Public Grants and Compliance Officer

Organization Overview:

Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) builds alliances that advance bold solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. We design and carry out programs and projects that promote smart policies, secure equitable public funding, and build strong constituencies for protecting nature, addressing the climate crisis, and advancing environmental equity and justice. Since RLF’s founding in 2000, we have partnered with philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, community groups, government, business, and academia to protect more than five million acres of land and ocean spaces, advance critical climate and environmental justice policies, and generate more than $30 billion in new public funding for conservation, equitable outdoor access, and climate initiatives.

We believe strategic philanthropy and thoughtful partnerships can achieve enduring, equitable outcomes at scale. Philanthropic partners trust us to manage complex, multi-year policy campaigns and philanthropic initiatives. As a grantmaker, we offer beyond-the-dollar support to strengthen grantees’ ability to meet ambitious goals. We also serve as fiscal sponsor to more than 20 projects across the nation and around the world that are doing remarkable work to advance biodiversity protection, climate resilience and mitigation, and justice and equity outcomes.

Our success is integrally tied to social equity, community health, economic opportunity, and a strong democracy. To safeguard our achievements to date, and help prepare a favorable environment to face the daunting threat of climate change, we helped launch two partner organizations: Fund for a Better Future, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, and Shared Ascent Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to work in the intersecting areas of democracy, environment, health, and equity.

We are a multi-disciplinary team of political strategists, coalition builders, grant makers, communicators, and administrative professionals intently focused on delivering results. We are headquartered in Sacramento, California with staff distributed across the country. To learn more about Resources Legacy Fund, visit

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Grants Management, the Public Grants & Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that RLF’s publicly funded awards and subawards are developed, articulated, monitored, reported on, and completed in full compliance with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and other applicable U.S. federal, state, and local rules and regulations, as well as with RLF’s internal policies and procedures. The Public Grants & Compliance Officer will work closely with Grants Management, Legal Counsel, Programs, Finance, and other RLF staff as needed to coordinate all aspects of managing incoming U.S. public funds and any associated outgoing sub-awards.

This position is part-time (24 hours per week), exempt, and reports to the Director of Grants Management. This is a remote, temporary position (one year, with option to renew based on funding) with travel to Sacramento required at least quarterly.

Duties Include:

• Lead the administration, oversight, compliance, monitoring and evaluation of all U.S. federal, state and/or local incoming awards and any associated outgoing subawards, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other assistance awards from various U.S. government agencies.
• In partnership with the Director of Grants Management, Finance, and Legal Counsel as needed develop, codify, and update organization-wide policies and procedures for management and oversight of public awards and related subawards.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of incoming U.S. federal, state and/or local awards, as well as and outgoing subawards, including: development and submission of proposals and reports to funding agencies (in partnership with relevant Program staff); legal agreement/contract negotiations; pre- and post-award compliance; administration of subawards and payments; and closing grants.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and best practices advice to RLF staff, subaward recipients, review panels, applicants, and other constituents as needed.
• Assist with budget preparations, budget narratives, and capability statements, and compile and analyze budget submissions and certifications.
• Monitor budget projections versus actual expenditures, troubleshoot as needed; update budgets to reflect funding changes; provide audit support and on-site verification as needed.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for administrative matters between RLF and various awarding agencies, sub-grantors, and sub-grantees, including payments, compliance, legal requirements, and other administrative requirements.
• Input and maintain award and subaward information in RLF’s grants management/financial system (Salesforce) to ensure compliance, data integrity, and adequate record-keeping.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and Program staff to understand program growth opportunities.

Incoming Awards Management

• Submit any proposals, grant applications, budgets, reports, and other award-related materials prepared by RLF Program Officers and Directors to federal, state and/or local funders; work with Program staff to ensure any award modifications are resolved, recorded and documented as needed.
• Support and guide RLF on legal agreement/contract and payment negotiations in partnership with Finance and Legal teams
• Review award documents (agreement, budget, statement of work, and/or other contract and grant requirements) to ensure award setup is accurate and complete in Salesforce.
• Manage incoming fund payments; prepare invoices and request reimbursements from awarding agencies in a timely manner and follow up on accounts receivable.
• Analyze project expenditures to ensure costs are allowable, allocable, reasonable and consistently handled as directed by the CFR and related Federal regulations.

