Grant Compliance Specialist

Seattle, WA

Operations and Finance – Accounting /

Full-Time /

Hybrid

Why work with YWCA Seattle King Snohomish?

YWCA SKS is the region’s largest non-profit organization with a 120+ year legacy, focused on the needs of women, with programs serving 7,000 people each year. When you work with YWCA, you make a difference.

We’re women and BIPOC-led, family-centered, and supportive of employees. As a full-time YWCA employee (30+ hours), you’ll enjoy a benefits package including medical insurance, generous vacation, holiday, sick leave plans, and an outstanding retirement plan. Put your passion for racial equity and social justice to work – apply today!

What You'll Do

As a Grant Compliance Specialist, you will work closely with the Grant Compliance Manager to ensure our organization meets federal and grant-specific requirements for approximately 160 active grants. You will monitor compliance, maintain accurate documentation, and prepare reports that support internal audits and external reviews. Your role includes tracking key deadlines and ensuring that all reporting and documentation align with both regulatory standards and organizational policies. By identifying potential compliance risks and recommending process improvements, you will help safeguard our funding and maintain our reputation for accountability. This role is integral to our mission, ensuring that our programs operate within the defined guidelines while maximizing the impact of our resources.

This position has a social justice component that will require critical thinking around how the external systems impact the work that we are doing through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. Knowing the core principals of antiracism work and grounding those principles in everyday work, as well as working well in non-white environments and championing anti-racism policy, are required job skills and core values.

Expectations of your role:

Grant Monitoring and Compliance
Assist in tracking and monitoring compliance for approximately 160 grants to ensure adherence to federal regulations and grant-specific requirements.
Maintain a comprehensive tracking system for grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, and required documentation.
Conduct periodic reviews of grant expenditures and program documentation to verify compliance and identify potential areas of risk.
Reporting and Documentation
Provide regular compliance updates to the Grant Compliance Manager and other internal stakeholders.
Organize and maintain accurate records of all grant documentation, correspondence, and audit materials in line with federal and internal standards.
Support the preparation of materials for both internal and external audits, ensuring timely and complete submissions.
Process Improvement and Collaboration
Identify opportunities to streamline compliance processes and recommend improvements to enhance overall efficiency.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including finance, program management, and external partners—to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
Provide guidance and training to internal staff on best practices and new regulatory guidance, as needed.
Risk Management and Communication
Monitor regulatory changes and communicate any updates that could affect grant compliance with relevant teams.
Assist in developing corrective action plans for compliance issues and track the implementation of recommended solutions.
Serve as a point-of-contact for compliance-related inquiries and coordinate responses with the Grant Compliance Manager.
Race and Social Justice
Commitment to diversity, including sensitivity to the needs of residents and staff from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.
Participate and provide leadership in various ways for the agency’s Social Justice Initiative.
Support the YWCA’s Social Justice Initiative by understanding how racism, sexism, classism, and other oppressions play out in institutions and systems.
Use the lens of social justice to review policies and procedures.
Shows demonstrated ability to interact with people of different cultures.

Must have's to be successful:

BA in Accounting or related field, or a combination of experience and education in related field
Accounting experience with a focus on complex spreadsheet tasks using all aspects of Microsoft Excel including functions, charts, pivot tables and large workbooks with complex calculations and formulas (i.e., nested IF statements, INDEX MATCH, VLOOKUP, etc.)

And

Demonstrated understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
Strong oral and written communication skills
Strong analytical ability, including the ability to analyze, compare, and interpret data quickly and effectively
Excellent attention to detail, strong project management skills and ability to meet deadlines
Demonstrated expertise of Microsoft Office and SharePoint
Commitment to ensuring financial integrity, and ability to handle highly confidential information with discretion
Experience within a nonprofit organization
Basic understanding of business analytics tools, such as Microsoft Power Query, Power Pivot, Pivot Tables, or Power BI
Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and requirements related to non-profit accounting and federal grants.
Core Competencies: communication, professionalism, achieving measurable results, analytical thinking, ethics and integrity, fostering diversity, race & social justice advocacy

Physical Requirements

Continuously exchanges information through listening and talking with clients, agency staff, volunteers, and individuals in the community
Frequently stands, walks, sits, and climbs in performing duties and in traveling to off-site meetings
Frequently reaches and grasps in using telephones, computers, and in general operations
Frequently lifts and carries up to 5 lbs. of paperwork, files, and materials
Frequently to occasionally performs close work while updating files, reading program information, and using computer

Continuously over 80% of the time, frequently 20-80% of the time, and occasionally under 20% of the time.

$58,500 - $70,000 a year

Hours: 40 hours per week

Excellent benefits package including medical insurance, retirement plan, plus generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave plans

At the time of hire, employees may enroll voluntarily in the Fidelity 403b Plan

After two years of employment, employees are eligible to participate in the YWCA Retirement Fund

#LI-Hybrid

YWCA encourages applicants with a variety of experiences to apply!

At YWCA, we recognize that lived expertise is a powerful asset. This refers to the insights, knowledge, and skills developed by those who have navigated systems and experienced inequity.

Valuing lived expertise helps build trust with program participants, develop culturally responsive programs, and break down barriers to equity. It enriches our collective understanding and enhances our ability to serve communities that are furthest from opportunity.

Mental Health Considerations

All employees of the YWCA interact with clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms, including but not limited to, racial trauma, domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, and financial hardship. As a result, employees are at risk of secondary trauma. We encourage employees to seek support inside and outside the workplace and maintain self-care routines.

Equal Opportunity Employment

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To read more about this, view the EEO is the Law Poster and this EEO is the Law Poster Supplement.

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