Grants and Contracts Manager

THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF HARLEM (NDS) is a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office located in Harlem, providing criminal, civil, and family representation.  

NDS represents residents of Northern Manhattan who are charged with crimes and cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, advocates, and team administrators. NDS also provides pre-arrest representation to clients under threat of arrest. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending, and after the case concludes. NDS is committed to addressing the comprehensive legal and social service needs of clients. 

Grants and Contracts Manager – Finance

The Grants and Contracts Manager will oversee all compliance with respect to contracts and grants within the NDS, Harlem office. Reporting to the Controller, the Grants and Contracts Manager will work closely with finance, executive management, and human resources to ensure timely and accurate contract and grant reporting, and maintenance of contract and grant records. The Grants and Contracts Manager will also be responsible for tracking grant spending, developing spending plans, filing budget modifications, invoices for payment and handling internal disbursement of grant funding to each practice.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build and maintain an in-depth understanding of grants, donor compliance, and budget conditions and status.
• Review, track, and analyze expenditures for standard grants.
• Review monthly Budget vs. Actual and transaction detail reports, participate in monthly budget meetings and ensure that all Budget vs. Actual and financial reports accurately reflect current and planned spending.
• Create and advise on any necessary spending plan adjustments.
• Attend and actively participate in all grant/contract related meetings.
• Work with relevant finance staff to ensure accuracy of financial reports and to promptly identify and advise applicable grant/contract leads on areas of concern.
• Review and process contract and grant billings to providers.
• Coordinate the approval of agreements, amendments, cost extensions and no-cost extensions for contracts.
• Utilize existing NDS standard contracts management processes and develop new tools or reporting formats to enhance contracts management.
• Manage salary allocations by tracking and monitoring all salary lines in grant/contract budgets.
• Work to streamline the NDS Contract and Grant processes.
• Ensure on time monthly and/or quarterly billing to State, County and City agencies.
• Develop guidance, templates, and toolkits to ensure timely submission of narrative and financial reports.
• In partnership with Executive Management and practice staff, manage and contribute to the development of proposals ensuring donor and NDS compliance, including reviewing and contributing to concept notes, proposals and creating budgets.
• Compile and analyze accounting records and other data to determine the financial resources required to implement a program.
• Review operating budgets to analyze trends affecting budget needs.
• Interpret budget directives and establish policies for carrying out directives.
• Match appropriations for specific programs with appropriations for broader programs, including items for emergency funds.
• Assist with Agency audit and prepare audit documentation and requirement for individual funder audit.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess a demonstrated commitment to criminal justice, indigent defense, social justice issues and/or the communities of Northern Manhattan, including Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood.
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field is required.
• 7 years of experience managing government and private contracts and grants; or other equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing proposals for public and private donors
• Knowledge of New York State and City Grants and Contracts.
• Excellent budget management skills including experience tracking expenses and developing spending plans.
• Excellent organizational skills: the ability to multi-task, learn quickly, and work independently and productively in a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to effectively liaise with and motivate a variety of people in a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent digital literacy: MS Word, Excel, and Outlook. Proficiency in Financial Edge preferred.
• Working knowledge of and experience with NYC HHS Accelerator, NYC PassPort and NYS SharePoint is a plus.

COMPENSATION:

Compensation is commensurate with experience and is in adherence to the NDS compensation scale. The salary scale for this position from five to fifteen years of experience is equivalent to $77,380 to $113,978. Full medical and dental benefits, as well as other benefits, are provided. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.