Manager of Fiscally Sponsored Projects - Meridian Institute

Meridian Institute has an immediate opening for a full-time Manager, Fiscally Sponsored Projects. This position may work in a hybrid fashion near our Frisco, CO or Washington, DC offices, or fully from a remote home office based in the United States.

Meridian is a nonprofit consultancy that engages in dynamic problem solving with global leaders in business, government, civil society, philanthropy, and beyond. We bring people together, helping them navigate the dynamic variables that shape any collaborative search for solutions—from individual relationships to geopolitical considerations. Our work spans industries and sectors and includes projects focused on agriculture and food systems, climate change, forests, oceans and coasts, resilience, and science and technology, among others. Across these areas, we build and support partnerships that address our world’s complex challenges. 

As a member of the Finance Team, the Manager, Fiscally Sponsored Projects plays a key role in ensuring the success and compliance of projects and organizations under Meridian’s fiscal sponsorship umbrella. In this role, they are responsible for monitoring activities, managing financials, coordinating agreements, and serving as a liaison for Meridian’s fiscally sponsored entities. The Manager, Fiscally Sponsored Projects supports fiscally sponsored projects through strong financial acumen, excellent organizational skills, a passion for supporting nonprofit initiatives, and the ability to adeptly coordinate fiscal sponsorship services for a diverse range of supported projects and organizations. 

The starting pay range for this position is $80,880 - $111,100 annually, based on the level of education and relevant experience. This is a salary, exempt position. In following our commitment to principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, maintaining pay equity when hiring is extremely important to us. For this reason, salary offers with Meridian are non-negotiable.

Meridian is dedicated to advancing our employees’ professional growth, supporting employee wellbeing, and helping them meet their healthcare and retirement needs. Meridian provides a competitive benefits package, including:

• A dynamic and inclusive work environment with flexible work schedules and locations for proven high performers  
• Professional development opportunities
• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance, including fully employer paid premium options at the employee only level
• A variety of voluntary benefits for employees, their families, and their pets
• Generous vacation and sick time, plus 12 paid holidays
• A robust Employee Assistance Program 
• Meridian partner benefits such as discounts and wellbeing opportunities
• DC Office Employees Only – Metro expense reimbursement for commute into work  
• Remote Workers Only – home office internet allowance  

About the Position:

All Meridian positions require individuals to be self-starters with exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills, a high level of organization and attention to detail. Working at Meridian requires the ability to excel in a team environment while also juggling multiple deadlines and project teams. The areas of responsibility for this position are as follows:

FINANCIAL AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Coordinates the financial aspects of fiscally supported projects and organizations, including budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting.
• In collaboration with the designated Finance Team leads, manage Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable processes for fiscally sponsored projects and organizations.
• Ensures adherence to financial policies, guidelines, and compliance with grant requirements.
• Monitors financial performance and provides regular (monthly, quarterly, and annual) financial updates to relevant stakeholders; prepare and submit reports to funders, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies as required.
• Monitors project timelines and milestones in collaboration with fiscally supported organizations to achieve project goals; provides guidance to address delays or obstacles.
• In collaboration with the designated Finance Team lead, manages internal and external audits of fiscally sponsored projects and organizations.

CONTRACTING, COMPLIANCE, AND AGREEMENT MANAGEMENT

• Coordinates the contracting and agreement process for new organizations seeking fiscal sponsorship; in partnership with Legal, reviews, negotiates, and finalizes agreements to protect the interests of both parties.
• Ensures that all contractual obligations are met by the sponsored organizations, as well as third-party contract deliverables, and that fiscally supported organizations adhere to legal and regulatory requirements.
• Reviews narrative reports developed by sponsored project personnel alongside financial reports, reconciling activities to ensure alignment.
• Manages the due diligence process for fiscally sponsored projects and organizations.
• Reviews grant and fundraising proposals and applications to ensure commitments are in line with the fiscal sponsorship agreement.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:  

• Serves as the primary point of contact for sponsored organizations. 
• Collaborates with program leadership, steering committee members, and external partners to support the success of sponsored projects and organizations. 
• Works with the Chief Operating Officer and their designee(s) to create policies and procedures for fiscally sponsored projects and organizations. 
• Coordinates with Human Resources to support proper employment classification and personnel management. 
• Collaborates with the leadership of fiscally supported organizations to ensure clear performance objectives and expectations for personnel. 
• Manages the intake process for new organizations seeking fiscal sponsorship, including the evaluation of their alignment with our mission and capacity to meet financial obligations; provide guidance and support during the onboarding process. 

Eligibility requirements 

• At least 5 years of experience in nonprofit management, fiscal sponsorship, or a similar relevant role.  
• Bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, nonprofit management, or a related field (Master's degree preferred); equivalent experience is acceptable. 
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements for nonprofit organizations required; knowledge of Model A and Model C fiscal sponsorship preferred.
• Proficiency in enterprise-wide accounting systems, NetSuite preferred. 
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including effective communication across an array of audiences, accurate and efficient information synthesis, strong attention to detail, and the ability to ask skillful questions that guide project work. 
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (JEDI); ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds with humility, ease, and enthusiasm.
• Fluency in English; professional fluency in a foreign language is highly valued, particularly Spanish and French.  
• Passion and curiosity about the issues and areas of Meridian’s work  
• A high degree of proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools, including but not limited to: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, and SharePoint 

The full job description can be found here.

How to Apply: 

The application deadline is Tuesday, June 18, 2024 

Please submit the following application materials: 

• Cover Letter – 1 page -Drawing from your personal and professional experiences, please explain how you hope to contribute to Meridian in this role. 
• Resume – 1-2 pages - Detail relevant education, training, experiences, and accomplishments. 
• Three Professional References

Please note: All applications will be reviewed by our team. We thank all applicants for their interest and will be in contact only with those chosen to interview. Due to capacity constraints on our hiring team, we are unable to provide specific status updates beyond these parameters. Our ideal start date for this role is July 2024.

About Meridian

Meridian Institute is a mission-driven, nonprofit consultancy that has helped clients and partners develop and implement solutions to complicated, often controversial problems—big and small, global and local—for over two decades.

Effective collaborative decision-making involves bringing together participants with diverse backgrounds and differing viewpoints. As an organization, we seek staff that reflects and values that same diversity; successful Meridian team members are experienced working in multicultural settings and welcome new opportunities to widen their own perspectives. We bring integrity, inclusiveness, and respect for differences to every project we undertake. We are working to ensure that Meridian possesses the expertise needed to partner with—and build trust among—marginalized and disenfranchised communities, while advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within our organization and our work.

Accommodation

Meridian Institute complies fully with the relevant Disability Acts and Laws in local countries. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Meridian Institute, please contact us at hr@merid.org. 

COVID-19 Consideration

At this time, Meridian Institute requires that all employees be fully vaccinated, including booster shots. In circumstances where an applicant communicates that he or she is not able to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance or because of a disability, then Meridian, in accordance with applicable law, will engage in the interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation is feasible that will not pose an undue hardship or create a direct threat to safety.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Meridian’s work is made stronger and more impactful by the contributions of diverse groups from around the world. At Meridian, we welcome people from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, creed, class, ancestry, or other grounds.

Meridian Institute is a participating employer in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security program, E-Verify.