Financial Operations & Compliance Director

Summary

Description

Financial Operations & Compliance Director

Overview

The Financial Operations & Compliance Director provides operational financial leadership for Western Conservation Foundation (WCF) and its affiliated 501(c)(4), Western Conservation Action (WCA). WCF is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on building stronger leaders across the Intermountain West to protect our air, land, and water. WCF is a strategic re-granter that engages with a broad range of grantees working on the ground to achieve shared advocacy goals. WCF and WCA operate closely together under a formal cost-sharing agreement. In 2025, WCF’s operating budget was $15 million and WCA’s was $5 million.

This role ensures that financial, compliance, and HR systems, processes, and documentation are accurate and well managed. This is a hands-on operational leadership role focused on building reliable systems, ensuring accuracy, and keeping complex operations running smoothly. This includes supporting compliance by tracking organizational policies, grant and contract requirements, and 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) governance structures.

The Financial Operations & Compliance Director supervises one staff member who is responsible for day-to-day payment processing and transaction execution, and ensures strong coordination between transactional work and financial oversight. The Financial Operations & Compliance Director reports directly to the Chief Operations Officer (COO).

Core Responsibilities

1. Accounting & Financial Operations

• Oversee accounting systems using QuickBooks Online to ensure accuracy across both affiliated entities

• Working with the COO, build a deep understanding of the organizational budgets, helping to maintain them, ensure proper coordination and alignment with accounting systems, and identify opportunities for system improvements

• Review and manage monthly and annual close processes

• Ensure consistent, well-documented financial practices, including those necessary for donor reporting

• Implement and monitor regular allocations related to the cost-sharing agreement

• Supervise and support one staff person, ensuring accurate and timely transaction processing through BILL and Fluxx Grant Manager databases

• Manage daily transaction flow into QuickBooks, ensuring accuracy and troubleshooting as needed

• Apply established accounting frameworks while also identifying ways to improve systems to increase efficiency and reduce risk

2. Nonprofit Compliance, Governance & Documentation

• Support organizational compliance with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) governance requirements, as well as rules and restrictions associated with funding sources

• Manage processes that ensure all agreements entered into by each organization are accurate and adhere to all relevant rules and regulations. Approximately 300 grant agreements and 100 contracts are processed per year

• Build on existing systems that track and enforce restrictions on incoming funds, ensuring funds are spent and documented appropriately

• Manage compliance with the organizations’ established Document Retention Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, and other relevant policies

• Support preparation and coordination of annual filings (e.g., Form 990) in partnership with leadership and the Board of Directors

• Ensure records, internal controls, and processes are audit-ready and defensible

• Identify potential compliance or governance risks and proactively raise them to leadership

3. HR, Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Oversee financial and operational aspects of benefits administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for staff questions related to benefits, payroll, and HR policies for employees located across the country (currently in 10 states)

• Engage with new hires to ensure smooth onboarding to all HR and benefits systems

• Implement and maintain HR policies and systems, ensuring they are clearly documented and consistently applied

• Manage timelines and processes for benefits renewals, vendor coordination, and related decision-making cycles, ensuring leadership has adequate time for consideration

• Oversee payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, documentation, and alignment with organizational practices

• Partner with leadership on the ongoing development and refinement of HR policies and systems, including conducting research, benchmarking, and vendor coordination to inform policy updates and improvements

• Understand and communicate the financial and operational implications of HR decisions, including benefits, compensation structures, and policy changes

• Ensure that HR systems and policies are practical, well implemented, and supportive of staff

4. Audit Coordination

• Lead the annual consolidated audit process

• Manage auditor relationships and communication

• Oversee audit preparation and ensure readiness year-round, including producing all necessary audit schedules and tax filing information

• Respond to auditor questions and guide documentation development

• Strengthen systems and processes to support smooth, low-stress audits

Working Style & Approach

• Systems-oriented and detail-driven

• Comfortable overseeing complex financial and compliance operations

• Effective at supervising and supporting transactional staff, as well as communicating with staff across the organization

• Proactive in identifying issues and improving processes

• Collaborative and communicative with leadership and staff

• Focused on building sustainable, low-risk financial operations

Requirements

• At least ten years of nonprofit accounting or financial operations experience, including QuickBooks Online experience

• At least five years of experience in a role engaging with nonprofit compliance and building systems that adhere to all necessary rules and regulations

• Available to work in WCF’s Denver, Colorado, office

• Experience leading or coordinating audits

• Interest in working in a fast-paced environmental organization with geographically dispersed staff

Preferred

• CPA certification is preferred but not required

• Experience with multi-entity environments (501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) preferred)

• Experience working as part of a grantmaking organization

• Experience supervising accounting or operations staff

• Familiarity with advocacy-oriented organizations is a plus

What Else You Should Know

This is a full-time, exempt position based in WCF’s office in Denver, Colorado. While this position is based in our Denver headquarters, the majority of WCF’s employees work remotely across the West and in Washington, DC. The role requires occasional travel for staff retreats across the West.

The salary for this position ranges from $125,000–$145,000. Salary depends on relevant experience, and new staff rarely start at the top of the range.

Western Conservation Foundation recognizes that our employees are our most important investment. We are a team of parents, partners, and contributing community members, and we take seriously our commitment to these values. Our benefits package includes paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave. WCF offers full family medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage for employees and their dependents, as well as a health reimbursement account (HRA). We offer six weeks of paid family leave, with 12 weeks of job protection. Retirement benefits include an employer-sponsored 403(b) with an employer contribution.

Western Conservation Foundation is committed to increasing justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization and in the conservation movement. We recruit, employ, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. WCF is an equal opportunity employer.

How To Apply

Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter outlining how they see themselves stepping into this role to jobs@wcfnd.org.

The position is open until filled, with priority review beginning on April 20, 2026.