Finance Director

Finance Director

Remote

Full-time

The Climate and Land Use Alliance, LLC (CLUA) is a collaborative of foundations seeking to amplify the power of people and the potential of forests for a just and climate-resilient world (the Alliance). The CLUA member foundations are the ClimateWorks Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies also awards grants in alignment with the CLUA strategy. By bringing together our resources and diverse expertise, CLUA supports policies, practices, and partnerships that halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous and forest communities. For more, please visit climateandlandusealliance.org.

CLUA is a sole-member limited liability corporation within ClimateWorks Foundation. Currently, CLUA shares ClimateWorks’ accounting and payment systems and is consolidated in ClimateWorks’ audited financial statements and U.S. federal tax returns. This arrangement may change as a result of CLUA’s ongoing restructuring activities.

CLUA is also the host of Forest, People, Climate (FPC), a collaborative of philanthropic donors, civil society, and community-based organizations seeking to halt and reverse tropical deforestation while supporting just, sustainable development.

FPC focuses on equitable and enduring solutions that safeguard tropical forests and support those stewarding them, in particular, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities in tropical forest countries. It works with experts, nongovernmental organizations, and donors to identify the strategic priorities that must be addressed to end and reverse deforestation, to mobilize the funding for those priorities, and to strengthen broad networks of partners.

CLUA hosts FPC to accelerate progress toward shared goals of raising more support and moving more resources to organizations working to halt and reverse tropical deforestation. In this role, CLUA provides core operational support to FPC, including grants administration support, and seeks to support a diverse range of partners actively aligning to advance the success of FPC, which includes those mobilizing new funding, developing strategies collaboratively with experts and organizations closest to the work, and equitably supporting the field with a focus on those historically excluded.

Position Description

The Finance Director will lead all aspects of financial management for CLUA and FPC, stepping into a role that requires comfort operating in ambiguity and a strong orientation toward problem-solving. This leader will play a critical role in shaping and evolving the finance and accounting infrastructure, with a focus on leveraging technology to improve accuracy, streamline processes, and strengthen decision-making. The Director will bring deep expertise in financial planning and analysis, paired with experience in public charity grantmaking, to guide budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and audit coordination. They will also oversee accounts payable and receivable and manage a small team.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Operations, this role serves as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director (ED), Senior Director, Operations, Director of Development, Director of Human Resources, and the Board Finance Committee. The Finance Director will work closely with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Program Leads, translating financial insights into actionable strategies and supporting strong fiscal stewardship across the organization.

CLUA is in an exciting period of evolution, creating a unique opportunity for the Finance Director to help design and implement systems and processes that align with the organization’s expanding impact. As CLUA evolves, including potential changes to its current financial and operational structure, this role will be instrumental in scoping and leading the implementation of new financial systems and frameworks. The Finance Director will help build a forward-looking finance function that not only supports compliance and rigor but also enables innovation and sustained growth in service of the organization’s mission.

Location

The ideal candidate will be based in a timezone between UTC -8 (Pacific) and UTC -3 (Brazil/Buenos Aires), inclusive. The position will require working remotely with a flexible work schedule that may include early and late calls and activities to support colleagues in multiple time zones in the Americas, Europe, Indonesia, and Africa.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Leadership & Organizational Partnership

• Provide strategic financial leadership during periods of organizational evolution, ensuring financial structures, systems, and policies evolve in step with CLUA’s operating model, scale, and global footprint.
• Identify and implement changes needed to support resilience, compliance, and long-term sustainability across jurisdictions.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the ED, Senior Director of Operations, SMT, and Board Finance Committee, translating financial insights into actionable guidance.
• Act as staff liaison to the Finance Committee under the direction of the ED and Senior Director of Operations.

Financial Planning, Analysis & Decision Support

• Lead the development and maintenance of an organization-wide financial strategy and long-term financial plans.
• Develop financial forecasts and lead multi-year scenario and contingency planning processes (FP&A).
• Establish and monitor key indicators of financial health and resilience, ensuring effective management of financial risks.
• Lead the annual operating budget process in partnership with the Senior Director, Operations and SMT, including presentation to the Finance Committee and Board.

Financial Management, Grantmaking & Reporting

• Oversee monthly financial close and prepare timely, accurate internal financial reports for the SMT, Board, and Program Leads to support strong decision-making and program management.
• Partner with Development and Operations to develop grant proposal budgets, allocations, and modifications.
• Oversee tracking, stewardship, and reporting on the use of grant and other funding resources, ensuring alignment with funder requirements and organizational priorities.

Systems, Processes & Operational Excellence

• Assess, recommend, and implement finance systems and tools that enhance accuracy, transparency, and efficiency; lead system transitions with a focus on risk mitigation, staff training, and data integrity.
• Design, document, and continuously improve financial policies and procedures to support a growing and evolving organization.
• Coordinate with ClimateWorks Foundation (or lead independently following reorganization) on the annual audit process, including financial statements, audit, and tax filings, ensuring compliance and timeliness.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead and develop the finance and accounting function, with a strong focus on coaching, mentoring, and supporting individual growth and skill development across the team.
• Assess and align team structure, roles, and responsibilities to ensure clarity, accountability, and effective coverage of all core functions.
• Evaluate and manage workload distribution to promote sustainability, efficiency, and the highest and best use of team members’ skills and capacity.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen team capabilities, implement professional development plans, and build a high-performing, adaptable finance function.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and shared ownership of outcomes while maintaining a hands-on approach to key processes.

Preferred Experience & Competencies

Applicants will ideally have many of the following competencies and some of the following experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field and 7+ years of relevant combined education and experience in the nonprofit sector, i.e., finance and accounting, preferably in a grant-funded environment. MBA or CPA a plus.
• Experience working as part of an international team preferred
• Experience with reorgs, new entity registration, and related activities.
• Demonstrated experience in Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and forecasting
• Excellent mathematical, analysis, auditing, and accounting skills.
• Ability to lead departments and individuals.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to create user-friendly reports and present them to others.
• Knowledge of financial accounting and general ledger software, with Sage Intacct experience a plus.
• Strong creative skills to develop new and innovative solutions.
• Experience creating usable budgets at different levels of detail and maintaining shared cost allocations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills and ability to work both independently and in a team format.
• Flexibility, adaptability, curiosity, and integrity.
• Commitment to CLUA’s mission and focus on climate, nature, and justice.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 20%).

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is [USD $100,000 to $232,500] per year, depending on experience and geography.

Equal Opportunity and Access

Equal employment opportunity is a fundamental principle at the Climate and Land Use Alliance, where employment, staffing, and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Climate and Land Use Alliance does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.

Application Process

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities to apply. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To be considered, please apply online and submit a cover letter and resume in English.