Subaward Management

• Design, develop, implement, update and interpret subaward grants/assistance management policies, procedures, and practices.
• Oversee, review, analyze, and evaluate grants/assistance applications, plans, and budgets.
• Work closely with Program staff as needed to conduct pre- and post-award compliance, due diligence, and risk assessments for subawards in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, as well as RLF’s policies and procedures.
• Define terms and conditions of grants/assistance subawards to include costs, schedules, and oversight responsibilities.
• Review requests for procurement of goods and services to ensure compliance with RLF policies as well as with the 2CFR200 as applicable.
• Verify accuracy of financial information and cost charges to grant-funded projects, including correct coding and account reasonableness.
• Coordinate timely payments to partners/sub-award recipients.
• Monitor, assess, and ensure subawardees comply with all terms and conditions of award; identify any management, financial, and/or administrative issues.
• Support Program staff as needed to conduct subaward program evaluation and analyses, including monitoring and assessing subawardee performance and establishing performance measures.
• Perform final review of completed subawards, making appropriate adjustments/extensions as needed, processing grant close-outs, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements.

Requirements

Qualifications

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply.  Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work and lived experiences that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

• Minimum 5-7 years of experience managing US government grant awards and subawards, preferably within a public charity grantmaking organization.
• Experience working with public agencies on compliance processes is required; nonprofit financial analysis and financial reporting preferred.
• Interest in and experience with reviewing and applying applicable government policies and regulations.
• Firsthand knowledge of cost accounting methods and procedures, and auditing principles and practices.
• Experience working with grants management systems, financial/accounting systems, and/or other databases required; Salesforce experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Strong proficiency in written and verbal communication.
• Strong project management skills; ability to follow a project through from beginning to completion.
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills. Ability to work across a diverse group of staff, donors and other constituents.
• Ability to work independently and deliver tasks on deadline.
• Ability to interpret, communicate and summarize audit findings and risks to non-financial professionals as needed.
• Grant audit experience and knowledge of Assistance Awards (grants or cooperative agreements)
• Interest in conservation, climate, and environmental equity and justice funding and policies that benefit all communities.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or other related area.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:

RLF is committed to creating and maintaining a work environment free from discrimination, where all team members feel valued, respected, and included. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates, whatever their race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, religious or political affiliation, marital status, or any other dimension of diversity. We know that our work is enriched by the varied voices and perspectives of every staff and board member, so we are committed to making an earnest effort to recruit, welcome, train, develop, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. We believe that a diverse and inclusive culture expands our creative capacity to do our work and achieve greater outcomes for people and the natural world. We invite you to learn more about RLF’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our website.

VALUES: As a member of the RLF team, the Public Grants & Compliance Officer exemplifies RLF’s values:

• Collaboration – We believe the key to achieving meaningful environmental results and a productive workplace is rooted in humanity—our ability to build effective relationships, listen deeply, respect different perspectives, and elevate new leaders.
• Equity – We value the insight, energy, and innovation of inclusive decision making. Our work seeks to elevate voices and build power within underrepresented communities to help advance a just and equitable future in which leadership reflects the diversity of the world we live in.
• Integrity – We are dedicated to our cause, genuine in our approach, and strive to cultivate a foundation of trust within our organization and with our partners. We believe humility and commitment to ongoing learning keeps us effective in our work.
• Creativity – We embrace a thoughtful, entrepreneurial spirit, seeking innovative ways to solve problems new and old. We are willing to take risks that the times and issues require to achieve lasting results.
• Excellence – We aspire to high standards of quality in everything we do—from internal operations to strategic program implementation. We are attentive to detail and persevere to deliver results on goals we share with funders, partners, and colleagues.

To Apply

Please provide a resume and cover letter explaining how your skills fit this position.

Recruitment Schedule:

June 11 – Recruitment Launches

June 25 – Application deadline (applications received after this date may still be considered)

Benefits

Compensation and Benefits

Starting salary of $85,000 - $93,000. 401k plan with a 5% match, and generous paid time off. RLF also offers a technology allowance, student loan repayment assistance, the Calm app, mental health benefits and approximately 16 paid holidays per year.