About Us:

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” - Nelson Mandela

We believe that even the biggest problems can be broken down into small, achievable steps. Poverty and access to justice are part of the same problem. And we’re solving this problem together. At Open Door Legal (ODL), we’re pioneering the country’s first system of universal access to civil legal representation to dramatically reduce poverty and prove that the law really can belong to all of us. We’ve grown 150x in 10 years and in the next 2 years, we hope to finish scaling across San Francisco. To achieve this goal, we’ve created an award-winning and best-in-class legal aid organization full of passionate, motivated, gritty, thoughtful, and team-oriented people. We believe that injustice is the heart of poverty and we're looking for someone to join us in ensuring justice for all.

Overview of Position:

Building universal access to justice is a huge undertaking – it requires forward-thinking and community-minded government officials and agencies making an invaluable investment by partnering with us. We’re grateful to say that as we’ve grown and so have the number of partnerships and the amount of grants awarded to us. Having a Grants Accountant responsible for multiple restricted grants, which can have overlapping and specific criteria for what expenses can be allocated, allows our legal staff to focus on representing anyone in our service areas with a legally viable case. Budgets and invoices need to be produced, costs need to be allocated, and all with the highest standards, to ensure we can continue to serve our clients.

You will need experience invoicing billable hours, comfort resolving ambiguity, a collaborative mindset, and a solid understanding of nonprofit accounting standards.

This position will serve as the primary liaison with most matters related to grants, contracts administration, and/or compliance. The Grants Accountant role is a key member of the Finance team, responsible for the day-to-day coordination of prospective and awarded grants.

The work is highly deadline-oriented which requires you to be organized, think critically, and be flexible. Overall, this position is intended to be a challenging and rewarding experience for someone who is interested in using that knowledge to impact the lives of local low-income community members.

This position will report directly to our Director of Finance and will be in office two days per week.

Responsibilities:

Ensure effective, timely, and accurate allocation of all grant expenses and completion of grant deliverables.
Create and submit invoices for all public grants in a timely manner with proper documentation - currently we have grants with The City of San Francisco (MOHCD & HSA) and the State of California (IOLTA).
Send requests for payments to funding agencies to collect on outstanding receivables.
Create grant budgets that reflect the true total cost of the services provided and fit into the organization’s overall budget.
Provide information to the accountants as necessary to assist in month-end close activities.
Work cross-functionally with the Development team and Legal Program teams on grant deliverables and funder reports.
Work closely with the Finance team on other projects as needed; act as backup or support on accounting functions as needed.
Embrace and embody our values of teamwork, grit, caring, passion, and dynamism.

Requirements:

Experience with accounting, financial systems, business administration, or other related field or equivalent relevant work experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel.
Methodical thinking and detail-orientation.
Demonstrated prior experience working with a high degree of autonomy.
Commitment to continual learning.
The ability to interact professionally regarding confidential matters with people inside and outside the organization.
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
Passion for the mission of Open Door Legal.

Bonus Points:

Experience with hands-on grant management on any San Francisco city or California state public grant (especially MOHCD or IOLTA grants).
Knowledge of auditing policies and compliance requirements.
Experience with Salesforce, Sage Intacct, and/or other software.
Experience working with low-income and vulnerable populations.
Experience working in a human services nonprofit.
Having lived a significant period of your life in San Francisco proper.

Starting compensation is $72,500 to $84,500 annually based on experience.

Perks:

Loan Repayment Assistance - for staff pursuing 10-year public interest debt forgiveness, we will pay the minimum payment on all qualifying loans so that you don’t need to worry about student loan debt (this is a conditional benefit).
Medical/Dental/Vision Plan offerings at 100% coverage
Generous paid time off (four weeks vacation and two weeks sick/care)
Flexible work hours
Generous paid parental leave
401K/Retirement Account
Strong organizational culture
We believe everyone is always learning. We financially invest in individual professional development for each staff member and provide many internal and external mentorships, coaching, and learning opportunities (conferences, workshops, etc.).
We are a fun and hard-working office with best-in-class technology solutions for anyone who’s passionate about making a meaningful and measurable difference.

Applications received before April 11, 2025 will receive priority consideration.

Ideal start date: As soon as possible

Open Door Legal is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at whitney [at] opendoorlegal [dot] org.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in the dignity of all. Black Lives Matter