Director, Grants Financial Management

About KIND:

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety. Since 2008, KIND has accepted over 23,000 referrals of children seeking legal representation in their immigration proceedings. KIND has welcomed more than 41,000 attendees to trainings since its founding, cultivating partnerships with over 670 law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations across the country.

KIND’s social services program ensures that migrant and refugee children – who have often endured trauma – receive counseling, educational support, medical care, and other comprehensive services.

To address the root causes of child migration from Central America and strengthen protection of unaccompanied children, KIND advocates for policy changes and educates lawmakers, the media, and the broader public on the conditions that drive these children to flee their home countries. KIND supports children returning to their home countries by connecting them to essential support services and sponsors gender-based violence prevention programs in Central America to protect children in countries of origin and transit.

KIND is also building upon its expertise in the protection of unaccompanied children to encourage the development of pro bono initiatives across Europe in partnership with European NGOs.

Position Summary:

The Director, Grant Financial Management will direct and govern all aspects of organization grants, both federal and non-federal. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this position will oversee the budgeting, negotiation, and management, ensuring that the organization’s budget outcomes are consistent with and directly support overall business goals as well as the organization’s grants and compliance programs. The director will manage the design, implementation, and support the budget systems and related policies and processes needed to identify the resources, and the associated expenditures of the organization. The position will serve as a member of KIND’s financial leadership team, participating in strategic fiscal planning and establishment of strategic budget goals.

This a headquarters position based remotely from any location in the U.S.

Essential Functions:

Budgeting

• Serves as the primary lead for all organizational grant budgeting and proposals; leads operating, departmental, and project budget development.
• Serves as primary liaison with representatives of external funding agencies and organizations on budget-related matters, as appropriate; provides special data and analysis; negotiates preliminary funding approvals.
• Implements mechanisms for the review of grant budgets to identify opportunities to ensure that financial resources of the organization are deployed effectively.
• Performs analysis, make recommendations on policy to the institution’s leadership, and advocate and lead enhancements and innovative budgeting techniques.
• Works closely with program heads and leadership throughout the organization to understand their needs; collect budget information, translate, and accurately model current and future initiatives under different scenarios.
• Compiles scheduled and special reports, analyses, and feasibility studies such as monthly budget-to- actuals, annual data summaries and program status reports.
• Promotes a culture that coaches non-financial staff to understand the budget and grant implementation process.
• Works with budget holders, Program Managers and Human Resources on the allocation of all staff related costs.
• Ensures strong working relationships with funders, budget holders and program managers across the organization.

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Serves as lead on all budgetary matters for new and renewals of all grants, contracts, and subcontracts.
• Serves as the lead to ensure effective allocation of organizational resources and use of grant funds.
• Attends all required grants-related meetings and trainings with government agencies.
• Maintains all records needed for UNIFORM guidance and donor required audits.
• Prepares all quantitative reporting for all government contracts and subcontracts as well as private funder agreements.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with grant requirements, ensuring that invoicing, reporting, and other deadlines are met.
• Maintains the master schedule of all organizational grants with reporting requirements.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Graduate degree required.
• Minimum of 10 years of proven grant financial management experience with at least 5 years of experience in a senior level role and demonstrated experience with governmental contract compliance.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of U.S. federal government contracting (including USAID) processes and procedures.
• In-depth knowledge of grant financial management, general accounting, and budget management principles and practices relative to nonprofit organizations.
• Integrated knowledge of public and non-governmental budgeting policies, systems, regulations, and procedures.
• Integrated knowledge and understanding of local, state, and federal budget and financial reporting processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of institutional and audit requirements for the provision of financial information and current and emerging trends in financial technologies and analytical tools, and issues related to finances of nongovernmental organizations.
• Skills in identifying and developing budgeting processes, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures; skills in technology to quantify and illustrate complex financial reports, comparisons, impacts, and/or projections; ability to compile, analyze, interpret, and present financial reports, statements, and/or projections.
• Ability to supervise and train employees to organize, prioritize, and schedule work assignments; evaluate performance; manage numerous priorities and emerging opportunities; prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate; work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; mentor and coach employees to achieve maximum productivity.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.).
• Work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles; committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
• Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights.
• Work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast paced environment.
• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.

KIND requires all staff be COVID vaccinated with the exception of those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions.