Director, Grants Compliance

National Geographic Society•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field required.
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.
Exceptional business, financial, and analytical skills with an ability to manage large amounts of data, perform in-depth risk assessments, and make sound business judgments.
Ability to deal with issues at a highly detailed level as well as from a broad-based, strategic perspective.
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.
Self-reliant with strong initiative, capable of prioritizing workload, and dependable in meeting frequent deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Demonstrated integrity, a customer-service focus, and a track record of working effectively with people at all levels of the organization, both independently and as part of a team.
Requires the highest level of confidentiality when handling sensitive materials.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Future supervisory responsibilities and the expansion of the team will be contingent upon the successful winning of new grants and cooperative agreements.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.

Benefits

medical, dental, and vision insurance
engaging and comprehensive wellness program
401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 6 months of employment
flexible paid time off benefits with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated based on the number of pay periods remaining in the year)
10 days of sick leave
12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31 (May not apply to all roles that are required to work during high volume seasons or essential workers. Please check with the hiring manager for confirmation.)
paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility benefits
learning and development opportunities
Lifestyle Spending Account
pet adoption assistance and insurance
pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy
employer-paid life insurance and disability benefit
a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks