The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supports the democratic aspirations of people around the world working to advance fundamental freedoms, justice, and human rights through grantmaking, research, and solidarity. We are united as a team in the pursuit of a world in which people determine their future and are free to participate with dignity in their societies, endowed with equal rights and without repression.

As a 501(c)3 grantmaking foundation that receives an annual Congressional appropriation, NED is governed by a private, bipartisan Board of Directors. This unusual arrangement positions NED to play a unique role as America’s leading foundation for freedom, empowering the institution to be nimble, innovative, and risk-taking in support of democratic activists, civil society organizations, independent media, and the NED family core institutes (International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, Center for International Private Enterprise, and the Solidarity Center).

The Disbursement Specialist is an integral part of the Finance team’s daily disbursement activities, supporting NED’s international grantmaking program and democracy support activities. Responsibilities include: initiating payments for approved vendors, requests via domestic and international wire transfers, ACH, and check; maintaining electronic records and performing invoice transaction entry in the accounting; maintaining banking instructions in several online financial institution platforms; and general financial recordkeeping duties.

Responsibilities:

Processes vendor payments authorized by the Accounting team on a semi-weekly basis (i.e. vendors, consultants, employee reimbursements, etc.)
Processe employee reimbursement and credit card transactions via SAP Concur.
Updates vendor electronic records in the accounting system maintains beneficiary records in several online banking platforms, and initiates wire and ACH transfers for management approval.
Ensures payments are processed timely by actively problem-solving any issues encountered.
Communicates with vendors, and staff to address and resolve banking issues, such as delayed or rejected payments, promptly.
Identifies and resolves root causes of payment issues, provides timely updates to management, and implements measures to prevent recurrence with other beneficiaries.
Enters transactions into the accounting system’s purchasing module, either by direct invoice entry and/or by preparing a purchase invoice summary import template for upload.
Organizes and maintains accounting records.
Assists with retrieving disbursement documentation necessary for audit preparation and response.
Performs other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree with a major in Accounting preferred, with 2+ years of relevant experience. Non-degreed applicants with 6+ years of relevant experience will also be considered.
Strong working knowledge of Federal Travel regulations and awareness of 2CFR200 allowable expenses guidance
Demonstrated experience with the use of various online banking systems.
Experience with SAP/Concur, other Expense systems
Experience with payables expense process automation
Demonstrated knowledge of accounting systems, and payment approval workflow, specifically related to purchasing and payables, with Sylogist/ Microsoft Dynamics experience a plus.
Efficient in the use of Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Excel, and Word.
Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively convey accounting errors, and NED Expense policy both verbally and in writing to non-financial staff.
Proven analysis skills for effective problem-solving.
Solid documentation skills, ensuring proper audit trail.
Paramount professional integrity, honesty, initiative, confidentiality, and dependability.
Commitment and ability to excel in a fast-paced environment; work effectively under time pressure and meet deadlines.
Highly professional demeanor, with strong interpersonal and customer service skills to effectively interact with all levels of staff.
Keen attention to detail and accuracy in all work products.
Confidence in addressing policy and procedure compliance questions.
Ability to manage high workload cycle times successfully.
Capability and willingness to work both independently and as a member of a team.
Ability to quickly learn new systems, processes, and procedures.
Flexibility in approach to work processes and tasks with the ability to adapt to process change quickly.
Authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or transfer sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

This position is part of the NED Bargaining Unit.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, desired salary, and contact information for three professional references, one of whom should be a supervisor.

Located in Washington, D.C., the salary range for this role is $64,500 - USD 102,750, plus benefits. The final offer for a successful candidate will be determined by a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, skill set, level of experience, education, and market considerations.

At NED, we recognize that our most important asset is our people. We value the diversity of skills and perspectives our team brings to our work. We believe an inclusive and supportive work environment fosters a culture of respect and appreciation for all individuals. NED is committed to creating a workplace that allows everyone to be their authentic selves and make meaningful contributions to our organization, grantees, and world.

NED strives to create a work experience that supports our employees' well-being and healthy work-life balance. Our comprehensive benefits package offers health insurance (includes no copay for mental health services), a generous retirement savings plan, paid parental, vacation, and sick leave, a hybrid workplace model, flexible work schedules, and wellness initiatives to ensure a positive work-life balance.

NED is dedicated to creating an environment of respect and collaboration where everyone is encouraged to participate and take ownership of their work. We offer flexible work schedules and, for most positions, the opportunity for weekly telework days. This hybrid approach allows our employees to balance their work and personal lives while still participating in the collaborative process at the heart of our mission.

The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics covered by applicable law. The NED is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for all qualified individuals and bases all employment decisions on qualifications, merit, and business needs. The NED believes that diversity and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success as an organization operating globally and seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

Please, no phone call inquiries. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org or careers@ned.org.