ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel organizes its work through seven legal teams: Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Education Equity, and our impact litigation team, Opportunity Under Law.  

Public Counsel has a staff of approximately 170. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

ABOUT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT

Public Counsel’s Finance team is currently comprised of the Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Assistant Controller, Grant Accounting Manager, Accounting Analyst, and Finance Associate. The team manages the financial operations for a $25M+ budget, including planning, budgeting, accounting, and reporting on a diversified funding stream of individual contributions, grants, contracts, program service fees, and other sources of revenue.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Grant Accounting Manager, the Grant Accountant will join Public Counsel’s Finance team. The Grant Accountant will be responsible for managing the accounting and post-award (fiscal) aspects of all assigned contracts and grants. 

The Grant Accountant role is critical to grant compliance and efficient spenddown of awarded funds. This individual will use the data to engage in analysis and make recommendations to senior leadership regarding factors that impact grant performance, including staffing and other expenditures. The person in this position must be able to work autonomously. This position exercises independent judgment and discretion and is responsible for making recommendations to improve grant reporting procedures, compliance, accounting procedures, and grant performance. This position supports the Controller in the annual audit process, while ensuring accuracy and effectiveness in all accounting procedures. This position also works closely with the Chief Financial Officer to perform additional required financial analysis and projections/modeling related to grants and contracts.

This position will involve the full breadth of grant accounting, with both pre-award and post-award activities, including budgeting, monitoring, and financial close-out. The position will have the following responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate financial records for assigned grants, including revenue, expenditures, and budget-to-actual monitoring
• Review financial terms and conditions for subgrant and subcontract agreements between Public Counsel and external partners and funders
• Serve as primary contact for assigned grants during single audits, desk audits, and funder monitoring visits including determining which documentations answers auditor requests and resolves findings
• Prepare monthly invoices, summary financial reports, and other reports required by funding agencies according to sponsor requirements
• Monitor monthly assigned project activity to prevent over or under expenditure and review submitted check requests and expense reimbursements to ensure they are allowable, reasonable, and allocable to the grant or contract
• Respond to requests for information and interact regularly with the Grants team, the Legal Data team, Directing Attorneys, and program staff
• Represent Public Counsel in responding promptly to inquiries from federal and non-federal contracts and grants officers, providing information (budget clarification and justifications) and documentation to meet their needs and requirements
• Lead the preparation of internal and external financial reports, including monthly and quarterly check-ins with programmatic teams
• Provide feedback on improving accounting procedures, reporting workflows, and grant management systems
• Design and put in place grant reporting dashboards and accounting processes for program teams 
• Maintain knowledge of active grants and related reporting requirement
• Work closely with Directing Attorneys and Grant Accounting Manager on budgeting 
• Review grant coding on expenditures to ensure compliance
• Prepare journal entries and reconcile grants invoices with general ledger
• Reconcile assigned general ledger accounts and prepare grant financial statements
• Review and monitor subcontracts and ensure proper general ledger reporting
• Perform other duties as assigned

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Accounting or related field, OR a combination of education and years of experience in a directly related field
• Advanced certification in grant accounting or management/administration preferred
• Minimum 2-3 years of work experience in nonprofit grant accounting
• Recent experience with nonprofit financial software, preferably Financial Edge or other Blackbaud products
• Federal and other government grant, contract, and subcontract administration experience preferred
• Post-award management of legal services grants and contracts preferred
• Office of Management and Budget (Uniform Guidance) regulations and compliance experience preferred
• Knowledge and experience with accounting for grants, contracts, budgeting, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP)
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and organizational skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Strong communication skills and a desire to learn and grow within the grant accounting function
• High levels of emotional intelligence, maturity and cultural competency, including being curious, self-aware, cognizant of bias, empathetic, patient, and willing to listen, and having a growth and open mindset
• Exempt employees are expected to work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week and must work all additional time necessary to accomplish job duties in a timely and professional manner. They must be flexible in work hours so as to provide superior quality and timely service to clients consistent with the position and professional responsibility obligations.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/exempt 
• Non-bargaining
• Salary range is $75,000–$100,000, depending upon years of experience. 

Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits   package including:

• Medical coverage with an option for 100% employer-paid employee and dependent child(ren)’s premiums; buy-up options are available for other HMO and PPO coverage 
• Dental and vision coverage 
• Option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans

Generous paid time off (per year):

• 15 accrued vacation days that increase to 20 days after 3 years of employment
• 12 accrued sick days that may be used for physical and mental health needs
• 2 personal observance days 
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 one-week office closures (during the summer and winter)
• Up to 60 hours of compensatory time per calendar year (for exempt staff only)

Additional benefits:

• 403(b) retirement plan with an elective employee contribution, and after a year of employment a discretionary employer contribution 
• Free on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement 
• $45 per pay period for employees who use non-English language skills to perform work duties
• Up to 6 months of parental leave 
• Organizational and team wellness activities to build team cohesion and camaraderie
• Professional development support and opportunities
• Annual payment of dues for required licenses or certifications (state bar dues for attorneys) and for a mutually agreed-upon professional organization 
• Centrally located headquarters in the heart of Koreatown, a vibrant neighborhood with easy access to public transportation, diverse dining options, and cultural attractions 

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please discuss such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work was launched during the pandemic. All employees with Public Counsel are now required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. Some positions require additional in-office days. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring. 

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.