Division Finance Director, Great Plains

What We Can Achieve Together

The Division Finance Director, Great Plains oversees the strategy, analysis, and management of financial activities and contracts services for the Great Plains Division, which covers 10 states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. They serve as a thought partner to the Great Plains Division Director and Division Leadership Team in decision making, budgeting, and resource allocation. The position works across the Great Plains Division to strengthen financial strategy, stewardship, alignment, and decision support. They also collaborate with Division leadership and Legal to ensure that the Contracts team is providing timely, effective support to Great Plains Business Units. The DFD provides broad oversight of Great Plains Division finances, including planning, reporting, and analysis of current finance and operations activities. They identify gaps in alignment and opportunities for efficiency and ensure financial management standards and compliance requirements are met. The DFD represents the Great Plains Division in regional and organization-wide initiatives and tailors implementation for the Division. This includes effectively addressing challenging situations that could affect the Division’s long-term financial or operational position. As needed, the DFD works across the organization to resolve high-priority issues, such as process gaps that impact business processes. The DFD is responsible for synthesizing financial information for senior leaders and developing creative financial strategies that direct resources toward critical work. They drive improved financial performance and reduce financial and operational risk by identifying trends, anticipating challenges, and translating insights into actions that strengthen the Division’s financial position. They provide subject matter expertise, serve as a resource to the Great Plains Management Team, and drive alignment across the Division. The DFD manages the newly formed Great Plains Division Finance team, an organization of 18 staff members that includes six direct reports, and is accountable for setting direction, building team capability, and ensuring coordinated delivery of finance and contracts support services across the Division. This position reports to the North America Region Finance Director with a dotted line to the Great Plains Division Director.

Responsibilities & Scope

• Develops and implements financial strategy for the Great Plains Division, including resource deployment, risk management, and financial health.
• Leads and manages the newly formed Great Plains Division Finance team of 18 staff members, including six direct reports; establishes team priorities, develops staff capabilities, manages performance, and ensures coordinated, high-quality finance and contracts support across the Division.
• Delivers financial expertise, thought partnership, and decision-making support to the Great Plains Division Director, Great Plains Division Leadership Team, and Business Unit Finance staff.
• Provides divisional leadership and influence by shaping cross-functional priorities, strengthening alignment among Pods and business units, and advancing finance-informed decisions across the Great Plains Division.
• Leads long-range financial planning and sustainability efforts, including scenario analysis and strategic resource allocation to balance near-term priorities with long-term conservation and organizational needs.
• Translates complex financial information into clear, decision-oriented insights and recommendations for executive leaders.
• Partners with philanthropy and fundraising leaders to align financial strategy with revenue goals, assess funding opportunities, and develop sustainable funding approaches for divisional priorities.
• Collaborates with Great Plains stakeholders on organization-wide initiatives, including Workday stabilization, and the operations and funding model, and tailors implementation for the Great Plains Division.
• Leads planning, reporting, and analysis for Great Plains Division finances, including development of the Division budget.
• Provides broad oversight of Great Plains Division Finance and Contracts activities to ensure financial management standards and compliance requirements are met.
• Responsible for overseeing the Contracts Manager, who leads a team supporting contracts, procurement, purchasing, agreement workflows, documentation, and compliance across the Great Plains Division.
• Manages and directs the implementation of multiple projects in a strategic, integrated and collaborative approach. Decisions may have program-wide impact and may bind the organization or organizational unit financially and legally.
• Ensures programmatic commitments, TNC policies and procedures, financial standards and legal requirements are met and managed for ethical compliance.
• Reports to senior leadership on functional activities.

We’re Looking for You

Are you looking for work you can believe in? At TNC we strive to embody a philosophy of Work that You Can Believe in where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone with strong experience in leading a diverse, multi-disciplinary team. The ideal candidate should have exceptional communication and collaboration skills and experience designing, organizing, and directing complex projects. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by directing and shaping the work of our team!

What You’ll Bring

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field and 7 years related work experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with accounting principles, practices, and regulations.
• Experience implementing or managing financial systems.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with financial management of an enterprise or sizable organizational unit.
• Ability to resolve complex issues collaboratively and proactively.
• Professional certification as a CPA or CIA.
• Ability to foster an environment of creativity and professional growth.
• Extensive management experience including ability to motivate, lead, set objectives, and manage performance of a large multi-disciplinary team.
• Advanced knowledge of current and evolving trends in relevant discipline.
• Successful experience in developing, directing and managing multiple projects.
• Superb communication and presentation skills.
• Experience acting as a resource to others to solve problems.

Salary Information

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $136,850-$185,000. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

Who We Are

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued.

What We Bring

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.