Working at SUWA
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) staff is made up of passionate advocates working together to defend Utah’s redrock wilderness. We value autonomy, persistence, collaboration, and a hands-on attitude from our fellow team members.
We act with integrity, transparency, loyalty, and respect to each other and our mission. We’re proud to work for SUWA in no small part because our work matters. It matters for the canyons and mesas we seek to protect, as part of addressing the loss of nature and the extinction crisis, and in mitigating the harm from climate change.
We are the best at what we do: defending and protecting the redrock wilderness. Where feasible, we offer flexible work hours and considerable paid leave. But we also step up to do what is necessary to protect the redrock.
Current Openings
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (on-site, full-time, exempt)
Salary Range: $115,000 – $125,000, commensurate with experience
Application Deadline: October 13, 2025
Download the Finance Director Job Description as a PDF
About the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is the only nonprofit organization working full-time to protect Utah’s redrock wilderness—some of the most spectacular public lands in America. Since 1983, SUWA’s staff, board, and members have worked to defend this landscape from threats like fossil fuel development, unnecessary road construction, and destructive off-road vehicle use. With offices in Salt Lake City, Moab, and Washington, DC, and a membership base of over 12,000 across the country, SUWA has secured lasting protections for more than 5.5 million acres of wild public lands.
Our mission is to preserve the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau and ensure these lands remain in their natural state for the benefit of all. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work and in our organization, knowing that the redrock is for everyone.
The Opportunity
SUWA seeks a Finance Director to join our senior leadership team and steward the financial, operational, and administrative functions of the organization. This is a pivotal leadership role, working closely with the Executive Director, board, and senior staff to ensure SUWA’s financial health and long-term sustainability.
The Finance Director manages SUWA’s finance and operations functions, supervises the HR & Operations Director, and plays a key role in aligning internal systems with SUWA’s mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead development, management, and tracking of SUWA’s annual budget.
- Oversee financial reporting, audits, compliance, and 990 preparation.
- Manage cash flow, forecasting, investments, and relationships with external advisors.
- Direct human resources policies, compliance, and employee benefits.
- Oversee administrative systems, risk management, insurance, contracts, and vendor relationships.
- Supervise and support the HR & Operations Director.
- Collaborate with the Development Manager on revenue projections, grant reporting, and fundraising support.
- Serve on the senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and board preparation.
Qualifications
- Minimum of eight years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including at least three years in a leadership role managing financial operations for an organization of comparable size or complexity.
- Demonstrated senior-level expertise in financial management systems, budgeting, forecasting, audit preparation, and data analysis, with strong knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles, fund accounting, and compliance requirements (GAAP, IRS, federal/state).
- Experience leading finance and operations staff and working collaboratively with senior leadership and Boards of Directors.
- Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit financial management and HR oversight.
- Experience managing cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and strategic thinking abilities.
- High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism.
- Commitment to wilderness preservation and SUWA’s mission.
Location, Compensation & Benefits
- Location: SUWA’s Salt Lake City office. We work a hybrid schedule with at least 3 days per week in the office.
- Salary range: $115,000–$125,000, commensurate with experience.
- Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, retirement contributions, and generous leave policies; details can be found online at suwa.org/careers.
- A supportive, mission-driven culture with opportunities for professional development.
Application Process & Additional Information
Please submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@suwa.org. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in SUWA’s mission and how your background prepares you for this leadership role.
Application deadline: October 13, 2025.
A background check will be required prior to employment.
The lands SUWA works to protect are the ancestral homelands of many Tribes, including those that were forcibly removed at the hands of the U.S. government in an effort to exterminate their cultures, languages, and ways of life. These injustices are still felt today, but the quest to erase the Tribes failed: Indigenous communities continue their traditions and remain an integral part of the landscape and our community. We are committed to working toward understanding this history; to expanding present-day common ground, collaboration, and reconciliation with our Tribal neighbors; and to advocating that Tribes receive a seat at the table when others would exclude them.
SUWA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Benefits (full-time employees only)
- 15 days of paid vacation time (with increases yearly with tenure up to 20 days)
- 12 paid sick days annually
- 14 paid holidays, including a year-end office closure
- Employer-paid medical, vision, and dental benefits
- 2-month paid sabbatical every 5 years
- Flexible work days, depending on position
- Parental, bereavement, jury duty, and other leave
- Cell phone subsidy and travel reimbursements
- Access to outdoor gear pro deals
Ready to Apply?
When our team is looking for new staff members, we want to hear from you! Explore below to see what openings we currently have on SUWA staff. If none are available, consider signing up for our email list to hear about new open positions in the future.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SUWA
The mission of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is to defend and protect the wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau and in Utah’s West Desert.
We are committed to the idea that our commonalities greatly outweigh our differences, and that the redrock is for everyone. Our mission is to protect the redrock for the wonder and enjoyment of all future generations, both human and non-human alike.
The lands we work to protect are the ancestral homelands of many Tribes, including those that were forcibly removed at the hands of the U.S. government in an effort to exterminate their cultures, languages, and ways of life. These injustices are still felt today, but the quest to erase the Tribes failed: indigenous communities continue their traditions and remain an integral part of the landscape and our community. We are committed to working toward understanding this history; to expanding present-day common ground, collaboration, and reconciliation with our Tribal neighbors; and to advocating that Tribes receive a seat at the table when others would exclude them.
The environmental movement has a regrettable history of excluding and oppressing marginalized people. We know that the redrock, humanity, and the future of the planet itself depend on working together to solve our greatest common threat: the climate crisis. As we face the challenges of the 21st century head-on, we recognize we can only do so by including, involving, and elevating Tribes, communities of color, people of diverse economic backgrounds, faith communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and the tapestry of experience that weaves together our common humanity. We are committed to doing this both within our staff and through our daily work to protect the redrock.
