Oversee the full grant lifecycle, serving as the agency liaison for comprehending and implementing all official guidelines .
Assist with the drafting and manage Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and ensure subaward objectives align with Donor Grant Agreements.
Oversee the subaward application evaluation process, screening applications for completeness and managing the Advisory Committee review process.
Draft subaward documents and addendums, negotiate final subaward budgets, and confirm final legal review.
Ensure proper closeout procedures for all awards and subawards, coordinating final reporting, equipment disposition, and verifying appropriate document retention.
Risk Assessment & Compliance Enforcement (35%)
Conduct rigorous pre-award vetting and risk assessments for Explorer applicants, which includes reference checks, desk reviews, site visits, and environmental due diligence.
Prepare and document Subaward Negotiation Memorandums and Risk Assessment Surveys to justify award decisions and establish risk mitigation plans.
Manage instances of subawardee noncompliance by developing corrective action plans, imposing additional oversight, temporarily withholding payments, or suspending/terminating subawards when necessary.
Review and approve Explorer subawardee invoices prior to payment to ensure expenses are documented, eligible, and allowable per the grant budget.
Ensure that subawardee procurement practices meet competition requirements, appropriate thresholds, and procurement integrity standards.
Guidance, Training & Auditing (30%)
Develop and conduct training tutorials for Explorer subawardees on compliance matters, including ethics, procurement, financial reporting, and record keeping.
Maintain open communication with internal departments (Finance, Legal, Audit) to inform business decisions and enforce proper data management and third-party risk assessment systems.
Ensure subrecipients maintain accurate inventory and financial records.
Provide ongoing monitoring, coordinate with internal and external auditors, and respond to audits involving external awards.
Requirements
Minimum Education Required
Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field required.
Minimum Years and Type of Experience
At least 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit or higher education grants compliance, financial planning, and internal audit. Minimum of 3 years of management experience is highly preferred.
Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with Workday or similar integrated general ledger systems. Experience with international grants, particularly compliance and subaward monitoring.
Requirements and Qualifications
Communication & Collaboration: Strong oral, written, and presentation skills to effectively interface with staff, agency representatives, and subawardees in a highly professional manner. Acts as a trusted thought-partner who can facilitate training and provide technical assistance.
Work Ethic & Time Management: Self-reliant wit
Additional Information
How You'll Contribute
The Finance team is a valued thought partner at the forefront of decision making, providing timely and accurate financial information, deriving meaningful insights from data, and empowering the organization with innovative solutions which are agile and nimble to grow and adapt quickly to change. The Finance Department's major areas of responsibility include financial planning (budgets, forecasts, and analytics), accounting and reporting, payroll, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, gift processing, tax returns and compliance, risk management, investment oversight and treasury management.
Reporting to the Deputy CFO & Controller, the Director, Grants Compliance acts as the primary steward of the overarching structures, policies, and procedures that govern the Society's management of external foreign-funded grants, potential future US Grants cooperative agreements, and subawards. This role oversees the full grant lifecycle for both the National Geographic Society and its Explorer subrecipients, ensuring all activities adhere to donor government laws, legal requirements, and internal policies. Working collaboratively with Partnerships, Finance, Legal and Business Affairs, the Director is responsible for mitigating risk, disseminating official guidance and creating project-specific grant manuals to guide successful project implementation.
Future supervisory responsibilities and the expansion of the team will be contingent upon the successful winning of new grants and cooperative agreements.
Ngs · Washington, DC