Grants Accountant

Position Overview

 The Grants Accountant will be responsible for the accounting and fiscal administration of externally funded projects including grants, contracts, and special projects. Their primary  responsibilities are tracking, reporting and invoicing grant expenditures, ensuring that grants budgets are properly uploaded and tracked, as well as assisting principal investigators and administrative staff in navigating through fiscal regulatory requirements related to sponsored projects. The Grants Accountant position will work closely with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) team and Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure compliance with Merrimack College, federal, and state guidelines regarding grant and contract administration.

Position Description

This incumbent will work on the ORSP team and will be independently responsible for award administration including award set up, management, and closeout for contracts and grants in their assigned portfolio. They will be responsible for making day-to-day decisions regarding the assigned sponsored project portfolio.  

Tasks will include:

• Perform grant related post-award functions according to the terms and conditions of the sponsor including but not limited to budget and expense analysis, invoicing, financial reporting, and re-budgeting according to sponsor terms and regulations. Ensure these functions are properly and accurately recorded into the college accounting system in a timely manner. 

• Review current awards for proper assignment of fringe benefits and facility and administrative costs, ensure start & end dates are recorded correctly for each project, and review all projects for any deficit spending.

• Calculate monthly revenue, fringe benefits and indirect costs for the monthly close and ensure the journal entries are recorded in the accounting system correctly. 

• Reconcile the post award accounting for grants including but not limited to billing, drawdowns, financial reporting on federal grants, balance sheet accounts, and grant revenue and expenses. Identify and research errors and process adjusting entries as needed.

• Preparation of grant financial reporting and surveys including but not limited to budgets: NSF HERD, SEFA, FFATA, and IPEDS. 

• Prepare invoices, follow up on cash collections, manage grant closeout process including billing, collection, reporting, and recording data into the college accounting system.

• With guidance from the ORSP team, respond to PI questions or requests for information, investigating problems and issues that arise with grant data.

• Support external audit preparation and assist with requests from auditors

• Providing financial information to all applicable departments to ensure proper joint award management.

• Communicating with PIs, Schools, sponsor representatives, and others in a courteous and professional manner to resolve problems, communicate changes, and seek or provide guidance.

• Performing awards set up and modification of existing awards, including interpreting and reviewing award documents from federal, state, for profit, and non-profit sponsors.

• Other duties as assigned.

Award Interpretation includes:

• Determining the proper award payment type (fixed fee, cost reimbursable, etc.).

• Ascertaining the type of award (contract, grant, cooperative agreement, etc.).

• Establishing an appropriate billing and review schedule to ensure proper award administration.

Award Review includes:

• Verifying the accuracy of the NOA and award profile.

• Communicating any inconsistencies or inaccuracies and ensuring corrections are made.

• Monitoring effort reporting process and cost sharing.

• Assisting with internal and external audits.

Essential Skills

• Strong Excel skills.

• Knowledge of general and sponsored programs accounting principles and practices; applications related to financial reporting (database, spreadsheet, word processing); general office practices and procedures, accounting and budget procedures and practices.

• Experience with reconciling the FFR, to G5, to a general ledger system for grant tracking and closeout.

• Solid knowledge of general accounting, journal entries, and types of accounts in the Trial Balance.

• Must possess a high level of accuracy, organization skills, and be detail oriented.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Ability to effectively communicate grant administration and management processes and procedures required of PI/PD.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, to respond to new situations, and to adapt to an evolving portfolio.

• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and collaboration skills.

• Understanding of academic research faculty needs; partnering with individual faculty/PIs to create/manage their financial needs, related to grants.

• Ability to learn new software and technologies quickly.

Additional Candidate Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field from an accredited College or University.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of hands-on post award grant accounting experience along with knowledge of Federal OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and federal acquisitions regulations (FAR).

Application materials should include:

• Cover Letter
• Resume/CV
• Contact information for three (3) professional references

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis until qualified candidates are identified. This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.

Statement on Our Mission: Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission and values.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 4,000 undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students from 43 states and 42 countries. The College features more than 160 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject and student success. The College has five schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, education and social policy and the Girard school of business. The College’s suburban 220-acre campus is just north of Boston in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 37th in the Regional Universities North category in 2025. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution.

Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.