PEC

We’re Hiring: Director of Finance

We’re Hiring: Director of Finance

Join one of the most effective community-based environmental groups in the country.

Title: Director of Finance
Supervisor: PEC President
Office Location: Warrenton, VA
Job Classification: Full-time, Exempt


About PEC

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) conserves and restores the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. Founded in 1972, PEC is a locally based, community-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accredited land trust. At the core of PEC’s approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities.

PEC works closely with The Piedmont Foundation, a 509(a)(3) charitable organization formed in 1999 to support PEC’s work throughout its nine-county region. Each of the conservation funds held by The Piedmont Foundation is guided by a county advisory board made up of local residents who value their communities and are committed to preserving and strengthening them.

Your Role

PEC is seeking a Director of Finance (Director) to lead and manage all day-to-day finance operations and work strategically with the senior management team to support planning processes, generate useful reporting and forecasting projections, and assess real estate asset acquisitions and financing options. In addition, the Director has responsibilities for managing and reporting on financial activities in the Foundation and one sponsored organization. The Director oversees all accounting staff, works closely with the advancement team to reconcile revenues, and supports the Treasurer and the Board Finance Committee.

Areas of Responsibility

Working with the President, members of the senior management team, the accounting staff, and other staff at PEC, the Director will focus on the following priorities:

  • Review and deeply understand the existing systems and procedures that support finance, accounting, and operating functions for PEC.
  • Build effective working relationships with directors and staff in all departments, with the President, and with key board members on the Finance Committee.
  • Lead the finance and accounting department, building a high performing team with a strong mission support orientation.
  • Advance timely, accurate financial reports that are appropriate for the intended audience and engage in strong financial analyses that aggregate historical data, forecast future trends, and support strategic and critical decision making.
  • Remain current with new guidelines and regulations and, working with PEC’s IT Department, proactively recommend/implement technology and system enhancements to support the ongoing development of the PEC’s finance and accounting department.

In addition to these key priorities, the Director is responsible for the following:

Accounting & Systems Development:

  • Supervise the finance work to ensure efficient, timely processing of PEC’s accounting operations in accordance with GAAP and to safeguard PEC’s and the Foundation’s assets.
  • Supervise and implement monthly close, including account reconciliations, ledger entries, and reconciliation with PEC’s development database.

Financial Management & Reporting:

  • Provide strategic financial input and leadership to the staff and Board regarding decision making on issues affecting PEC.
  • Ensure financial statements and reports for 501(c) 3 and 509 (a) entities for internal management or Board use, are properly prepared, reported and distributed in a timely manner, and include variance analyses and projections.
  • Manage financial compliance and reporting for Federal Grants.
  • Prepare and present financial reports to the board and external users, including grantors and donors.
  • Develop PEC’s annual budget, working with directors and the President; manage the effective execution of the annual budget.

Management:

  • Participates and takes an active role in the Board Finance Committee; Risk Management, Audit & Compliance Committee; and the Piedmont Foundation and Investment Committees and maintains strong working relationships with key stakeholders.
  • Ensure that the endowment/investments of the Foundation are managed in accordance with the investment policies and direction established by the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
  • Stay abreast of changes in financial reporting requirements and governmental regulations including tax laws and the effects of changes on PEC.
  • Advance, implement, and enforce policies and procedures that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of PEC.
  • Ensure timely annual form 990 filings.

PEC uses a variety of tools and technology to support its operations: QuickBooks Online accounting software; Salesforce CRM database; MS Office Suite; G Suite (Google Apps); Dominion Payroll for electronic timesheets payroll.

Geographic Focus

This position will be based out of PEC’s headquarters office in Warrenton, VA or in a hybrid manner to be decided jointly with their supervisor. PEC’s hybrid work policy includes a requirement of at least one day per week in the office. This position may require travel within PEC’s nine-county service area. Occasional nights and weekends may be required.

