Financial Grants Specialist

Description

Our Mission

Our mission is to leverage the power of food to end hunger and build healthier communities.  

Our Vision

We believe that the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty are one and the same. We envision a future in which food is recognized as a human right and every person is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity. Together, we work to create a more nourished, prosperous region.    

The Foodlink Way 

Act With Compassion 

Take Responsibility 

Be a Team Player 

Listen, Learn, Adapt    

Job Title: Financial Grants Specialist

Department: Finance   

Reports to: Financial Grants Manager  

Status: Hourly, Non-Exempt, Full-Time

Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday

Grade: 5 – Skilled and Specialized Roles

Updated: November 2026

Behind every successful program is strong financial stewardship. This role on Foodlink’s Finance team will help connect the dollars we receive through grants and contracts to the programs and services they make possible. You’ll partner with colleagues across the organization to monitor funding, support reporting and compliance, and help teams understand and manage grant requirements. If you’re organized, curious, comfortable working with financial information, and excited by the idea of using those skills in support of Foodlink’s mission, this could be a great fit. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Administration

• Review grant budgets and financial reports for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with funding requirements and organizational policies.
• Work with the Financial Grants Manager to develop grant budgets that support organizational priorities.
• Monitor grant spending against approved budgets. Identify potential issues, recommend budget changes when needed, and coordinate funder approval when required.
• Prepare grant financial reports, reimbursement requests, and other required analyses accurately and on time.
• Reconcile grant accounts, monitor payments, and work with funders to resolve financial or compliance issues.
• Track restricted funding and maintain supporting documentation to ensure funds are used appropriately and within the grant period.
• Support financial reviews and audits related to grant funding, including the organization’s annual fiscal audit and Single Audit.
• Help ensure compliance with grant requirements and applicable state and federal regulations. Work with Finance leadership to stay current on requirements affecting nonprofit financial accounting and reporting.
• Partner with Accounts Receivable to track grant payments, ensure payments are applied correctly, and resolve discrepancies.
• Provide grant-related financial analysis and other administrative support as needed.

Finance & Budget Support

• Prepare and analyze payroll journal entries for each pay period and month-end recording in the general ledger.
• Help develop and improve Finance processes, tracking tools, and automation, including payroll tracking and budgeting processes.
• Support the organization’s annual budget development process.
• Handle confidential financial and organizational information appropriately and in accordance with Foodlink policies.
• Work with Finance leadership to document department procedures and recommend improvements to internal controls.
• Support Finance projects and other department needs as assigned by Finance leadership.

Requirements

We’re looking for someone with experience working with budgets, financial records, reconciliations, billing, contracts, grants, post award, or similar detailed financial processes. Direct grant experience is helpful but not required. We’re open to candidates from nonprofit, business, government, education, healthcare, or other settings who bring strong financial skills and an interest in learning grant administration.

If this role interests you but you don’t meet every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply. We value diverse experiences and recognize that there are many ways to bring the skills needed to succeed in this role.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field of study. Relevant work experience with transferrable skills may be considered in lieu of/in addition to education.
• Comfortable creating, maintaining, and utilizing spreadsheets with multiple, complex formulas in Microsoft Excel, as most of the work will be performed in this application.
• Comfortable compiling complex information from a variety of different formats and information sources, as well as keeping this information organized and concise.
• Proficiency in use of software applications, databases and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Basic office math skills required (including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, and the ability to accurately review and compare financial figures).
• Ability to organize, manage, and prioritize multiple tasks, deadlines, requirements, and priorities to complete work in a timely manner and within established deadlines.
• Friendly, customer-oriented personality and ability to communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Ability to interpret funding and reporting regulations and guidelines.
• Ability to operate electronics, photocopier or other standard office machines, perform routine alphanumeric filing tasks, and perform basic record keeping and tabulation tasks. 
• Fluency in English required. Knowledge of Spanish helpful.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Grant management experience working with a grant portfolio of multiple funders with various compliance requirements and deadlines within a non-profit setting.  
• Experience with New York State and federal grants. 
• Knowledge of fiscal and business management with demonstrated competence in planning and budgeting, data collection and reporting.
• Working knowledge of GAAP accounting, audit process, federal cost principles, grant administration, compliance and property management requirements.

We’re looking for candidates who bring the core skills and experience needed to be successful, along with a willingness to learn. We invest in our employees’ development so they can build new skills, take on greater responsibilities, and grow their careers over time.

We are actively seeking a diverse pool of candidates for this position and strongly encourage applications from candidates of color.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time position paid on an hourly basis, with a pay range of $24.21 – $28.46 per hour (DOE). Foodlink covers 100% of individual health and dental insurance with the ability to acquire family coverage with pretax dollars. In addition to generous paid time off (PTO), we observe 14 paid holidays throughout the year. Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement savings plan upon hire. Eligible for generous employer match after 1 year of service.   

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to handle or feel items such as documents. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk for long periods of time. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus. Able to lift bulk objects or objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all- inclusive. Employees will follow other instructions and perform other related duties as required. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Foodlink is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Foodlink we believe that anti-hunger work is only possible with a commitment to removing barriers caused by systems of oppression that perpetuate hunger and poverty. We recognize that systematic injustice and bias disproportionately impact some identities more than others. 

Foodlink is actively working to center equity- the fair treatment of all people- in everything that we do so that everyone in our region has access to nourishing food that reflects and values cultural differences.

Foodlink is committed to listening and supporting solutions to hunger that are sourced from people and communities with lived/living experience of hunger and poverty, and to responding where inequities exist.

Foodlink is committed to taking great care to cultivate internal culture and practices that support diversity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. We aim to foster an environment in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and understands their connection to the Foodlink mission. 

Foodlink employees have a responsibility to always treat others with dignity and respect. Employees are expected to always exhibit conduct that reflects our values and promotes equity and inclusion during work, and at work functions.