Grant Accountant in Coconut Creek, Florida at Junior Achievement South Florida

Job Title: Grant Accountant
Location: Coconut Creek, FL 33066 | Broward & South Palm Beach Service area)

Position Type: Full-time | Exempt

Why Join Junior Achievement of South Florida?

Junior Achievement of South Florida (JA) empowers our youth with the knowledge, ability, and confidence to navigate their futures, drive our economy and lead our community. We are looking for individuals who are passionate not only about our mission, but also about being part of the innovative and energetic culture at JA.

JA provides real-world training in financial literacy including budgeting, spending, investing and the use of credit; offers cutting-edge skill-building opportunities that enable young people to explore meaningful, productive careers; teaches students how to start businesses; and introduces entrepreneurial values that strengthen workplaces. Last year, with the help of over 7,100 trained corporate and community volunteers, JA delivered over 20 various programs to almost 50,000 students in classrooms throughout Broward and south Palm Beach counties and at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, a first-class facility housing JA BizTown and JA Finance Park.

For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit www.JASouthFlorida.org. Follow JA on social media @jasouthflorida.

What We Offer:

• Employer Paid Medical and Vision
• Ample Time Off
• Retirement Plan Matching
• Work Environment – Innovative and energetic culture!
  Growth Opportunities – Professional development assistance

The opportunity:

The Grant Accountant reports to the CFO and serves as the dedicated accounting subject-matter expert for JA South Florida’s restricted and unrestricted grant portfolio. This role owns the post-award financial lifecycle – budget setup, expense tracking, allocations, drawdowns, financial reporting, and audit support – for awards across federal agencies (including the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce), state and local government, private foundations, and corporate funders.

Working in close partnership with the Senior Grant Manager and the broader Grants Department, the Grant Accountant ensures that every grant dollar is recorded accurately, spent in accordance with funder requirements, and reported on time. The ideal candidate is a precise, deadline-driven accountant who is energized by Junior Achievement’s mission and brings deep working knowledge of nonprofit revenue recognition, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and federal pass-through funding.

Components of the role will focus upon:

Grant Accounting and Financial Management

• Maintain accurate accounting records for all restricted and unrestricted grants, including federal, state, county, municipal, foundation, and corporate awards.
• Set up new grants in the general ledger and grant tracking system, including chart of accounts coding, budget loading, and project/class structure.
• Record grant revenue in accordance with GAAP and FASB ASC 958 (Not-for-Profit Entities), including proper classification of conditional vs. unconditional contributions and exchange transactions.
• Track and reconcile grant receivables, deferred revenue, and release of restrictions on a monthly basis.
• Allocate shared costs (personnel, occupancy, indirect) across grants in accordance with approved cost allocation methodologies and JA’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) where applicable.

Federal Grants Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), agency-specific cost principles, and applicable supplemental regulations (e.g., EDGAR for U.S. Department of Education awards).
• Process drawdowns and reimbursement requests through federal and state portals, including HHS Payment Management System (PMS), ED G5, DOL GrantSolutions, and state/county systems.
• Monitor cost share/match, subaward, and consortium financial components, including subrecipient invoicing, monitoring documentation, and risk-based reviews.
• Stay current on federal policy shifts and cost-principle updates affecting workforce, education, and economic development funding; brief Finance and Grants leadership accordingly.

Budget Development and Post-Award Setup

• Partner with the Senior Grant Manager to build, review, and quality-check complex multi-year proposal budgets and budget justifications, including personnel, fringe, indirect costs (F&A), subawards, and participant support costs (stipends, transportation, materials for students and educators).
• Validate proposed budgets for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under federal cost principles prior to submission.
• Lead clean handoff at award notification: load approved budgets, configure project tracking, and confirm reporting calendar setup with the Grants Department.
• Develop unit-cost models (e.g., cost per student served, cost per classroom, cost per work-based learning experience) that demonstrate efficiency and scalability to funders.

Funder Financial Reporting

• Prepare timely and accurate financial reports to funders, including monthly, quarterly, and annual grant reports, Federal Financial Reports (SF-425), and final closeout reports.
• Provide grant financial information to the Senior Grant Manager for compilation into funder-specific narrative and program reporting templates.
• Monitor grant spending against approved budgets; alert the Finance Director, CFO, Grants Department, and Program leadership of variances, over/under-spending, and required budget modifications.
• Serve as the primary Finance contact for funder financial inquiries, site visits, and monitoring reviews.