Required Qualifications

Outstanding candidates will share a commitment to PEC’s mission and will bring the following experience and attributes:

  • Strong work ethic and commitment to PEC’s core values, mission and vision
  • Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) principles
  • 7+ years’ progressive nonprofit finance experience in an accounting department or other financial environment, preferably with a nonprofit of similar size, program and fundraising functions.
  • Strong understanding of GAAP and non-profit accounting principles.
  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or related field required. 
  • Leadership presence and ability to work well with board members, executive team members, and staff across program areas.
  • Strong communications skills including: being able to craft reports that are highly tailored to the recipient audience, presenting financial information at board meetings and senior management meetings, and communicating effectively with the accounting team, directors and staff, and external vendors.
  • Collaborative approach to advancing systems and processes, including the ability to balance innovation, technology, openness to new ideas, and push back when necessary.
  • Excellent organizational, problem solving, and decision-making skills; ability to prioritize department’s workload.
  • Experience with federal grants. 
  • Experience with computerized financial systems, including QuickBooks Online.
  • Track record of successful experience in overseeing efficient, accurate and timely monthly closings, annual audits, and production of financial statements and reports.
  • Supervisory experience and ability to build and lead a team.
  • Engaged in professional development; keeps abreast of current trends, practices, and developments in accounting and makes recommendations for implementation.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and G Suite (Google Apps), with advanced Excel experience.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master’s degree or CPA strongly preferred.
  • Familiarity with CRM databases such as EveryAction, SalesForce, etc.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This position will primarily be completed in an office environment with occasional outdoors events. Office work requires extended sitting or standing and the use of a computer, keyboard, and mouse. Outdoor events may occur in all weather conditions and may be physically demanding. Occasional lifting of materials up to 30 lbs. is required.

Compensation

This position is an exempt, salaried position with benefits. Salary range $120,000 to $140,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

PEC offers an outstanding and robust benefits package including:

  • Two health plans (83% employer paid premium for employee only plan, 80% employer paid for added dependents)
  • Short- & Long-Term Disability*
  • Group Term Life*
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity insurances*
  • HSA account (with employer match up to $750 per year)
  • FSA accounts (health & dependent)
  • 403(b) pension plan with employer contribution after 1 year of service with 100% vesting from day one
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 2 floating holidays
  • PTO leave – 24 days per year, accrued each pay period
  • 1 day per year of paid leave to volunteer at another non-profit or charitable cause
  • Salary continuation leave for employee or family illness – from 2 to 8 weeks fully paid leave eligibility every 24 months, depending on length of service
  • Paid bereavement, jury duty and military service training leave
  • Travel expense reimbursement
  • Hybrid work environment and flexible work schedules
  • Cell Phone Reimbursement, up to $75 per month
  • Professional development support
  • Payment for relevant licenses & professional membership fees.

*Indicates that this insurance premium is 100% paid by PEC for the employee’s coverage.

Application Process

Interested applicants should fill out our job application form at pecva.org/apply. Candidates must submit a cover letter and resumé. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Application deadline: December 1, 2025 The position will remain open until it is filled.

Anticipated start date: January 5, 2026.

If you are a good fit, PEC will reach out to you within 2 weeks of the application deadline. The following is what you can expect as part of our hiring process:

  1. First Round of Interviews (Panel / HR, Virtual / In-Person)
  2. Second Round of Interviews (Panel / HR, Virtual / In-Person)
  3. Final Interview with HR and President (Virtual / In-Person)
  4. Reference Check
  5. Offer Letter and Background Check

The Piedmont Environmental Council strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all aspects of achieving our mission. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Read more about our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) commitments.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build competencies and knowledge. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process may be requested. If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected].

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

We’re Hiring: In House Counsel

We’re Hiring: In House Counsel

Join one of the most effective community-based environmental groups in the country.

Title: In-House Counsel
Supervisor: PEC President
Office Location: Warrenton, VA
Job Classification: Full-time Exempt


About PEC

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) conserves and restores the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. Founded in 1972, PEC is a locally based, community-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accredited land trust. At the core of PEC’s approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities.

PEC works closely with The Piedmont Foundation, a 509(a)(3) charitable organization formed in 1999 to support PEC’s work throughout its nine-county region. Each of the conservation funds held by The Piedmont Foundation is guided by a county advisory board made up of local residents who value their communities and are committed to preserving and strengthening them.

Your Role

The In-House Counsel will provide comprehensive legal support and guidance to all aspects of the organization’s operations. This critical role involves ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, managing legal risks, and advising on complex land conservation transactions. As a member of PEC’s management team, the In-House Counsel will report directly to the President and work collaboratively with staff, the Board of Directors, The Piedmont Foundation, and external partners.

