What are the responsibilities and job description for the GRANT ACCOUNTANT position at Northwestern State University?
Salary
$40,000.00 - $50,000.00 Annually
Location
Natchitoches, LA
Job Type
Unclassified
Job Number
998887
Department
Northwestern State University
Opening Date
04/01/2026
About this Job
Northwestern State University seeks qualified applicants for the position of Grant Accountant.
To Apply: Interested candidates should submit the following materials:
- Cover letter describing relevant experience and interest in the position
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Official copies of college transcripts
- Contact information for three professional references
Position Overview
The Louisiana Title IV-E Child Welfare Scholars Program is a federally funded, multi-university workforce development initiative administered through Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA). The program partners with eight universities across Louisiana and works directly with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to prepare students for careers in public child welfare. The program provides stipends, tuition assistance, training, and workforce development support for students and current DCFS employees pursuing careers in public child welfare. This is a period of significant expansion for the program, and the Grant Accountant will be joining a team committed to growth, quality, and impact.
We are seeking a Grant Accountant to support the financial operations of this expanding program. This position plays a critical role in ensuring compliance, accuracy, and fiscal integrity across a multiinstitutional grant portfolio currently valued at approximately $9.9 million.
Position Summary
The Grant Accountant is responsible for the day-to-day financial management of the Title IV-E program, including monthly invoice review and processing, communication with partner university financial personnel, budget monitoring, and compliance documentation. This position works closely with the Executive Director and repo11s directly to program leadership.
This is a highly collaborative role that requires someone who is organized, detail-oriented, responsive, and comfortable navigating multi-institutional financial relationships. The Grant Accountant will also interface directly with Southeastern Louisiana University, which serves as the administrative fiscal agent for the statewide program.
Northwestern State University is a State as a Model Employer (SAME) agency.
The successful candidate will be subject to a background check, as a condition of employment.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION (FULL DISCLOSURE)
Northwestern State University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
All complaints or inquiries related to Title IX should be directed to the Director of Title IX Compliance and Title IX Coordinator, Julie Powell (318-357-5570), Room 306 of the Friedman Student Union or email obannonj@nsula.edu.
In accordance with Section 35.106 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all participants, applicants, organizations, and interested individuals are advised and notified that the ADA Coordinator for Northwestern State University for facilities is the Director of University Affairs, Jennifer Kelly (318-357-4300), located in New Fine Arts, 104 Central Avenue, Ste. 102 or email andersonje@nsula.edu. For student academic services, contact the Director of Access and Disability Support, Crissey Smith (318-357-5460) located in Room 108-C Watson Memorial Library or email smithcr@nsula.edu. For faculty/staff accommodations and services, contact Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Human Resources, Veronica M. Biscoe (318-357-6359), Room 111 Caspari Hall or email ramirezv@nsula.edu.
Inquiries regarding employment application status should be emailed to
apply@nsula.edu.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated knowledge of accounting principles and financial recordkeeping
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency with standard office and financial software (Microsoft Excel, Word, email)
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities across multiple institutional relationships
- Experience with grant accounting, sponsored programs, or federal fund management (Preferred)
- Familiarity with higher education financial systems or university business office operations (Preferred)
- Experience working with multi-institutional or multi-site programs (Preferred)
- Knowledge of Title IV-E federal funding regulations or child welfare program finance (Preferred)
- Experience with project management platforms such as Monday .com
- CPA licensure or progress toward CPA (not required but valued)
- Ability to travel over night several times a year
Job Specification
Candidate Profile:
We welcome applications from candidates at a variety of career stages. The program is committed to finding the right fit in terms of skills, reliability, and alignment with our mission - not simply years of experience. We encourage applications from:
- Soon-to-graduate or recent graduates in accounting or business seeking a meaningful entry point into grant administration
- Early or mid-career accounting professionals looking to work in mission-driven, public-service oriented work
- Experienced professionals, including those post-retirement, who are interested in continuing meaningful, part-time-equivalent or flexible full-time work in a collegial environment
Job Duties and Other Information
Invoice Management
- Review, process, and track monthly invoices submitted by NSU and 6 other partner universities (currently 8 institutions in the University Alliance)
- Ensure invoices are accurate, complete, and submitted in compliance with grant requirements and deadlines
- Identify and resolve discrepancies in partnership with university financial contacts
- Maintain organized records of all financial submissions and correspondence
- Serve as the primary financial contact for partner university business offices
- Provide clear, consistent guidance to university financial personnel on invoice preparation, allowable expenditures, and submission procedures
- Communicate directly with Southeastern Louisiana University regarding fiscal coordination and reporting
- Support on boarding of new university partners on financial processes and compliance expectations
- Monitor expenditures and financial activity across program components and partner institutions
- Assist the Executive Director in building, refining, and tracking program budgets
- Support compliance with federal Title IV-E financial regulations and university grant management policies
- Assist in preparation of financial documentation for federal and state reporting, including the Annual Program Service Report (APSR)
- Assist with Certified Public Expenditure (CPE) tracking and documentation across university partners
- Support financial components of grant renewal and expansion planning
- Coordinate with program management software (Monday.com) for invoice tracking and task documentation
- Provide financial summaries and reports to program leadership as needed
Benefits for unclassified employees are determined by the individual hiring authority.
Salary : $40,000 - $50,000