Grants and Accounting Specialist

National Louis University•Wheeling, IL

About The Position

The Grants & Accounting Specialist plays a central role in supporting all aspects of grant administration and general accounting for the institution. This position serves as the primary liaison between faculty, funders, and internal departments throughout the full grant lifecycle, from proposal development through award closeout. The ideal candidate brings solid accounting fundamentals, attention to detail, and a working knowledge of (or capacity to learn) grant compliance in a nonprofit environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field
2 to 3 years of accounting experience, preferably in a nonprofit or grant-funded environment
Working knowledge of grant compliance requirements (Federal, State, and/or foundation)
Proficiency with accounting software and Microsoft Excel
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple grants and deadlines simultaneously
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

Grant Administration
Supports the development office during the proposal phase, including reviewing applications for accuracy and completeness
Sets up newly awarded grants in the accounting system and maintains organized proposal and award files
Coordinates pre- and post-award communication with external funding sources
Supports principal investigators with subcontractor bids and agreements
Finalizes and submits all required documentation to funding agencies, including applications, certifications, assurances, programmatic and fiscal reports, amendments, and closeout packages
Tracks grant expenditures, prepares grant account analyses and reconciliations, and manages invoicing and accounts receivable related to grant awards
Monitors compliance with all Federal, State, and foundation grant requirements and verifies that reporting deadlines are met throughout all award years
Serves as the primary point of contact for faculty and external funders involved in active grants
General Accounting
Performs journal entries and general ledger account reconciliations
Assists with bank reconciliations, cash folders, and disbursement activity
Performs drawdowns of funds from the U.S Department of Education
Handles all aspects of Unclaimed Property reporting
Oversees Gifts accounting
Supports broader accounting department functions as needed
Departmental Coordination
Connects with internal departments to efficiently manage the day-to-day operations of the grants function
Ensures the office maintains accurate and detailed accounting records for each grant
Reviews financial contract compliance requirements and reporting obligations across all active grants