Our Mission

Our mission is to leverage the power of food to end hunger and build healthier communities.  

Our Vision

We believe that the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty are one and the same. We envision a future in which food is recognized as a human right and every person is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity. Together, we work to create a more nourished, prosperous region.    

The Foodlink Way 

Act With Compassion 

Take Responsibility 

Be a Team Player 

Listen, Learn, Adapt    

Job Title: Financial Grants Specialist

Department: Finance   

Reports to: Financial Grants Manager  

Status: Hourly, Non-Exempt, Full-Time

Hours: 9:00am-5:30pm, Monday-Friday

Grade: 5 – Skilled and Specialized Roles

Updated: May 2026

SUMMARY

Foodlink is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and organized individual to support the Finance team and coordinate an ever-evolving portfolio of government and non-governmental grants. The Financial Grants Specialist (FGS) supports the accounting and finance operations. In partnership with the Financial Grants Manager the FGS is responsible for the preparation of financial grant reporting and analysis, grant budget development, and grant forecasting. Financial management and strong customer service skills are essential for this position, as are confidentiality, discretion, judgment and attention to detail.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Administration

• Independently examine a variety of budgets and financial statements for completeness, accuracy, and conformity with applicable policies, procedures, and requirements. 
• Collaboratively develop grant budgets with Financial Grants Manager consistent with organizational priorities. 
• Monitor budget to actual grant spending, recommend budget modifications where necessary, and seek approval from funders when needed. 
• Prepare any required/requested grant analysis, reimbursement requests or reports timely, in accordance to contract, agency and organization procedures; reconcile grant accounts; check for compliance and payment; resolve issues with grantors.  
• Support the organization’s restricted revenue tracking, maintain backup documentation, ensure funding is spent in accordance with the grant budget by the funding end date.  
• Support funding associated financial grant reviews/audits and assist with organizations annual fiscal audit and Single Audit.
• Maintain compliance with all grant funding sources, including state and federal regulations. In collaboration with Finance leadership keep abreast of laws and regulations that apply to a non-profit organization to maintain up-to-date compliance and financial accounting and reporting requirements. 
• Collaborate with Accounts Receivable to track, reconcile, and ensure incoming grant payments are properly identified, applied to the correct invoices, and recorded in compliance with internal controls and grant requirements, resolving discrepancies as needed.
• May perform other grant administration duties as assigned including but not limited to the preparation of analyses to support both operational and strategic initiatives. 

Finance & Budget Support

• Analyze and generate the organization’s payroll journal entry for recognition and recording in the general ledger for each pay period/month end.
• Support in the analysis, development and implementation of new processes/tracking mechanisms to improve department efficiencies. Including but not limited to improved payroll tracking/budgeting automation. 
• Assist in the organizational budget development process. 
• Exercise discretion in the performance of assigned duties by being knowledgeable of Foodlink policies and procedures regarding confidential materials and information and complying with such policies when handling confidential items or providing information to employees or the public. 
• Perform any tasks or projects assigned by the Director of Finance or Finance Manager to support the organization and the team mission. 
• In collaboration with Finance leadership document department procedures; analyze and provide recommendations on internal control improvements.

QUALITIES

• Detail-Oriented. Exercises extreme attention to detail. Take pride in being thorough, accurate, organized, and productive. Asks critical questions to ensure accuracy. 
• Agile. The ideal candidate will be able to adapt to evolving needs and priorities. Ability to juggle and prioritize a varying demands of this role
• Collaborative. Ability to work well with a variety of stakeholders including management, direct staff, peers, and other internal departments, and external partners.
• Solutions-oriented. Ability to contribute to problem solving and to pivot between strategies and manage competing priorities.
• Mission-driven. Reflects on the mission often, using it as the north-star for decision making. Proactively seeks information as it pertains to hunger relief and/or how Foodlink operates.
• Customer service. Has a people-first mentality when serving a wide variety of customers, from donors to vendors to volunteers. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field of study with 3+ years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Grant management experience working with a grant portfolio of multiple funders with various compliance requirements and deadlines within a non-profit setting preferred.  
• Experience with New York State and Federal Grants preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to interpret funding and reporting regulations and guidelines 
• Knowledge of fiscal and business management with demonstrated competence in planning and budgeting, data collection and reporting.
• Must have working knowledge of GAAP principles, audit process, federal cost principles, grant administration, compliance and property management requirements.
• Must be comfortable compiling complex information from a variety of different formats and information sources, as well as keeping this information organized and concise
• Proficiency in use of software application, databases and Microsoft Office Suite. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, and basic office math skills required.
• Ability to organize, manage, and prioritize multiple tasks, deadlines, requirements, and priorities to complete work in a timely manner and within established deadlines.
• Friendly, customer-oriented personality and ability to communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing.
• Ability to operate electronics, photocopier or other standard office machines, perform routine alphanumeric filing tasks, and perform basic record keeping and tabulation tasks. 
• Fluency in English required. Knowledge of Spanish helpful.

We are actively seeing a diverse pool of candidates for this position and strongly encourage applications from candidates of color.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time position paid on an hourly basis, with a pay range of $22.77 – $28.46 per hour (DOE). Foodlink covers 100% of individual health and dental insurance with the ability to acquire family coverage with pretax dollars. In addition to generous paid time off (PTO), we observe 14 paid holidays throughout the year. Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement savings plan upon hire. Eligible for generous employer match after 1 year of service.   

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to handle or feel items such as documents. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk for long periods of time. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus. Able to lift bulk objects or objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all- inclusive. Employees will follow other instructions and perform other related duties as required. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Foodlink is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Foodlink we believe that anti-hunger work is only possible with a commitment to removing barriers caused by systems of oppression that perpetuate hunger and poverty. We recognize that systematic injustice and bias disproportionately impact some identities more than others. 

Foodlink is actively working to center equity- the fair treatment of all people- in everything that we do so that everyone in our region has access to nourishing food that reflects and values cultural differences.

Foodlink is committed to listening and supporting solutions to hunger that are sourced from people and communities with lived/living experience of hunger and poverty, and to responding where inequities exist.

Foodlink is committed to taking great care to cultivate internal culture and practices that support diversity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. We aim to foster an environment in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and understands their connection to the Foodlink mission. 

Foodlink employees have a responsibility to always treat others with dignity and respect. Employees are expected to always exhibit conduct that reflects our values and promotes equity and inclusion during work, and at work functions.