Grants Accounting Senior Associate

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. and Canada. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather.

The Open Space Institute is deeply committed to equity in our field and our organization. We are working to address systemic inequities that exclude people from the many benefits that land provides. And we’re building a team and culture within OSI that reflects the true diversity of the communities we aim to serve.

Position Summary

OSI seeks a detail-oriented and collaborative Senior Associate to support the Finance Department’s land and grant-related accounting functions. This position plays a critical role in ensuring the accuracy, transparency, and compliance of OSI’s land and grant activities. The Senior Associate will work closely with both the Land Accounting Manager and the Senior Accounting Manager-Finance, Operations to track restricted funding, manage loan and grant documentation, and maintain key financial tools and reports. This role requires strong organizational skills, a working knowledge of accounting principles, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities and Duties

Grants Activity

• Reviews all grant documents, handles Funding Source checklists, and creates summaries for all new grants coming into OSI and ensures they are created timely and accurately
• Saves and organizes relevant grant documentation in accordance with internal protocols.
• Uploads and monitors funding source budgets in Sage Intacct.
• Reconciles gifts between Raiser's Edge and Sage Intacct to ensure consistency.
• Updates attributes in Sage Intacct as needed to reflect grant and project changes.
• Refreshes Excel-based reports for departmental use and decision-making.
• Serves as notetaker for project and finance team meetings; track and follow up on action items.
• Monitors funding source balances for overdrafts.

Land Related Activity

• Creates and maintains a project matrix for each land closing to track how restricted funding sources are applied to project costs.
• Tracks and reconciles budget vs. actuals for land-related expenses.
• Monitors and document the usage of federal grants (e.g., NAWCA) tied to land projects.
• Supports the Land Accounting Manager in communications with Southeast and Northeast land program teams.
• Provides Development with updates on land-related grants, including transaction breakdowns.
• Maintains and updates the land closing checklist to ensure all procedural steps are completed.
• Tracks revolving and evergreen fund workbooks related to land financing.
• Arranging wire transfer and ensure information has been verified.
• Reconciles Land and Conservation Easement data across departments (including system reconciliations with FileMaker)
• Assists in the management of the insurance portfolio, in particular, land related holdings.

Loan Related Activity

• Maintains and organizes loan documentation for both loans receivable and payable.
• Updates and reconcile the loan matrix on a quarterly basis.
• Prepare quarterly invoices for interest payments.
• Calculates and records any below-market interest as required.
• Set up and maintains recurring journal entries related to loan activity.

Others

• Provide support for tracking and maintaining charity and business registrations in partnership with Perlman & Perlman.
• Provide support for the annual audit and IRS Form 990 tax return
• Assists with the maintenance of Sage dimensions and attributes including Funding Sources, Project Codes, Vendors, Employees, and Customers

This job description is not intended to represent a complete, comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities that may be required in this position. There may be unplanned activities and other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree or Associate’s Degree, a business or accounting degree preferred, or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Strong data analysis and advanced Microsoft Excel and financial system affinity
• Familiarity in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem—SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Outlook, Excel, Planner—and an aptitude for adopting new apps
• Highly developed organizational skills with the ability to juggle competing priorities and deadlines across dispersed teams and locations
• A collaborative team player who enjoys keeping things well-documented and organized, and applying analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to deal with sensitive issues with a high level of confidentiality
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in promoting the goals and objectives of the organization
• 2+ years of general accounting or business experience requested, non-profit experience desirable, concern for environmental issues a plus

Physical Requirements

• Frequently sits for long periods of time
• Frequently speaks, reads, writes and uses a computer keyboard
• May require occasional standing, walking, lifting, stooping, bending, moving files

Please note: If you do not wholly meet the above qualifications but believe you are otherwise well-suited to meet the needs of this position, we encourage you to apply.

Application

Apply at https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/careers. Attach a cover letter that includes where you learned of the job posting along with your resume. Applications without a cover letter are not likely to be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through September 2, 2025 with earlier submissions receiving priority consideration. You will receive an acknowledgment once your application has been submitted, and we will contact you if we would like to schedule an interview.

This is a full-time position requiring 37.5 hours per week within regular business hours. The role involves working onsite at our midtown Manhattan office three to four days per week.

OSI is committed to providing a competitive compensation package. The starting salary for this role ranges from $75,000 to $80,000 commensurate with candidate skill level and experience. The recruiting team is committed to sharing details regarding compensation based on the candidate's qualifications during the interview process. OSI offers a generous benefits package including: comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, life and disability insurances, retirement plan, professional development assistance, and other resources designed to support the passion, commitment and energy that is vital to our team members.

OSI is an equal opportunity employer. We recognize that our conservation mission is best advanced by the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and cultures. We are committed to cultivating and retaining a diverse and inclusive work environment that fosters belonging.

OSI offers accommodations for individuals with disabilities in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to resumes@osiny.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

Consistent with New York State law, OSI does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, height, weight, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.