Senior Director of Finance

Senior Director of Finance

The Savanna Institute invites applications for a Senior Director of Finance, the Institute’s top finance role, reporting directly to the Executive Director. Responsibilities include all financial operations (internal and contracted) and planning. We welcome applicants from both nonprofit and for-profit finance backgrounds. Candidates with strong financial leadership experience in the private sector who have meaningfully engaged with nonprofit organizations— for example, through board or finance committee service— are encouraged to apply.

Familiarity with fund accounting principles is essential. We seek applicants who share our passion for ecological and equitable agriculture as a nature-based climate solution and who are motivated to widen the circle of who has the opportunity to inform, support, and benefit from its development. To that end, we are seeking a diversity of voices at the table and strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

The Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Madison, WI and Urbana, IL. Established in 2013, we work in collaboration with farmers, businesses, and scientists to lay the groundwork for widespread agroforestry in the Midwest US. Inspired by the native savanna ecosystems that once covered much of this region, we envision a transformed agricultural system, centered on trees and other perennial crops, that fosters ecological resilience, climate stability, economic prosperity, and vibrant, equitable communities.

For more information, please visit savanna institute.org.

Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week)

Location: Remote; must be located in or willing to relocate to Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, or Iowa

Start Date: August 31, 2026

Salary: $110,000-$150,000, based on experience

• This position is eligible for the Institute’s benefits package. Benefits for full-time employees include 160 hours (20 days) of paid time off annually plus 11 civic holidays, 480 hours (12 weeks) of parental/disability leave annually, a 401(k) retirement savings plan, a monthly home office stipend, and a cafeteria-style benefits plan that includes options: a monthly stipend that can be used for either reimbursement of healthcare costs (including ACA marketplace premiums) via an HRA plan, a dependent care pre‑tax account, a flex spending account, and/or a health savings account.
• This position reports to the Executive Director.
• This position includes supervisory responsibility for internal finance staff and an outside contracted accounting firm.

• Lead, manage, and mentor the internal finance team
• Oversee the relationship with and work product of a contracted accounting firm
• Evaluate and advise on the optimal balance of in‑house versus contracted finance functions over time
• Develop and maintain financial policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Drive continuous improvement of financial systems and processes
• Serve as financial liaison to Canopy Farm Management, the Institute’s subsidiary business

• Lead the annual organizational budgeting process in collaboration with department heads and the Executive Director
• Develop and maintain multi‑year financial forecasts
• Manage cash flow planning and monitoring to ensure organizational liquidity
• Provide cross‑departmental financial planning support

• Prepare and present financial reports for the Board of Directors and Finance Committee
• Support the Executive Director and senior leadership with financial analysis for major decisions
• Provide financial modeling, scenario planning, and capital planning in support of organizational strategy
• Participate in strategic financial planning and financial sustainability planning

• Coordinate and manage the annual audit process
• Oversee risk management and internal control systems
  
  Conduct organizational financial risk assessments and recommend mitigation…