Application Guide

How to Apply for Associate Director, Operational Accounting

at Earthjustice

🏢 About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is unique as the premier nonprofit environmental law organization, using litigation and legal advocacy to protect natural resources, combat climate change, and defend public health. Working here means contributing directly to landmark environmental victories rather than just corporate profits, with a mission-driven culture focused on systemic change through the legal system.

About This Role

This Associate Director role leads all operational accounting functions at Earthjustice, specifically managing payroll, accounts payable, and retirement plan compliance for a multi-state remote workforce. It's impactful because you'll ensure financial integrity for an organization that litigates high-stakes environmental cases, directly supporting their ability to fund legal battles against climate change.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves reviewing multi-state payroll processing, coordinating with HR on employee changes, overseeing accounts payable operations for legal expenses, and working on retirement plan compliance. You'd spend significant time coaching your payroll and AP teams remotely while collaborating with program staff to ensure their environmental litigation work is financially supported.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Earthjustice

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Earthjustice Is Looking For

  • A nonprofit accounting leader with 7+ years experience, including 5+ years managing teams, who has specifically administered 403(b) retirement plans and understands ERISA audit requirements.
  • Someone with hands-on multi-state payroll experience at a medium-to-large organization (Earthjustice has ~500 employees across 50 states), comfortable navigating different state tax and labor regulations.
  • A process improvement specialist who can assess financial controls in a remote work environment and implement systems that maintain GAAP compliance while supporting a distributed legal team.
  • A mission-aligned manager who can coach accounting teams while understanding that their work enables environmental litigation rather than just financial reporting.

📝 Tips for Applying to Earthjustice

1

Quantify your multi-state payroll experience - specify how many states you've managed payroll for and the size of those payrolls, since Earthjustice operates nationwide.

2

Highlight any 403(b) or nonprofit retirement plan administration experience prominently, as this is explicitly required and less common than 401(k) experience.

3

Demonstrate understanding of nonprofit accounting constraints by mentioning experience with restricted funding, grant compliance, or fund accounting in your resume.

4

Research Earthjustice's recent legal cases and mention one in your cover letter to show genuine interest in their environmental mission beyond just the accounting role.

5

Prepare examples of how you've improved processes in remote/hybrid environments, since this role supports a fully remote US workforce.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience with 403(b) retirement plan administration and ERISA audits, specifically in nonprofit settings.', 'Examples of leading payroll operations for multi-state organizations and how you ensured compliance across different jurisdictions.', 'How your process improvement skills have strengthened internal controls while supporting mission-driven work.', "Why Earthjustice's environmental litigation mission resonates with you personally or professionally."]

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Earthjustice's recent major legal cases and victories (check their 'Our Cases' section to understand what your accounting work would support).
  • → Their organizational structure and funding sources (they're funded primarily by donations and grants, not legal fees).
  • → Their remote work culture and distributed team model (all US staff work remotely).
  • → Their 2023 annual report to understand financial scale and program priorities.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through your experience with 403(b) plan audits - what challenges have you faced and how did you resolve them?
2 How would you approach improving payroll processes for a fully remote workforce across 50 states?
3 Describe a time you had to implement new financial controls in a nonprofit environment. What risks were you addressing?
4 How do you balance the need for strict accounting compliance with supporting program staff in a mission-driven organization?
5 What experience do you have evaluating and implementing accounting systems, and how would you approach system improvements at Earthjustice?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Only highlighting corporate accounting experience without connecting it to nonprofit constraints or mission-driven work.
  • Being vague about multi-state payroll experience - they need specifics about handling different state regulations.
  • Focusing solely on technical accounting skills without demonstrating leadership experience managing teams in operational accounting.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Earthjustice!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →