Job Description

Project Witness is hiring a Grants and Finance Manager to be our first full-time, dedicated finance professional. This individual will play a critical role in centralizing grant tracking, alongside the day to day bookeeping and and accounting operations. Inluding, budgeting, payroll coordination, reporting, and audit preparation. You’ll bring structure and insight to our financial operations, ensuring we meet compliance requirements, submit timely reimbursements, and support organizational growth with reliable financial planning.

This role is hands-on. You will not initially oversee direct reports but will work closely with leadership, external accountants, program staff, and development partners. The ideal candidate is proactive, highly organized, and excited by the opportunity to shape a growing nonprofit’s finance infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting Operations

• Oversee all day-to-day accounting operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and bank reconciliations and maintaining a clean general ledger.
• Manage month-end and year-end close processes.
• Implement, maintain, and improve internal controls and ensure adherence to established financial policies and procedures.
• Partner with the executive leadership to shape financial strategy, planning, and growth initiatives.
• Prepare and present timely and accurate periodic reports, including P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow analyses.
• Ensure financial statements comply with GAAP and/or internal policies.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and proactively identify business risks and opportunities.
• Liaise with external accountants, auditors, and professionals as needed
•  Identify opportunities for financial improvement
• Support grant development team by providing financial data for grant applications, donor proposals, and end-of-year reporting.

Financial Management & Forecasting

• Partner with the executive leadership and collaborate with operations teams to shape financial strategy and accurate annual budget forecasts across all projects and general operations.
• Provide financial modeling, forecasts, and scenario analyses to support strategic decision-making.
• Analyze trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations to project future revenues and expenses.
• Monitor actual performance against budget and provide variance analysis.
• Prepare internal monthly and quarterly budget vs. actual reports for leadership and stakeholders' review.
• Assist with payroll coordination (via external payroll provider), contractor tracking, and timesheet validation for grant compliance.
• Support annual budgeting process, aligning programmatic goals with financial capacity and funder timelines.

Grants Management & Compliance

• Maintain a master grants calendar tracking deadlines, deliverables, and reporting schedules for city, state, federal, and foundation grants.
• Coordinate all grant reimbursement requests and financial reporting to funders.
• Monitor allowable expenses and ensure compliance with funder-specific guidelines and audit trails. 
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local financial grand and legal requirements
• Track restricted vs. unrestricted funds and multi-year awards using best practices in nonprofit fund accounting.
• Support new grant proposals by preparing draft budgets, past spending data, and financial justifications.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Streamline workflows around procurement, expense tracking, and budget approvals.
• Recommend tools or automations to improve reporting speed and accuracy.
• Create clear documentation and financial SOPs (standard operating procedures) to support team-wide clarity.

Qualifications

• 4–7 years of experience in nonprofit finance, grants administration, or related roles.
• Working knowledge of city/state/federal grant management and compliance (experience with NYS and NYC grants a strong plus).
• Fluency in budgeting, fund accounting, and nonprofit financial best practices.
• Proficiency with QuickBooks (Online or Desktop), Excel/Google Sheets, and budget tracking systems.
• Excellent attention to detail and an ability to explain financial concepts clearly to non-finance colleagues.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple grant timelines.
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively in a mission-driven environment.

Bonus Points For:

• Experience preparing financial components for grant applications and reports
• Familiarity with government procurement or matching requirements
• Prior involvement with financial audits and/or indirect cost recovery models

Experience Required

3-4 years