Finance Director

About Quivira Coalition

Quivira Coalition is a Santa Fe-based nonprofit that builds resilience on working lands. We foster ecological, economic, and social health through education, innovation, and collaboration. We aim to shift current agricultural and land stewardship practices in ways that produce good food, support meaningful livelihoods in rural places, sustain biodiversity, and remedy the impacts of climate change. We conduct this work through agricultural apprenticeships, land and water restoration, and farmer- and rancher-led knowledge exchange. Knowing that it is critical to the success of our work, Quivira is committed to racial equity and inclusion, and we aspire to build and support a diverse staff, team, and community, including groups that are traditionally underrepresented within conservation and agriculture.

About our hiring process

Our hiring team consists of our executive director, director of operations, and several other team members who will review applications and participate in interviews for this position. We work as a team, so we hire as a team. Many other folks on staff help with our hiring process, including our communications team who helps us get the word out, and the operations team who helps design and hold our teams accountable to a consistent, transparent, and equitable process.

Who we’re looking for

The finance director is a senior operations leader responsible for stewarding the organization’s financial health, integrity, and compliance in support of mission delivery. Serving as the primary liaison to accounting and auditing firms, this role is accountable for the annual audit and Form 990, year-end close, and the accuracy, timeliness, and transparency of all financial systems, reports, and statements. The finance director ensures that Quivira’s accounting and financial management practices align with GAAP, CFR requirements, funder and government regulations, and organizational needs. They oversee budgeting and cash management, accounts payable and receivable, vendor relationships, and internal controls; produce regular and board-level financial reports; and partner closely with program directors and fundraising staff to support sound decision-making, grant compliance, and sustainable growth.

Description of the position

The finance director works closely with the operations director and chief of staff to ensure Quivira has financial systems, workflows, and recordkeeping to support effective reporting and financial decisionmaking. The finance director is part of the operations team, led by the operations director, but reports to the executive director. This structure allows the finance director to support the executive director’s overall responsibility for financial stewardship and accountability and provides necessary information to support the board’s fiduciary duty.

Specific duties and responsibilities

Finance - 90%

Financials

• Leads Quivira’s annual audit and 990 filings, including serving as lead contact and project manager for accounting and auditing firms
• Oversees financial management and accounting systems, ensuring they are based on best practices, GAAP, CFR requirements, organizational needs, and DEI goals
• Ensures the organization is compliant with external requirements of grantors and government, including any corrective action plan
• Project manages, in partnership with the executive director and chief of staff, organizational budget creation
• Works with program directors in budgeting and finance procedures
• Supports budget process with board, and works with the executive director, chief of staff, and accountants to provide reports that facilitate budget management, including quarterly financial reports and statements for the board
• Manages all regular financial reports, reconciliations, journal entries and statements, including work with leadership team to review monthly financial statements
• Manages all accounts payable and receivable including monitoring, approvals, invoice creation, deposits, and filing
• Maintains all vendor relationships and records, and approves all prepaid and autopayment expenses
• Regularly monitors cash (e.g. bank, petty, etc), credit card, investment, and other financial accounts for accuracy and fraud
• Manages and reviews the year-end closing of financials
• Supports operations director in development of SOPs and resources around financials and implementation through staff support and training

Grants

• Supports fundraising team in developing grants management strategies and systems that align with financial and operational procedures
• Supports program directors and grant manager documentation needed for grant applications, reporting, and invoicing
• Reviews all government grant application budgets, financial reports, and claims, working with the grants manager to resolve any discrepancies
• Ensures reconciliation of timekeeping and expense reports through monthly accounting reports for federal grants
• Works with program directors and grant manager to create documentation needed for grant applications, reporting, invoicing, and annual reports.

Other - 10%

• Supervises the operations coordinator (finance) and, if necessary, grants manager
• Contributes to the annual REGENERATE Conference registration preparation, supports conference finances and reconciliation, and contributes to other conference activities as needed
• Contributes to other activities and special projects as assigned by the operations director or executive director
• Supports organizational events and workshops as needed
• Participates in staff meetings, organization committees, strategic planning, retreats and other required all-staff activities
• Supports and contributes to the operations team structures, annual calendar, and culture
• Actively engages in Quivira’s diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism efforts

Qualifications/experience:

We recognize and value the many ways to learn, grow, and succeed professionally, and acknowledge that individuals acquire skills, knowledge, and perspectives through diverse educational, professional, personal, and volunteer experiences. We take all relevant experiences into account when reviewing applications and ask that you share with us the unique strengths and experiences that you will bring to Quivira and to your work.

Required qualifications:

• Exceptional bookkeeping and QuickBooks experience and application of GAAP
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, with demonstrated ability to maintain organized, complete, and records
• Superior organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple workflows and deadlines
• Excellent discretion, including the ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism around sensitive financial information
• Substantive experience in nonprofit administration and management
• Substantive experience with annual audits
• Experience managing team information technology, (e.g. GSuite, Slack, Zoom, and Asana)
• Ability to work well with people from institutional and governmental organizations, accounting firms, and auditors
• Clear and timely communication skills, with the ability to collaboratively manage staff, contractors, and supervisors
• Professional written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
• Capacity and competency for cross-cultural communication, and to work with diverse groups of people
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs

Desired qualifications:

• Substantive experience with federal single audits
• Experience supporting a remote team across multiple states
• Experience managing direct reports
• Certified Public Accountant
• Experience writing grants and engaging in other types of nonprofit fundraising
• Passionate about working with ranchers, farmers, and other land stewards, and about the work they do
• An understanding of how conservation and agriculture have historically and currently impacted Hispanic, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color
• Multi-lingual in Spanish or Native languages

Terms of employment:

Quivira is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization. We embrace and encourage applicants of all ethnicities, national origins, races, colors, socio-economic statuses, ages, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, family or marital statuses, disability status, physical and mental abilities, political affiliations, religions, genetic information, or veteran statuses.

• Reports to the executive director
• Full-time, 36 hours a week, salaried
• Salary range for this position: $70,000 - $75,000 depending on experience, paid bi-weekly.
• This position is based in Santa Fe, NM, with a required 2 days in office.
• No relocation compensation.
• After 60 days, benefits include health, dental, vision, simple IRA, paid time off, short- and long-term life disability insurance, and continuing education benefit.