Director of Finance

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide; Eugene (OR); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and life insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Flex spending account

Professional development assistance

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) seeks a Director of Finance to serve as the senior financial executive and strategic partner to the Executive Director and Board. This role leads all financial operations, long-range planning, grants management, internal controls, and enterprise risk management, ensuring resources align with mission and priorities.

The successful candidate will supervise the Accounting Manager, collaborate with program leaders, and strengthen financial systems while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible finance/accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years leading a finance department or senior finance leadership role.
• Significant nonprofit experience and experience with international operations.
• Experience with grants management, budgeting, forecasting, audits, and reporting.
• Strong GAAP knowledge and internal controls; ability to present to boards.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership to the Executive Director and Board.
• Lead annual budgets, grant budgets, and multi-year forecasts.
• Prepare financial statements, dashboards, and variance analyses.
• Oversee internal controls, fund accounting, and compliance with GAAP/nonprofit standards.
• Manage cash flow, banking relationships, and liquidity planning.
• Oversee grants reporting and audit processes with the Accounting Manager.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international fiscal regulations.
• Support leadership with compensation, benefits, and financial modeling.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial reporting

GAAP knowledge

Nonprofit finance

Board presentation

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance

Tools

MIP Fund Accounting

Job description

Location: Remote within the United States or In-person in Eugene, Oregon

Salary Range: $125,000-$140,000 Reports to: Executive Director Supervises: Accounting Manager, and future Finance team membersStatus: Exempt, Full-Time

About the Organization

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) is an international NGO, registered in Oregon as a nonprofit. At ELAW, we believe that environmental protection and human rights are inseparable—and that the best solutions come from those closest to the problem. That’s why we support a global network of public interest lawyers and scientists in 80+ countries working to protect communities and ecosystems through law. Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, ELAW connects local expertise with global impact—empowering people on the front lines of environmental and human rights challenges.

About the Role

The Director of Finance serves as ELAW's senior financial executive and strategic business partner to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. The CFO provides leadership for all financial operations, long-range financial strategy, budgeting, accounting, cash management, grants management, internal controls, enterprise risk management, compliance, investments, and organizational sustainability. The CFO leads the finance function, supervises the Accounting Manager, and partners with the Leadership Team to ensure financial resources are aligned with mission, strategic priorities, and responsible stewardship.

What You’ll Do

• Provide strategic financial leadership and advise the Executive Director and Board on organizational sustainability, reserves, investments, and long-term financial planning.
• Lead development of annual operating budgets, expense authorization system, grant budgets, and multi-year financial forecasts.
• Prepare financial statements, dashboards, variance analyses, and executive reporting.
• Ensure strong internal controls, accounting policies, fund accounting, and compliance with GAAP and nonprofit accounting standards.
• Direct cash flow management, liquidity planning, and banking relationships.
• Oversee financial reporting and compliance for foundation, government, and institutional grants.
• Work with Accounting Manager to complete annual audit, relationships with auditors.
• Prepare and file 990
• Develop and ensure adherence to financial policies and strengthen enterprise risk management.
• Manage fiscal sponsor arrangements.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international financial regulations
• Partner with leadership on compensation, benefits, insurance, and organizational financial modeling.
• Present financial reports to the Board of Directors and Finance & Personnel Committee.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop the Accounting Manager and future finance staff.
• Evaluate and improve financial systems, technology, and business processes.
• Support strategic initiatives through financial analysis, scenario planning, and decision support.
• Build collaborative relationships with program leaders to improve financial stewardship across the organization.
• Work with the Regranting Manager on strengthening and streamlining internal systems for regranting management, ensuring compliance, transparency, and sustainability while mitigating organizational risk.

Who You Are

You are an experienced finance professional with 10+ years’ experience in progressive financial management, including leading the full finance function. You thrive in a collaborative, cross-cultural environment and are eager to support a mission-driven global community.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible finance/accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years leading a finance department or serving in a senior finance leadership role.
• Significant experience in a nonprofit organization.
• Significant experience supporting financial operations in an international organization or NGO.
• Extensive experience with nonprofit fund accounting, restricted funding, grants management, budgeting, forecasting, audits, and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated experience presenting financial information to Boards of Directors.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, nonprofit accounting standards, Uniform Guidance, and internal controls.
• Experience supervising finance professionals.
• Excellent communication and executive leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA strongly preferred.
• MBA or Master\'s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business preferred.
• Experience with MIP Fund Accounting or comparable nonprofit ERP systems.
• Experience supporting organizations with diverse foundation and individual sources of funding.
• Experience with grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship arrangements.
• Experience working in an international organization.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic thinking; executive presence; organizational leadership; financial stewardship; change management; collaboration; coaching and talent development; integrity; systems thinking; sound judgment; commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and mission.

Why Join Us

At ELAW, you’ll be part of an international network advancing justice and sustainability—while helping keep our Eugene base running as the heart of that mission.

We offer:

• Competitive pay
• Health and life insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Paid time off
• Flexible spending account
• Professional development assistance
• A collaborative, values-driven culture committed to inclusivity and learning

This is a chance to contribute to meaningful global change every day.

Note

Equity statement: We actively seek applicants from diverse backgrounds and encourage applications from those historically underrepresented in the legal field. ELAW is committed to equity, inclusion, and justice in our work and in our workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, disability, immigration status, sexual orientation, or any other protected identity.