Areas of Responsibility

  • Legal Advice & Compliance:
    • Provide expert legal advice on all matters related to land conservation, real estate, non-profit governance, charitable giving, and environmental law.
    • Ensure compliance with 501(c)(3) regulations, Land Trust Alliance accreditation standards, and federal, state, and local laws.
    • Provide expert and strategic legal advice to management on dealing with local, state, and federal land use issues, ranging from individual development proposals, local ordinances, state legislation and regulations to federal legislation and policies.
    • Provide expert and strategic legal advice on local, state, and federal environmental and utility regulations, including the State Corporation Commission.
  • Conservation Transactions:
    • Draft, review, and negotiate conservation easements, purchase agreements, options, and other real estate instruments.
    • Oversee due diligence on potential fee simple and conservation easement transactions, including title review, environmental assessments, and boundary issues.
    • Advise on complex legal structures for conservation real estate transactions, including creating limited liability companies and executing bargain sales, donations, and projects.
    • Manage all legal aspects of closing conservation transactions.
  • Organizational Governance:
    • Assist with PEC Board and The Piedmont Foundation governance matters, including reviewing bylaws, policies, and procedures.
    • Provide legal guidance on contract review, human resource issues, intellectual property, and privacy concerns.
    • Represent the organization in legal proceedings or manage outside counsel as necessary.
    • Advise PEC management on internal governance policies and procedures
    • Develop and implement legal best practices and policies.
    • Provide clarification on legal language or specifications to PEC staff.
  • Risk Management:
    • Anticipate and evaluate legal risks strategically.
    • Collaborate with management and outside counsel to devise efficient defense strategies.
    • Review insurance coverage for PEC and Piedmont Foundation.
    • Advise PEC staff on interpretations of conservation easements.  
    • Evaluate and draft agreements, contracts and other legal documents that minimize risks and ensure PEC’s full legal rights.
  • Stakeholder Relations:
    • Coordinate with outside General Counsel for PEC and the Piedmont Foundation as appropriate.
    • Collaborate with the President, program staff, and advancement team to achieve organizational goals.
    • Represent the PEC and The Piedmont Foundation in interactions with landowners, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

Geographic Focus

In this position, the In-House Counsel will work from PEC’s headquarters office in Warrenton, VA, or in a hybrid manner to be decided jointly with the President. PEC’s hybrid work policy includes a requirement of at least one day per week in the office. Occasional travel to PEC jurisdictions, Washington, DC and Richmond, VA expected

Required Qualifications

  • Strong work ethic and commitment to PEC’s core values, mission, and vision.
  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
  • Minimum of five years of experience practicing law, with a strong preference for experience in real estate, land use, environmental and/or non-profit law.
  • Strong working knowledge of local, state, and federal government rules and regulations in land use, transportation, historic preservation and environmental protection.
  • Demonstrated enthusiasm and flexibility coupled with sound judgement; emphasis on confidentiality; knowledge of correct protocol for specific situations.
  • Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills (written and verbal).
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
  • Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) principles.
  • Reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Active license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and active membership to the Virginia State Bar.  If not active, willing to pursue obtaining Virginia State Bar membership or recognition.
  • Familiarity with conservation easements and land trust operations.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This position will be completed in both an office environment. Office work requires extended sitting or standing and the use of a computer, keyboard, and mouse provided by PEC. 

Compensation

The In-House Counsel salary range is $120,000 – $140,000 annually and is an exempt position with benefits.

Benefits

PEC offers an outstanding and robust benefits package including:

  • Two health plans (83% employer paid premium for employee only plan, 80% employer paid for added dependents)
  • Short- & Long-Term Disability*
  • Group Term Life*
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity insurances*
  • HSA account (with employer match up to $750 per year)
  • FSA accounts (health & dependent)
  • 403(b) pension plan with employer contribution after 1 year of service with 100% vesting from day one
  • 10 paid holidays
  • 2 floating holidays
  • PTO leave – 24 days per year, accrued each pay period
  • 1 day per year of paid leave to volunteer at another non-profit or charitable cause
  • Salary continuation leave for employee or family illness – from 2 to 8 weeks fully paid leave eligibility every 24 months, depending on length of service
  • Paid bereavement, jury duty and military service training leave
  • Travel expense reimbursement
  • Hybrid work environment and flexible work schedules
  • Cell Phone Reimbursement, up to $75 per month
  • Professional development support
  • Payment for relevant licenses & professional membership fees.

*Indicates that this insurance premium is 100% paid by PEC for the employee’s coverage.

