About Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation
For over 60 years the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation (McGraw) has been the entrepreneurial thought leader in conservation and destination for people who enjoy and have a strong connection to conservation, nature and the outdoors. The Foundation is headquartered near Chicago, on 1,250 acres in Dundee, Illinois — a verdant landscape encompassing dozens of lakes and ponds, wetlands, prairie, and mature woodlands, as well as abundant native flora and fauna. McGraw is a great place to unwind and be yourself.
The mission of Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation is to secure the future of hunting, fishing, and land management through programs of science, education, demonstration, and communication. In their own words, McGraw enacts this vision through three main drivers:
We connect research and recreation, technology and tradition, classrooms and capitals. Our independence gives us the freedom to ask hard questions, uncover facts and build coalitions to promote the most efficient actions to sustain habitats, and humanity, for generations to come.
We bring together disparate groups and individuals to take on challenging issues and develop concrete plans to address them. Whether it is a policy-focused white paper detailing needed reforms in existing programs or a multimillion-dollar film calling attention to the plight of North America’s prairie wetlands, McGraw makes the connections that drive new ideas in conservation.
We foster the careers of wildlife scientists and researchers by conducting our own research and collaborating with other institutions. Our Urban Coyote Project is the longest-running study of the interactions between coyotes and humans. Other research has pioneered the use of drones in wildlife population surveys, explained how raccoons have expanded their range, and demonstrated the impact of feral cats on bird populations. Our work in fisheries has created breakthroughs in the rearing and stocking of game fish, lake management, and the emerging field of aquaponics.
Through its renowned Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLfT) program, McGraw has advanced the careers of nearly 3,000 college students and professionals in natural resources management. CLfT teaches participants about the North American model of wildlife conservation and the role that legal, ethical hunting plays in modern wildlife management.
McGraw is also an outdoor recreation and education facility, where thousands of children, adults and families have learned about the outdoors and conservation and have made memories to last a lifetime.
For more information on the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation please visit their website at www.mcgraw.org.
The Opportunity
As part of a planned succession, McGraw is seeking an experienced and self-motivated leader to serve as the next Director of Finance and Human Resources (Director). Reporting to and partnering closely with the Chief Operating Officer, the Director will be an individual contributor, responsible for all aspects of financial management and human resources for the foundation. This leader is expected to be forward thinking, capable of anticipating the needs of the organization and its stakeholders proactively.
The Director will serve as a team-player at McGraw, participating in an organizational culture that is collaborative and agreeable while enhancing the capabilities of the finance and HR functions, ultimately positioning the organization for continued success.
This role serves as the organization’s controller and is expected to provide support, advisement, and direction to staff across the McGraw departments in all matters pertaining to financial sustainability, as well as key HR procedures and policies. As such, this leader will ideally come to the role with a familiarity and comfort leading HR and compliance programs, policies, and services.
Key responsibilities of the Director include, but are not limited to:
- Develop, improve, and maintain all financial and HR policies, procedures, and systems.
- Oversee day-to-day financial operations and transactions and align them with organizational goals and mission.
- Navigate and properly manage a broad range of revenue streams including public and private grants as well as various earned revenue.
- Collaborate with other departments to create and manage the organization’s budget, monitoring performance and providing analysis to prepare accurate and timely financial statements, grant reporting, generating reports for internal and external stakeholders.
- Prepare for and coordinate external audits, addressing auditor inquiries and providing necessary documentation and establish and maintain effective internal control systems, identifying and mitigating financial risks.
- Manage employee relations, addressing concerns as they arise, and ensuring the continued maintenance of a positive work environment.
- Administer compensation and benefits programs, ensuring competitiveness and compliance for the organization at every level.
- Utilize financial software and technology for efficient operations, implementing and maintaining accounting and HRIS systems.
- Stay updated on accounting and human resource best practices and nonprofit regulations, training and educating staff on policies and procedures.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement, contributing to the overall effectiveness of the organization.
- Believe in the McGraw mission and the ability to foster Conservation that Connects.
Candidate Profile
While it is understood that no candidate will offer every desired skill, quality and characteristic, the following offers a detailed, aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile:
Financial Expertise & Business Accumen
This leader will:
- Demonstrate a keen adherence to financial oversight while remaining results-focused, adept at translating McGraw’s overarching vision and strategy into a concise financial blueprint with measurable milestones.
- Bring a strong business acumen, with a sophisticated understanding of and ability to analyze and manage a complex and evolving fiscal organizational framework.
- Bring extensive working knowledge of financial tools and systems including Quick Books Desktop.
- Maintain a strong commitment to enhancing financial mechanisms and frameworks at McGraw, with the ability to assess complex scenarios and present information in a compelling fashion, thereby facilitating the organization’s development.
- Possess the ability to “deep dive” into the details while staying focused on the holistic financial health and sustainability of the organization.
- Ideally be experienced navigating the nuances of financial management, accounting practices, and tax laws of both for-profit and non-profit entities.
- Be a proactive ‘doer’ with the ability to anticipate needs and to work autonomously.
Effective Communicator & Human Resources Leader
This leader will:
- Be a clear communicator, capable of sharing direct and easy-to-understand tools and approaches to help improve financial and HR processes and share information organization-wide that drives organizational performance.
- Have the ability to clearly convey, both verbally and in writing, complex opportunities and risks, particularly in the midst of organizational development.
- Have the ability to evolve and elevate the organization’s Human Resource function through the implementation of tools and processes.
- Be skilled at solving problems using nuanced, informed, and lasting solutions. A leader who excels at proactively addressing areas of concern in an effective manner and generating buy-in from necessary stakeholders when making decisions.
- Serve as point of contact for McGraw’s current third party HR vendor Connor and Gallagher, and provide oversight to matters that may involve but are not limited to employee compensation and benefits, employee relations, performance management, annual reviews, HR legal matters, employment practices and including insurance, investments, and payroll, staff communications, training, and talent management / leadership development processes.
Collaborative Relationship Builder
This leader will:
- Have a collaborative, open, and inquisitive style that encourages effective implementation of strong systems/policies and dedication to consistent support of staff across the organization.
- Display a high level of competence and dependability, ensuring interactions pertaining to all matters are handled with respect - ranging from multi-million-dollar contracts with external vendors, to individualized staff support.
- Effortlessly nurture trust and teamwork among colleagues while adeptly handling adjustment in workflow with flexibility and composure.
A Connection to the Mission & Culture Add
This leader will:
- Bring a passion for conservation with a clear commitment to maximizing McGraw’s impact.
- Have a strong solutions-oriented approach and “get to yes” attitude with a willingness and ability to be hands on and wear many hats – doing everything from assisting in development of strategies for complex budgetary needs to answering phones, and everything in between.
- Be able to develop a powerful sense of shared purpose in others and motivate them to engage the opportunities and challenges ahead to support the organization’s development.
- Embrace and contribute to a mission-driven culture; be energized by the opportunity to join and add to a high-performing yet relaxed professional environment that encourages work-life balance.
- Be an individual of unquestioned integrity, ethics, and values — someone who always displays good judgement and can be trusted without reservation.
For more information, including salary information, please download the position profile.