Grants Financial Specialist

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:

KIND seeks a Grants Financial Specialist to be responsible for budgeting, tracking, monitoring, and reporting of grant funding, reporting to the Director, Grants Financial Management.

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

Essential Functions:

Fiscal Compliance

• Partners with accounting to prepare monthly grant pipeline reports.
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reports for grant managers and funders.
• Liaises with program and development staff to ensure restricted funds used in accordance with donor intentions or appropriate modifications are requested.
• Ensures that fiscal requirements for grants and contracts are identified, realized, and monitored through regular monitoring meetings.
• Maintains a working knowledge of laws, regulations, policy, and other requirements that affect grants management, in particular federal grant requirements.
• Serve as the focal point on helping filed offices and program managers working on fiscal compliance and reporting in coordination with budget holders.
• Reviews coding of expenses against restricted grants to ensure adequate charging.
• Assists with the maintenance and analysis of staff allocations.
• Work with program managers to prepare spend plans and grant forecasts.

Grant Budget

• Assists with preparing a budget in the compilation of annual operating and capital budgets.
• Prepares and performs monthly budget-to-actual analysis, conducts monthly reviews with program managers; communicates results of reviews and analyses to finance leadership.
• Supports in budget formulation in the development of multiyear organizational revenue and expense budgets based on input from functional/business teams.
• Works with budget holders in compiling appropriate budget.
• Ensures timeliness and accuracy of budgets.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Graduate degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in financial management of large-scale, international development assistance programs.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Prior experience in managing donor funded programs, including US government funded programs required.
• Strong financial planning and management, procurement, and operations management, including experience working with international field office, with proven management skills.
• Previous cost proposal experience is preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.), Sage, Power BI, and Solver experience strongly desired.
• 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.