information up-to-date. The status of your application will be updated in your applicant profile. Post-offer background check required.

Why Work For the City of Fort Collins?

• Medical, dental, vision (for self, spouse, children) - eligible on the 1st of the month following date of hire
• Paid vacation, paid holidays, sick leave, and additional one-time bank of 40 PTO hours for new, full-time, Classified and Unclassified Management hires
• Retirement + company contributions - after 6 month probation period and immediate vesting
• Flexible spending: Medical expenses FSA, dependent FSA or both
• Employee Assistance Program: counseling, legal, financial assistance
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Wellness program, workout facilities
• Employee/family onsite health clinic
• Learning and development opportunities at all levels in the organization with opportunities for career mobility
• Collaborative work environment

To learn more about The City of Fort Collins and Our Community, please read Our Community and Our Organization Brochure

Job Summary

The Grant Accountant ensures the City's compliance with all government grant reporting and accounting standards while providing expert guidance to staff managing grant awards. This role oversees the full lifecycle of government grants-from accounting setup and administration to closeout and audit-ensuring financial accuracy and regulatory adherence.

Collaborating closely with grant managers, the Grant Accountant facilitates compliance by delivering timely and accurate reports, monitoring financial transactions, and addressing any requirements associated with grant awards. This position also plays a critical role in training and educating grant managers, equipping them to maintain accurate financial records and effectively manage their grant-funded projects.

By driving accountability and fostering a culture of financial stewardship, the Grant Accountant helps the City maximize the impact of government grant funding while meeting all reporting and audit obligations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.

Pre-Award and Application Support

• Partner with City departments and the Senior Grants Analyst to ensure grant applicants and managers effectively oversee their departments' grant activities.
• Stay abreast of federal, state, local, and district statutes, policies, regulations, and procedures concerning grants.

Grant Setup and Administration

• Oversee accounting for government grants, including creating and maintaining the general ledger in accordance with GASB standards.
• Ensure grant accounting structures meet grant, accounting systems, and internal control requirements.
• Implement and monitor procedures to communicate, educate, and ensure compliance with the City's internal policies and applicable grant regulations.
• Conduct annual reviews and updates of the Grants Management policy and written procedures related to grant administration.
• Work with grant awardees and administrators to review fiscal year and grant year budgets, ensuring planned and actual expenditures adhere to grant requirements.
• Implement indirect cost recovery rate accounting processes and oversee the correct application of the City's approved rate.
• Ensure accurate Local Match accounting and reporting requirements for government grants.

Compliance and Monitoring

• Conduct spot audits of government grants to ensure compliance with grant and internal control requirements.
• Advise on and review cash requests for federal funds.
• Work with financial analysts to ensure accurate and timely monthly close data is entered into the general ledger.
• Ensure fixed assets purchased with grant funds are tagged and inventoried in the fixed asset system.

Reporting and Communication

• Ensure accurate and timely submission of required financial reports, including final expenditure reports with granting agencies.
• Complete the annual Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the Annual Financial Audit.
• Maintain required documentation and prepare audit work papers for annual and single audits.
• Comply promptly with all annual, state, federal, local, or internal requests for information.

Closeout and Audit

• Oversee the closeout of government grants, ensuring all documentation and transactions meet grant and internal control requirements.
• Ensure compliance with audit requirements, including preparation and coordination for single audits.

Professional Development and Collaboration

• Foster cultural competence and build meaningful relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Exhibit strong learning orientation and adaptability to changing environments and trends.
• Collaborate effectively with diverse City staff across a range of skill sets.
• Leverage digital tools for organizational information, communication, and teamwork.

Management Responsibilities

No

City Competencies

• Demonstrated cultural competence to effectively interact, work, and develop meaningful relationships with people of diverse identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong learning orientation. Leverages all resources and is creative in ways of learning for self to continue adapting to changing issues and trends.
• A desire and ability to understand the diverse needs of internal and external customers, and to create experiences and deliver services that exceed their expectations.
• A desire and ability to utilize digital tools for organizational information, individual, and teamwork.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of Federal and State grant accounting standards.
• Knowledge of municipal government accounting principles (GASB standards, GFOA guidance, and/or various interpretations); ability to create and interpret financial statements like balance sheets and income statements.
• Knowledge of government grant processes, award types, grant reporting and accounting requirements.
• Knowledge of grant-related internal controls
• Understands indirect cost recovery rate calculation and application.
• Understands Local Match requirements for applicable government grants.
• Able to effectively manage multiple projects with limited guidance and various priorities.
• Strong analytical ability to identify and assess accounting/financial issues and compliance concerns.
• Project management skills, well-organized, able to set work priorities and follow-through on deliverables.
• Intermediate / Advanced skill level in and Microsoft Office software such as Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Intermediate / Advanced skill level in PowerBI software.
• Ability to effectively summarize and communicate accounting issues, complex problems and analytics, both orally and in writing to peers and management.
• Ability to convey difficult and/or unpopular decisions and requirements in a neutral, respectful manner.
• Intermediate / Advanced data query, extraction, and normalizing skills. Proficient at incorporating and utilizing data in a variety of reporting tools and financial software packages.
• Ability to clearly communicate processes and procedures required of grant managers in grant administration and management.

