Seminary Grants Finance & Compliance Manager

Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS) equips modern‑day disciples to serve as leaders and counselors in diverse ministry and professional contexts. The ATS Grants team supports this mission by cultivating partnerships, designing and delivering high-quality non-academic programming, and stewarding grant funding for strategic innovation and institutional learning. Our current portfolio includes programs focused on clergy and clergy family well‑being; rural ministry and community resilience; courageous preaching; and seminary education and business‑model innovation. The team manages nearly $5M in active awards along with significant leverage commitments.

The Grants Finance & Compliance Manager provides leadership for finance operations across the ATS Grants portfolio, working closely with the Program Director, university counterparts, external partners, and other team members to manage risk, strengthen practice, and support sound financial performance. A key responsibility includes developing and launching a Rural and Small Towns microgrants mechanism capable of issuing 70+ small grants annually. We seek a candidate with experience in grants or nonprofit financial management, strong analytical skills, and demonstrated ability to build and maintain fit‑for‑purpose financial systems for teams or business units with multiple stakeholders.

• Lead monthly financial projections, burn-rate analyses, and reconciliations across the portfolio. Identify gaps in current expenditure and grant financial management practices and develop tools/templates that enhance grant performance.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready documentation and ensure that financial practices follow internal controls, procurement standards, and award/subaward terms and conditions. Prepare timely, accurate, and compliant financial reports for internal leadership and external funders.
• Partner with the Program Director to design and launch a microgrants mechanism capable of issuing seventy plus (70+) awards annually. Select and configure appropriate software and establish processes in collaboration with University stakeholders to handle efficient disbursements and compliance tracking.
• Provide financial and compliance oversight and monitoring of subgrantees, microgrant recipients, and key vendors; identify and track emerging risks; and work with the Program Director to manage risks and resolve issues.
• Manage documentation and accounting for all leverage commitments across the portfolio ($2M). Document and verify matches in real-time to ensure institutional compliance.
• Offer targeted training to seminary staff, partners, and microgrant recipients on compliance expectations and financial best practices.
• Serve as a key partner to the Program Director in portfolio-wide planning, risk identification and management, and scenario modeling. Manage key relationships with University stakeholders and external partners.

This is a grant-funded and term-limited staff position (not a contract role), funded through December 31, 2029. We are happy to discuss what this means with candidates.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Three plus (3+) years of direct experience in grants financial management or nonprofit financial management.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with proven ability to maintain comprehensive oversight while effectively triaging emerging issues to determine which require immediate leadership attention.
• Demonstrated experience building or improving fit-for-purpose financial systems and workflows.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Direct experience configuring grant management, accounting, or business analytics software is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to the ATS mission and the ability to work effectively and deliver results in a collaborative and consensus-driven environment.
• Applicant must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Ashland University will not sponsor or take over sponsorship for an employment visa.