Finance & Grants Specialist

About Us 

Climate Breakthrough is a global philanthropy supporting extraordinary climate leaders to pursue ambitious and transformative climate endeavors through the Climate Breakthrough Award: a multi-million-dollar, multi-year, flexible grant. Our mission is to make an outsized impact in resolving the climate crisis by freeing leaders to translate their boldest ideas into transformative climate action that swiftly and justly closes the gap between the world today and a sustainable future. 

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Climate Breakthrough is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, the JPB Foundation, The Lemelson Foundation, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Oceankind, and Vere Initiatives. For more information, visit www.ClimateBreakthrough.org.

About the Role

Reporting to the Director of Operations and Strategy, the Finance & Grants Specialist will play a critical role in the day-to-day finance and grantmaking processes of our growing organization. Coordinating between the Climate Breakthrough team, our outsourced accounting partner, and vendors and grantees around the world, the Finance & Grants Specialist must be both detail-oriented and a strong communicator. The Finance & Grants Specialist will also support the organization’s annual budget and audit processes, and develop and manage regular reporting that budget holders and the Senior Leadership Team rely on to make decisions.  

The ideal Finance & Grants Specialist is detail-oriented, proactive, organized, flexible, and able to communicate effectively to both financial and non-financial audiences.

Responsibilities

The Finance Specialist’s work will be divided into the following areas: 

Grant Management 

• Assist with preparation of financial reporting to donors and ensure that they are accurate and timely.
• Update grant details and payments for both income grants and awardee grants into CiviCRM.
• Support Senior Grants Manager in the due diligence review processes for grantees.

Accounts Payable

• Lead vendor setup for domestic and international vendors in Bill.com platform.
• Process and code invoices and ensure appropriate approval pathways.
• Work with our outsourced accounting partners to address payment or vendor setup issues.
• Track AP to ensure timely payment, and keep internal stakeholders informed of any delays or needs.
• Act as primary liaison with all consultants, vendors, and subcontractors on invoicing and payment.
• Act as day-to-day liaison for outsourced accounting partners. 
• Track adherence to internal accounting controls and suggest improvements.

Expense Management 

• Monitor Bill Spend & Expense accounts and transactions, make payments to vendors, and purchases using company credit card as necessary. 
• Ensure that all credit card holder transactions are supported with receipts and are completed on time. 
• Track compliance on expenses and reimbursement requests with internal policies.
• Load funds onto individual Bill Spend & Expense accounts as and when requested.

Reporting and Budget Development

• Assist the Director of Operations and Strategy with monthly close tasks.
• Develop an internal dashboard in Intacct to track key budget indicators, in coordination with our external accounting team.
• Improve monthly and quarterly supplemental reports for budget holders and the board of directors, in coordination with the Director of Operations and Strategy. 
• Assist budget holders in preparing departmental budgets and train budget holders on tracking and monitoring budgets, as necessary.
• Participate in the audit process and 990 process, as needed.

Note: The Finance & Grants Specialist will also take on other ad hoc operations and finance needs as necessary.

Qualifications

Successful applicants will have most of the following qualifications:

• Proven experience (3+ years) in operations and finance, preferably in a nonprofit context
• Specific prior experience in
  • accounts payable processes
  • grantmaking processes
  • budgeting and reporting processes
  • expense management across teams
• Excellent organizational and process management skills, with keen attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to learn quickly, take initiative, prioritize, and work well under pressure  
• Experience in the following systems:  MS Excel, Google Suite, Sage Intacct, Bill.com AP/AR, Bill Spend & Expense, CiviCRM
• Commitment to and enthusiasm for the mission of Climate Breakthrough
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and awareness and commitment to justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity
• Ability to travel nationally 2-4 times per year 
• Fluency in English required, other languages an asset

Position Details

Our preference is for this role to be located in the San Francisco Bay Area; consideration will be given to exceptional candidates elsewhere in the United States. For a Bay Area hire, working from our San Francisco office would be required at least one day/week. Please note that Full Time at Climate Breakthrough is 35 hours/week; we also have a 31.5 hour/week option (90% time), for which salary is adjusted accordingly. 

• The desired start date for this position is July 1, 2024.

For a San Francisco Bay Area-based employee, the salary range for this role is $70,000-$90,000. For applicants based elsewhere in the United States, a geographic differential of -5% to -25% would apply, depending on location. Climate Breakthrough offers a generous benefits package that includes the following:

• 35-hour workweek, with a reduced hour workweek (31.5 hrs/wk) option available
• Medical (PPO and HMO), Dental, and Vision plans with 100% employee coverage and >50% coverage for dependents
• 20 days paid vacation per year, with 25 days after two years
• 11 days paid sick leave per year
• All federal holidays observed, plus Christmas Eve and the day after Thanksgiving, as well as two floating holidays and birthday off
• 401k plan with 6% employer contribution
• Long-term disability and life insurance

To Apply

To be considered for this position, interested candidates should use the link to submit a resume and cover letter. Preference will be given to applications received before May 24, 2024, but the position will remain posted until filled.  https://app.trinethire.com/companies/57308-climate-breakthrough/jobs/92187-finance-grants-specialist

Climate Breakthrough is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.

As a result of Climate Breakthrough’s development over the last seven years, we are growing and making valuable structural changes as an organization. As part of this transition, Climate Breakthrough has codified principles and is establishing practices that reflect our strong commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our current team and new hires work together closely to set the standards to which we hold our work and ourselves.