Required Qualifications

MinimumPreferredCollege degree or equivalent work experience. Some positions may require functionally related certification or advanced degrees Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Business Administration or closely related field Master's Degree form an accredited college or university in Accounting, Business Administration, or closely related field

Experience Requirements

• 3 - 5 years of successful accounting experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working with Federal and State grants preferred.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Certifications/Licenses/Specialized Training

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred.

The content in this posting was created for recruitment purposes. To view the full job description click the link below.

Grant Accountant

The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 221-6535 for assistance.

Notice Regarding Medical and/or Recreational Marijuana Use:
Because the possession and use of marijuana, whether for medical use or otherwise, constitutes a federal offense and because the City is a drug free workplace, the City will not accommodate the medical use of marijuana and enforces written policy prohibiting working for the City while marijuana is in the body. The fact that state law recognizes medical marijuana as a prescribed, or otherwise permitted, medication does not alter or otherwise change this policy.

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, sexual orientation (including perceived sexual orientation), gender identity and expression, disability, age 40 years or older, pregnancy or related condition, genetic information, and, in certain specific circumstances, marriage to a coworker or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED.

Note: Some information in your application may be public information under the Colorado Open Records Act.Job Summary

The Grant Accountant ensures the City's compliance with all government grant reporting and accounting standards while providing expert guidance to staff managing grant awards. This role oversees the full lifecycle of government grants-from accounting setup and administration to closeout and audit-ensuring financial accuracy and regulatory adherence.

Collaborating closely with grant managers, the Grant Accountant facilitates compliance by delivering timely and accurate reports, monitoring financial transactions, and addressing any requirements associated with grant awards. This position also plays a critical role in training and educating grant managers, equipping them to maintain accurate financial records and effectively manage their grant-funded projects.

By driving accountability and fostering a culture of financial stewardship, the Grant Accountant helps the City maximize the impact of government grant funding while meeting all reporting and audit obligations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities are illustrative of the primary functions of this position and are not intended to be all inclusive.

Pre-Award and Application SupportPartner with City departments and the Senior Grants Analyst to ensure grant applicants and managers effectively oversee their departments' grant activities.Stay abreast of federal, state, local, and district statutes, policies, regulations, and procedures concerning grants.

Grant Setup and AdministrationOversee accounting for government grants, including creating and maintaining the general ledger in accordance with GASB standards.Ensure grant accounting structures meet grant, accounting systems, and internal control requirements.Implement and monitor procedures to communicate, educate, and ensure compliance with the City's internal policies and applicable grant regulations.Conduct annual reviews and updates of the Grants Management policy and written procedures related to grant administration.Work with grant awardees and administrators to review fiscal year and grant year budgets, ensuring planned and actual expenditures adhere to grant requirements.Implement indirect cost recovery rate accounting processes and oversee the correct application of the City's approved rate.Ensure accurate Local Match accounting and reporting requirements for government grants.

Compliance and MonitoringConduct spot audits of government grants to ensure compliance with grant and internal control requirements.Advise on and review cash requests for federal funds.Work with financial analysts to ensure accurate and timely monthly close data is entered into the general ledger.Ensure fixed assets purchased with grant funds are tagged and inventoried in the fixed asset system.

Reporting and CommunicationEnsure accurate and timely submission of required financial reports, including final expenditure reports with granting agencies.Complete the annual Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) for the Annual Financial Audit.Maintain required documentation and prepare audit work papers for annual and single audits.Comply promptly with all annual, state, federal, local, or internal requests for information.

Closeout and AuditOversee the closeout of government grants, ensuring all documentation and transactions meet grant and internal control requirements.Ensure compliance with audit requirements, including preparation and coordination for single audits.

Professional Development and CollaborationFoster cultural competence and build meaningful relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.Exhibit strong learning orientation and adaptability to changing environments and trends.Collaborate effectively with diverse City staff across a range of skill sets.Leverage digital tools for organizational information, communication, and teamwork.

Management Responsibilities

No