Application Process

Interested applicants should fill out our job application form at pecva.org/apply. Candidates must submit a cover letter and resumé. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Application deadline: November 21, 2025. The position will remain open until it is filled.

Anticipated start date: January 5, 2026.

If you are a good fit, PEC will reach out to you within two weeks of receiving your application. The following is what you can expect as part of our hiring process:

  1. First Round of Interviews (Panel / Hiring Manager, Phone / In-Person)
  2. Second Round of Interviews (Panel / Hiring Manager, Virtual / In-Person)
  3. Final Interview with Hiring Manager and President (Virtual / In-Person)
  4. Reference Check
  5. Offer Letter and Background Check

The Piedmont Environmental Council strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all aspects of achieving our mission. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Read more about our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) commitments.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build competencies and knowledge. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process may be requested. If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected].

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

The Value of Solar Report

The Value of Solar Report

Committed to advancing Virginia’s clean energy future, PEC commissioned Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors to study and calculate the actual value of distributed solar generation to every Virginian — factoring in the range of benefits that utilities do not acknowledge when they are proposing big cuts to net metering values.

Learn more about our findings on the Value of Solar landing page.


Dominion Petition to Reduce Net Metering Benefits Threatens Future of Distributed Energy

In May 2025, Dominion Energy petitioned the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to make regulatory changes to “net metering,” a billing arrangement whereby owners of rooftop and other small-scale solar receive a 1:1 credit for the excess energy their systems generate and send back to the grid. This is the fundamental structure that makes solar economically viable and financially accessible to homeowners, farmers and small businesses. However, because it loses profits from distributed energy, Dominion wants to cut that net metering value and severely undermine the benefit and practicality of all distributed generation — all at a time when we are importing more energy than any other state and are projected to need an additional 40-50 gigawatts to accommodate data center growth. Dominion’s case before the State Corporation Commission later this year and in early 2026 will provide an important opportunity to provide public comment. PEC is an intervenor in this case, posing questions and offering additional information that can be used in the SCC’s decision making. We encourage you to submit comments in support of the current net metering rate structure.


For more information about the Value of Solar report or PEC’s energy work, contact Ashish Kapoor at [email protected].

Farming the Sun: How Agrivoltaics Can Help Solve Virginia’s Energy Crisis

Farming the Sun: How Agrivoltaics Can Help Solve Virginia’s Energy Crisis


Virginia needs energy solutions that work with communities, not against them. Agrivoltaics does exactly that—it gives farmers additional revenue to help them keep their land, produces clean energy where people actually want it, and gets projects connected to the grid in months instead of years.

Across the state of Virginia, the electrical grid is at a breaking point. In order to meet the growing energy demand being driven by the explosion of data centers, our state faces the prospect of having to double or possibly triple the electrical grid in the next 15 years, or potentially face recurring blackouts.

As the state scrambles to find solutions, options such as large-scale solar development that could help are facing local opposition and red tape. To address this energy “crisis by contract,” the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is testing a dual-purpose approach that doesn’t force a choice between feeding people and powering our communities. At its Roundabout Meadows Community Farm, located between the county’s data center-heavy east and rural west, PEC has installed a quarter-acre crop-based agrivoltaics project—growing vegetables and producing electricity on the same small plot. 

More than simply an agricultural experiment, this project could change how Virginia thinks about energy and farming. Agrivoltaics offers a path forward that both farmers and rural communities can get behind.


Agrivoltaics works…

Instead of deciding whether land should be used for farming or energy, agrivoltaics makes it possible to have both.

American Farmland Trust defines agrivoltaics as the production of marketable agricultural products in conjunction with solar energy production throughout the full life of a solar array, with intentional design that ensures land within the array remains suitable for agricultural production.

Farmers and rural communities that typically oppose large solar developments often embrace agrivoltaics because it keeps their land in agricultural production while saving on utility bills or adding revenue streams. Adding battery backup to the system not only adds another potential future source of income through virtual power plants, but also adds full energy independence – off-grid living. In Virginia, this all matters—we have over 39,000 farms covering more than 7 million acres, with 97% of them family-owned and averaging 187 acres each. Imagine connecting small 1-megawatt (MW) agrivoltaics projects on each of those farms; that would be nearly 40 GW of energy connecting to the grid – on a much shorter timeline than large-scale solar – while directly benefiting our agricultural communities. Even if we got 10% of that potential, it is still the equivalent of four nuclear power plants. By adding solar installations in parking lots and brownfields to the calculus, the energy potential grows significantly higher.