Audit and Internal Controls

• Prepare grant-related schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation for the annual financial audit and, when applicable, the Single Audit (Uniform Guidance audit).
• Maintain and improve internal controls and written procedures related to grant accounting, in alignment with JA’s overall accounting policies.
• Assist with preparation of the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and related disclosures.
• Maintain complete and audit-ready grant files, including award documents, executed agreements, amendments, budgets, correspondence, reports, and supporting documentation.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with the Senior Grant Manager and Grants Department on proposal budgets, budget narratives, and feasibility reviews prior to submission.
• Collaborate with Program staff to ensure that programmatic outcomes and financial reporting align and that expenses are charged to the correct funding sources.
• Support the Finance Director and CFO in cash flow forecasting related to grant receivables and pledge collections.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and recommend enhancements to grant management systems, workflows, and reporting tools.

To play a part in our ongoing success we are seeking someone with:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least a year directly supporting grant accounting or restricted fund accounting.
• Working knowledge of GAAP, fund accounting, and nonprofit revenue recognition (FASB ASC 958).
• Working knowledge of federal regulations governing grants, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), cost principles, and federal financial reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to support complex budgets across federal, state, foundation, and corporate sponsors, including cost share/match requirements common to workforce and education grants.
• Proficiency in accounting software (e.g., Sage Intacct, Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT, QuickBooks, or comparable) and advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, complex formulas).
• Excellent project management expertise with the ability to manage concurrent responsibilities and deliver high-quality work within established deadlines.
• Being an effective communicator – with the ability to present financial information to both finance and non-finance audiences.
• A trusted professional who consistently demonstrates integrity, discretion, and sound judgment.

Preferred

• CPA, CGMA, or progress toward certification.
• Master’s degree in accounting, nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field.
• Direct experience supporting federal workforce, youth development, or K 12 education grants (e.g., WIOA-funded, Perkins-aligned, ESSA Title programs, AmeriCorps, EIR, YouthBuild).
• Prior experience preparing for and supporting a Single Audit (Uniform Guidance audit).
• Familiarity with grants management/CRM systems (Salesforce, Fluxx, Foundant, GivingData, Raiser’s Edge, or similar).
• Knowledge of indirect cost rate negotiation and cost allocation methodologies.
• Familiarity with JA programs or the broader youth financial capability, entrepreneurship education, or workforce readiness fields.

Core Competencies

• Accuracy and attention to detail in numbers, coding, and documentation.
• Accountability and ownership as the subject matter expert for grant financial activity.
• Collaborative orientation across Finance, Grants, and Programs.
• Adaptability under deadline pressure, particularly around funder reporting and audit cycles.
• Sound judgment in interpreting funder guidance, cost principles, and ambiguous regulatory requirements.
• Passion for youth opportunity, economic mobility, and JA’s mission.

Along with the above, we would also expect you to:

• Have a passion for JA's mission and eagerness to learn programs.
• Embody all of JA's 10 core values:

Commit to Growth: Embrace continuous learning and development to achieve personal and professional advancement.Deliver the Wow: Consistently exceed expectations and create remarkable experiences for customers, clients, and colleagues.Be bold, innovative, and creative: Foster a culture of daring exploration, original thinking, and imaginative problem-solving.Do it with passion: Approach tasks and challenges with enthusiasm, dedication, and a genuine love for what you do.Own your actions: Take responsibility for your decisions and outcomes and hold yourself accountable to high standards of integrity.Build awesome relationships: Cultivate strong, supportive connections with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders based on trust, respect, and collaboration.Bring fun & energy: Infuse positivity, enjoyment, and vitality into the workplace environment and interactions.Celebrate uniqueness: Value diversity in perspectives, backgrounds, and contributions, fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere.Drive and embrace change: Proactively seek opportunities for innovation and improvement, adapting positively to evolving circumstances and challenges.Be true, be you: Embrace authenticity, integrity, and honesty in all interactions, staying true to your values and identity.

Important Information:

Junior Achievement of South Florida participates in the federal government’s E-Verify program, which confirms employment authorization of all newly hired employees and most existing employees through an electronic database maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. For all new hires, the E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification on or before the first day of work. E-Verify is not used as a tool to pre-screen candidates. For up-to-date information on E-Verify, go to www.uscis.gov and click on 'E-Verify' located near the bottom of the page.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.

JA provides real-world training in financial literacy, including budgeting, spending, investing, and the use of credit; offers cutting-edge skill-building opportunities that enable young people to explore meaningful, productive careers; teaches students how to start businesses; and introduces entrepreneurial values that strengthen workplaces. Last year, with the help of over 5,000 trained corporate and community volunteers, JA delivered various programs to almost 70,000 students in classrooms throughout Broward and South Palm Beach counties and at JA World Huizenga Center at the Lillian S. Wells Pavilion, a first-class facility housing JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. For more information about Junior Achievement of South Florida, visit www.JASouthFlorida.org. Follow JA on social media @jasouthflorida.

Apply Today!

Join us in supporting work that matters by bringing your grant accounting expertise to a mission-driven organization dedicated to making a difference.