Position details: Full-Time Salaried

Position title: Director, Finance Operations

Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a Director, Finance Operations to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, we have brought people together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares across Canada. NCC takes a collaborative, evidence-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With a national office in Toronto and seven regional offices across the country, NCC delivers results you can walk on.

NCC recognizes that we work on lands that have long been cared for by Indigenous Peoples under their own laws and knowledge systems. We are committed to transforming how we do our work, advancing Reconciliation through conservation, and working with Indigenous Peoples in meaningful, respectful, and supportive ways.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer. The Director, Finance Operations oversees NCC’s finance operations, driving financial optimization, aligning financial strategies with organizational priorities, and advancing key technology initiatives, including the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The role also emphasizes the adoption of best accounting practices and processes aligned with NCC’s strategic plan.

This role will support regional operating unit finance functions, collaborating with the broader finance team, providing operational support, and facilitating training and mentoring activities. Actively collaborates with senior staff within the organization, contributing to internal control, policy development and decision-making, and demonstrates expertise in reviewing financial reports and troubleshooting for the CFO.

The ideal candidate is a great team player with a big picture view, who is highly services oriented, execution focused, respectful and collaborative, with a strong ability to partner, collaborate across the regional areas and pivot as priorities change.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Management and Reporting analysis:

  • Oversee production of consolidated reporting package and provide analysis and commentary on period end reporting and regional results.
  • Review, approves and ensure financial reporting deadlines are met both externally and internally as it relates to regional operations
  • Review and analyze quarterly/annual financial reports prepared by Regional Controllers who have provided explanations of variances and supporting documentation for corporate roll-up, provincial management, and board reporting.
  • Support the development and implementation of tracking and reporting systems for provincial donors and grants.
  • In coordination with the Director, Corporate Finance provides oversight and support to the year end audit process and results and manages regional controller relationship with external auditor.
  • Ensures the necessary support systems are established to meet reporting requirement and comply with Canada revenue agency (CRA) regulations and Canadian Accounting standards for Not-for-profit organizations.

2. Leadership of Strategic Priorities, Projects and Process Improvements for the Finance Function:

  • Manage and drive strategic priorities and projects with the CFO, to ensure the finance operations are effective and efficient.
  • Develop financial models, scenario analysis, business cases and recommendations to identify opportunities for improvement and to support strategic decision making by the Executive Committee and Senior leadership team.
  • Build and manage finance dashboard to measure processing efficiency and metrics for the CFO.
  • Manage requirement gathering, documentation, communication, testing and implementation of finance projects initiatives as deemed appropriate.
  • Analyze existing finance processes and recommend opportunities to streamline, automate and or standardize.
  • Gain alignment for changes through in-depth knowledge of financial and business processes.
  • Conducts research, compile relevant data, analyzes the result and presents to Senior leadership team on various assigned special projects i.e. fundraising reports and targets.
  • Responsible for developing and implementing the system, procedure, or controls once approved.
  • Support a strong control environment by ensuring that improvements are well documented and that controls are centralized and standardized where possible.
  • Assist with the development of NCC’s strategic and regional plans, keep the CFO informed of emerging issues, collaborate as needed with the Director, Planning & Analytics and VP, Corporate Services and make decisions on daily operating and strategic responses as required.

3. Training and Mentoring:

  • Mentor and coach regional Controllers, providing ongoing training and guidance.Responsible for managing, directing, training and developing talent for the department.Promote opportunities for skills development in finance activities, emphasizing ethics, innovation, and strategic thinking.
  • Deliver training and coaching to the Finance team and collaborates with Director, Business Planning & Analytics to deliver finance-related training to non-finance business units.
  • Develop and coordinate finance training and financial literacy training, including on-boarding for new regional controllers and senior finance staff.

4. Relationship and Partnership Management:

  • Act as a resource to CFO and collaborates with Regional VPs and regional controllers to promote financial stewardship and excellence.
  • Participate in NCC stakeholder committees and various ad-hoc committees, teams and task forces.
  • Provide operational support to finance-related matters, including donor and grant review, tracking and reporting, and communication between regional and operating units.

Position Requirements

  • A genuine passion and connection to nature, with a strong commitment to the cause and mission of NCC
  • University degree in accounting, finance, business
  • MBA considered an asset
  • Canadian CPA designation
  • 5+ years of leadership, supervisory and managing professional accounting staff and financial and operational audits
  • Strong ability to influence without authority
  • Advanced problem-solving proficiency, equipped with proactive mindset
  • Strong business modelling acumen, with in depth financial analysis capabilities
  • Expertise in project management, ensure timely completion while balancing multiple priorities
  • Strong technical skills in Microsoft Office (advanced Excel), Power BI or similar business intelligence tools
  • Experience with ERP implementation
  • Experience with internal audit and SoX experience considered an asset
  • Experience in a national organization with a decentralized business model would be an asset.

Application Deadline

March 31, 2025 | 11:59pm EST, 9:59pm Mountain Time, 8:59pm Pacific Time, 10:50pm CST, 00:59 am +1 AST

At NCC, we're committed to providing a healthy, safe, barrier free and inclusive, workplace, where respect and diversity are recognized assets. We strive for bold conservation achievements in which equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are the norm. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. NCC implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. For a confidential inquiry, contact us by email at hr@natureconservancy.ca to make any required arrangements. If you have questions regarding accessible employment at NCC, please email us at hr@natureconservancy.ca.