As a land conservation organization, PEC supports the clean energy transition but recognizes that large-scale solar often functions like industrial land use. That’s why PEC focuses on distributed energy solutions—from supporting parking lot solar legislation to organizing “Solar on the Farm” workshops that connect farmers with installers for behind-the-meter projects. Agrivoltaics represents the next step in that strategy.

…PEC’s Community Farm project demonstrates how.

View more video updates on PEC’s crop-based agrivoltaics project in Aldie, Va in Loudoun County.

The Loudoun County project shows what agrivoltaics looks like in practice. Through its Clean Energy to Communities program, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) provided PEC with technical guidance and subsequently invited PEC into a national cohort of agrivoltaics developers. The project is also part of a university research network that includes Cornell University, University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University, Virginia State University, Virginia Tech and others.

The site itself has a compelling backstory. The 170-acre Roundabout Meadows property was originally slated to become a shopping plaza with a Harris Teeter grocery store until conservationists stepped in to purchase and preserve the land. Now it sits at the literal edge of Loudoun’s growth boundary—a demonstration of what is possible when you choose conservation and innovation over development.

In the summer of 2025, on a quarter-acre section of the farm, PEC installed 42 solar panels mounted 6-8 feet high.

  • After obtaining approval to connect to the electrical grid, the panels now generate 130% of the entire farm’s electricity needs
  • The space underneath the panels produces food – crops grown in-ground as well as in planter boxes placed between rows of panels
  • The panels are spaced out to create shade conditions that researchers believe help crops grow more consistently
  • The project uses fixed-tilt panels because they offer the best cost-benefit for production at a project of this scale
  • The design uses NREL data and focuses on replicability
  • Everything from cost to construction is designed so that other farmers can adapt it to their own operations.

The broader farming operation at Roundabout Meadows is also impressive, with three full-time staff using Certified Naturally Grown practices on its 40 acres of farmland to grow organic vegetables, donating the full harvest – about 50,000 pounds annually – to local food pantries through Loudoun Hunger Relief and Christ Cares. Volunteers and corporate groups regularly help with the farm work and learn about sustainable agriculture.

Because the project has a built-in battery backup, the farm can keep running essential operations—e.g., well pumps, produce cooling, greenhouse, etc.—even when the electrical grid goes down. While it is an added optional cost, those batteries can do double duty, generating income for farmers by selling excess power back to the grid during peak demand periods, essentially functioning as a small, clean power plant.

In order to measure its effectiveness and address concerns, the agrivoltaics section includes side-by-side research plots to compare how crops perform under panels versus in full sun, measuring everything from crop yields to water usage to disease pressure. Because crops will be grown both in-ground and in raised beds, the findings will apply not just to farms but to parking lots, brownfields and other sites where it may make sense to combine solar energy and useful ground-level activities.

The PEC project is designed from the ground up for replication. Every decision—from cost to construction methods—was made with other farmers in mind.

For farmers and homeowners, solar systems typically save $60,000 over their lifetime—and those savings grow as utility bills rise.


It’s time to make this a reality for more farmers.

Dominion Energy’s tremendous lobbying pressure has been a longstanding and powerful force against efforts to create a more distributed energy grid, because the utility company loses profits from distributed energy, like agrivoltaics. Please submit comments to the State Corporation Commission to keep this energy source viable by maintaining the current 1:1 net metering structure.

View and learn about our energy work →

Why is Dominion trying to kill rooftop solar?

Why is Dominion trying to kill rooftop solar?

These days, it’s always refreshing to find things that most folks agree on. Solar on rooftops, parking lots and brownfields, …
Report Finds Solar Far Exceeds Value Communicated by Dominion

Report Finds Solar Far Exceeds Value Communicated by Dominion

PEC commissioned Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors to study and calculate the actual value of distributed solar generation in Dominion …
Shining a Light on Agrivoltaics at Roundabout Meadows

Shining a Light on Agrivoltaics at Roundabout Meadows

This spring, the Piedmont Environmental Council will unveil a project at our Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows with the potential …

Video: Agrivoltaics Project at PEC’s Community Farm

Explore our video updates detailing the exciting progress of the Piedmont Environmental Council’s agrivoltaics project, where solar energy and sustainable …

For more information about the agrivoltaics project or PEC’s energy work, contact Ashish Kapoor at [email protected].