Controller

For over 50 years, Earthjustice has protected the environment and advocated for the rights of all living beings by using the power of the law to fight for justice and ensure a sustainable future for our planet. With an operational budget of over $150mm and a board-designated endowment of $250mm, Earthjustice seeks a skilled Controller to lead its finance functions in navigating growth and meeting the demand for this organization’s impact and innovation. Reporting to the CFO, the Controller is a strategic and valued thought partner. They will oversee a strong team responsible for protecting the organization’s financial assets and bring leadership and skill in managing financial risk.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice is the nation’s largest, oldest, and most active public interest environmental law organization. Its staff of over 560—including over 200 litigators—wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect public health, address environmental injustice, defend irreplaceable ecosystems, and transition the US economy to 100% clean energy while working to protect people and the planet from climate change. Earthjustice partners with thousands of groups, tribes, individuals, and communities to address the environmental crises of our time. Earthjustice is here because the Earth needs a good lawyer. In the past year, Earthjustice has been at the forefront of climate action assisting with dynamic policy changes and construction of the new clean economy. Earthjustice staff fight to retire dirty power plants and eliminate barriers to clean energy infrastructure. Blocking fossil fuel expansion is an essential part of their work to safeguard people’s health and ensure the sustainability of communities all over the globe. Earthjustice victories in preserving and restoring healthy ecosystems in Tongass, Bristol Bay and the Boundary Waters are heroic.

A workplace anchored in justice, partnership, diversity, equity, and inclusion, Earthjustice’s culture is built on respect, empathy, and active learning. Earthjustice prioritizes equity in hiring practices, staff development, financial practices, and advancement. Earthjustice’s culture of inclusion promotes agency, comfort, humor, and joy and is a work atmosphere in which employees thrive and grow. It is a place where satisfaction is high, and attrition is very low. These priorities and values are also reflected in the organization’s board members who insist on and safeguard the highest standards of good governance.

With the urgency for climate action, Earthjustice’s position as the powerhouse in environmental litigation and advocacy meets this moment. For this work, they are seeking an advanced financial leader to join their mission. The new Controller shares a passion for environmental justice and is a catalyst for a highly functioning finance team. They are responsible for protecting the organization’s financial assets, managing financial risk, guiding decision making and overseeing the accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and audit functions. They ensure that all financial policies are enforced, all processes are compliant, and that controls are in place to safeguard Earthjustice’s assets. An expert on risk and best practices, the Controller contributes to and collaborates widely with Earthjustice’s team and organization.

Responsibilities

Vision and Leadership

• Advise and support the CFO by bringing strategy and skill at the process and program level.
• A leader focused on excellence and growth, the Controller articulates process and program implementation at Earthjustice’s scale with a natural ability to think, create, and stage out change effectively and comprehensively.
• A valued partner who identifies problems, distills complex concepts, and brings plans and ideas for solutions.
• Deeply experienced with a full program of risk management, the Controller is a leader who prioritizes time based on risk.
• A compelling communicator who interprets, communicates, and brings an understanding of financial information to all constituencies.
• A seasoned leader and change agent who understands what questions to ask. • An experienced manager who has navigated and led a team through growth and shifting factors.

Accounting

• Oversee all accounting activities including financial closes and reporting, payroll, and accounts payable.
• Develop and implement accounting policies and procedures to ensure timely and accurate interim and year-end financial statements.
• Assess business risks and respond accordingly to optimize effectiveness and create a strong internal control environment.
• Ensure all policies and practices conform to GAAP and any other relevant legal and regulatory frameworks, such as UPMIFA.
• Manage the process of allocations/assessments.
• Administer 403(b), 457(b) and any other financial benefits plans.

Audit

• Oversee and ensure timely and successful completion of organizational audits, filing and issuance of financial statements.
• Oversee annual IRS filings (990, and 5500) and state tax filings and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local reporting and compliance standards.
• Oversee internal audit program to ensure compliance with financial policies, adoption of best practices, mitigation of risk and engaging in continuous improvement.
• Monitor use of lines of credit and credit cards to ensure organization has the resources necessary to meet day-to-day operating needs

Management & Partnership

• Set a vision for accounting functions in a constantly changing and increasingly complex organization.
• Coach, mentor and effectively (and engagingly) manage team by providing regular feedback; setting and measuring annual goals; and completing regular performance evaluations.
• Create a learning culture by encouraging dialogue and reflection before and after major projects.
• Support and champion organizational DEI goals.
• Equip and develop team skills to meet the evolving needs of the organization.
• Partner closely with CFO to design the best finance team for evolving needs.

*Reports directly to the CFO. Supervisory Responsibilities: Oversees team of 8 staff total and has 3 direct reports.

Qualifications

The Controller is an advanced practitioner with a depth of financial leadership experience in a similarly complex and large organization, ideally in the nonprofit sector. The Controller brings seasoned experience in system and process improvement with proven results along The Controller brings seasoned experience in system and process improvement with proven results along with deep expertise in full-cycle nonprofit accounting operations, treasury management, risk management, audit, and compliance. with deep expertise in full-cycle nonprofit accounting operations, treasury management, risk management, audit, and compliance. They are currently a Controller of Director equivalent and serve as the ultimate accountant of their current or former organization.

Essential personal assets include:

• Authentic passion for the mission and work of Earthjustice.
• Steady, thoughtful, deeply credible leader and steward of resources.
• Exceptional self-awareness, intentional diplomacy, and maturity.
• High emotional intelligence with ability to adapt to a continually evolving environment and find common ground among diverse perspectives and stakeholders.
• Experience leading a diverse team with understanding of the impact of one’s behavior.
• Deep cultural competence reflecting humility and true desire for ongoing learning about different cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
• Strong work ethic with high personal integrity and professional standards of transparency and accountability.
• Thinks and operates at the strategic level, pivoting to hands-on as needed.
• A phenomenal leader of teams who finds the right balance of self-confidence and humility to build consensus, guide others through decisions, and help this high functioning group thrive.
• Active listener who is comfortable with conflict in the pursuit of excellence.

Professional experience must include:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field. Master’s degree in accounting preferred.
• CPA or CMA
• Minimum of ten years of experience with increasing complexity in accounting, preferably in a nonprofit setting, including at least five years of management experience.

Additional preferred experience:

• Experience in public accounting or internal audit functions.
• Experience and credibility working with a board audit committee.
• C4 and international nonprofit or for-profit experience.
• Retirement plan administration experience.

Salary & Benefits

Earthjustice is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, DC. Ideally, the Controller will lead at headquarters in San Francisco where they would be close to the Chief Financial Officer and a portion of the f inance team working under a hybrid model.

The Controller position is eligible for remote work or work from one of Earthjustice’s other offices. This position offers a competitive salary and includes a comprehensive benefits package. Compensation is based on experience and location with an expected starting salary range of $223,700 – $248,500 for San Francisco or New York. For Chicago, Washington, DC, or Seattle the range is $212,500 – $236,100.

Denver, Philadelphia, Juneau the range is $201,300 – $223,700 and for New Orleans, Miami, Texas- the range is $190,200-$211,300.

For other locations or remote, the salary range may vary from $190,200-$236,100.