Grants Tracking Accountant - Vaco, LLC
Springfield, MA 01107
About the Job
| Company | Pioneer Valley Transit Authority |
| Manager’s Name and Title | Lenn Howe, Director of HR |
| Company Website | https://www.pvta.com/ |
| Position title | Grants Tracking Accountant |
| Remote/On Site | On site 5 days/week |
| Working Address | |
| Salary: | $60k-$70k (37 hour work week) |
| % Fee: | 25% |
| JO Owner | Kelly Chapman |
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority is the largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts with 186 buses, 132 vans and 24 participating member communities. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority was created by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 161B in 1974 as a funding source and to provide oversight and coordination of public transportation within the Pioneer Valley region.
Funding for the PVTA comes from federal, state and local governments and farebox and advertising revenues. The cities and towns that are served by the PVTA pay an assessed amount, depending on the number of fixed route miles and paratransit passengers served in that city or town.
Tell me, why are you hiring for this role? Person is relocating down south. She wasn’t here very long so this came as a surprise.
Where am I catching you in the Search?
How long has the search been open? A couple of months
What steps have you taken to fill the position? Posted on our website
How is the work being handled currently? internally
Any Interviews? No, not getting the quality of responses from online
Any offers made? No
Is there the possibility of filling the role internally? No
Target Start Date: asap
Help me attract the best people to your company:
Why should someone take this position?
Strong team, long tenure, opportunity to move into other areas of accounting/finance, internal promotions
Have good people moved upward in your company? Yes, the new Director of Finance was an internal promotion
Are there any specific companies to recruit from, or NOT to recruit from? no
Tell me about the structure of the Accounting Department (Org Chart of the team this role would be working within)
Lori Brodeau – Director of Finance
Senior Accountant
Grant Tracking Accounting
If you are able to disclose, what is the approximate revenue of the company? Annual report: https://pvta.com/documents/annualReports/FY%202021%20Annual%20Report.pdf
How Many total employees in the organization?
Position Details:
What are the 3 most important functional tasks performed in this position? (Get specific details on each responsibility – volume, close process, etc.)
1. Perform all grant tracking accounting tasks
2. Monitor and assign grants to related capital projects
3. Assist with preparation and submission of grant funding requests
4. Conduct periodic account analysis, reconciliation, and reporting
Must Haves:
What must a candidate have for this role:
Three years of grants accounting and grant management experience in public transit; experience with Federal Grants and FTA’s Super Circular; knowledge of federal and state regulations and FTA reporting requirements as they pertain to grants accounting and grants management
Educational background desired? Ideally degree
What personality type desired? Tell me about the soft skills you are looking for? Hard worker, works well with others
Compensation
Salary Range? Up to $70k (hourly range is $32.00 -$36.00 per hour)
Absolute highest for top person? $70k but need to confirm
Bonus? no
BENEFITS INFO & WAIT PERIOD - need to get this information
Interview Process / Start Date:
Virtual Or In-Person? Virtual with Lenn and Monique (HR) then onsite with Lori (DoF)
(8) Job Description:
Under the general direction of the Director of Finance, this professional accounting position serves as an essential member of the Finance Team and plays a key role in the tracking of grant funding for the PVTA. The Grants Tracking Accountant is responsible for the daily coordination of the grant accounting transaction cycle and is the primary liaison between the PVTA and grant providers. This position is responsible for performing a variety of accounting tasks related to grants, and coordinates accounting information related to capital project invoicing and reconciliation; conducts periodic account analysis and reporting; prepares inventory certification for the Federal Transit Authority (FTA); assists with preparation and publication of the annual National Transit Database (NTD); assists with activities related to local assessments; and maintains all related records and documentation in compliance with related regulations and established procedures. This is an on-site position.
Perform all grant tracking accounting tasks: Maintain computerized grants accounting module in financial management system; evaluate and determine needs for each grant to ensure effective interface and integration of activities from various databases; develop, prepare and submit grant revision amendments and closeouts; prepare quarterly financial status reports as required by FTA and submit electronically through FTA’s Transportation Electronic Award & Management System (TEAM); prepare and electronically submit Letter of Credit draw-downs for eligible federally funded expenses.
Monitor and assign grants to related capital projects: Provide assistance to department managers in the analysis of grant program/project performance and in the development of corrective measures as required; conduct grant program/project analyses to assist Project Managers; keep all internal financial-related tracking and reporting up to date including tracking spend-down of grant funds; in conjunction with the A/P Specialist, monitor departmental capital budgets to ensure control of the Authority’s expenditures; manage day-to-day grant invoicing process including the creation and timely submission of grant invoices; track revenues and expenditures by funding source; track receipt of funds and subsequent payments to vendors within prescribed federal guidelines; review purchase requisitions and payments against FTA approved contract budgets; identify problem areas and recommend corrective solutions; assist with identifying budget reprogramming requirements. identify, document and communicate discrepancies and recommendations as appropriate. Prepare inventory certification for the Federal Transit Authority (FTA).
Assist with preparation and submission of grant funding requests: Assist Director of Finance with developing and maintaining a program for the preparation, justification, and submission of funding grants; oversee and carefully track all grants received from grant funding sources; provide annual grant application and certification to MassDOT for grant-funded paratransit vehicles; assign grant and FTA activity numbers to all applicable expenses and track all grant balances and ensure grant balances and related expenses are accurately maintained to current status.
Conduct periodic account analysis, reconciliation, and reporting: Conduct periodic analyses of accounts to ensure accuracy of work; update Fixed Asset data by reconciling against related invoices; gather, analyze and interpret related information and conduct monthly and annual account closing and reconciliation activities in a timely manner; coordinate reporting of capital budget data for quarterly review, the annual capital budget process, and other reports as necessary. Grants Tracking Accountant- October 2023 2 of 3 Analyze financial information detailing assets, liabilities, and capital, and prepare balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and other reports to summarize and interpret current and projected financial position for other managers. Prepare periodic reports to requesting parties.
Vaco values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.
EEO Notice
Vaco is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.
Vaco LLC and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco LLC and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com .
Vaco also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.
By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
Privacy Notice
Vaco LLC and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.
- California residents may access Vaco’s HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
- Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
- Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
- Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
- Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.
Pay Transparency Notice
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
- the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
- licensure and certification requirements;
- office location and other geographic considerations;
- other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.