Director of Finance

Position Summary

The purpose of this position is to serve as Director of Finance for the City of Farmers Branch directing the accounting, budget, financial planning, revenue collection, accounts payable, treasury, purchasing, debt management, Municipal Court, and utility billing functions for the City.

Essential Job Functions

• Coordinates and directs the preparation of budget and financial forecasts; institutes and maintains planning and forecasting procedures. Develops and coordinates budget development for the fiscal year, mid-year, and year-end budgets. In conjunction with the City Manager, meets with all Department Directors to determine and prioritize budget requests. Develops and analyzes revenue and expenditure projections on a short and long-term basis. Develops and coordinates revenue studies and surveys to determine appropriate tax and fee levels. Analyzes, reviews, and makes recommendations necessary to minimize the growth of City liabilities. Directs and coordinates annual departmental efficiency studies. Analyzes, reviews, and makes recommendations related to outsourcing opportunities.
• Responsible for the workings of the Finance Department to include revenue collection, treasury, debt management, purchasing, budget management, and financial operation management. Leads, mentors, develops, and evaluations performance of supervised employees and assigned divisions. Adheres to and promotes the City’s culture both within the department and exemplifies this in all aspects when representing the City.
• Develops, coordinates, and promotes strategies with the City Council, City Manager, and Department Directors. Develops projects and strategies necessary to meet City Council goals and objectives. Analyzes strategies and recommendations made by other parties. Analyzes best practices used by other organizations to determine potential for implementation in Farmers Branch. Makes public presentations in an accurate, thorough, and persuasive manner. Develops and promotes economic development incentive packages for and to companies interested in relocating or staying in the City.
• Plans, organizes, directs and coordinates the City's accounting systems, financial activities, grant management and audits. Ensures accounting and financial activities are conducted in compliance with generally accepted accounting and governmental practices and procedures, and GASB directives and practices within the guidelines and policies established by the City Council and City Manager. Directs and oversees grant management to ensure compliance with appropriate requirements and laws. Recommends, implements, and monitors appropriate financial benchmarks to ensure the creditworthiness of the City. Ensures internal control systems are in place throughout the organization to protect City assets. Directs and oversees Municipal Court operations. Directs and oversees the payroll functions of the City.
• Keeps current regarding best practices, training, and networking with public and private counterparts. Attends conferences and seminars. Maintains continuing professional education training. Networks with finance officers in the area and nationwide. Reads professional publications and large variety of newspapers. Actively participates in professional associations.
• Monitors budget reports for variances. Monitors expenditures and revenues on a consistent basis to ensure corrective action can be made in a timely manner. Directs and oversees revenue collection to ensure that the City receives all revenues that are due. Directs, oversees, and monitors systems that prevent unauthorized expenditures of City funds. Monitors and reviews employee credit card and travel expenditures for appropriateness.
• Forecasts short-term and long-term cash requirements and obligations. Meets the requirements of state law as Chief Investment Officer of the City through Public Funds Investment Act training. Monitors financial institution condition to ensure cash/investments are protected. Directs and oversees the cash management and investment activities of the City in compliance with City policy and state law.
• Directs purchasing activity in compliance with state law and to maximize the City's purchasing power. Meets frequently with the Purchasing Agent. Directs and oversees the purchasing activities of the City in manner that is in compliance with City policy and state law. Reviews and recommends opportunities for inter-local cooperative purchasing. Reviews and recommends ways to streamline organization-wide purchasing.
• Directs and coordinates debt management. Directs and oversees debt service payments. Analyzes long-term debt for opportunities to lower interest costs. Develops and presents debt management options necessary to achieve City goals. Presents to bond rating agencies to maintain favorable bond ratings. Develops, analyzes, and recommends tax rate strategies and options. Evaluates and recommends debt issuance versus pay-as-you-go strategies.
• Maintains a cordial, professional, respectful, and productive working relationship with supervised employees, City employees, elected officials, attorneys, consultants, residents, and the public. Provides accurate and timely information to investors and citizens. Directs and oversees systems necessary to provide vendor payments in an accurate and timely manner. Monitors relationships with attorneys and consultants for cost-effectiveness.

Education and Experience

• Work requires specialized knowledge in a professional or technical field.
• Eight (8) years of experience is required, ten (10) years of experience is preferred in progressively responsible municipal finance positions that includes supervisory, accounting, and auditing responsibilities with preference given to experience in a municipality.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a similar field is required. Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a similar field is preferred.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO), or similar experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Work requires managing and monitoring work performance of a department including evaluating program or work objectives and effectiveness, establishing broad organizational goals and realigning work and staffing assignments for the department.

Final decisions regarding policy development and implementation are made and/or recommended. Interaction with others outside the organization requires exercising participative management skills that support team efforts and quality processes.

This position normally performs the duty assignments within broad parameters defined by general organizational requirements and accepted practices. End results determine effectiveness of job performance.

Work requires advanced skills and knowledge in approaches and systems, which affect the design and implementation of major programs and/or processes organization-wide. Independent judgment and decision-making abilities are necessary to apply technical skills effectively.

The following is required and must be possessed by the incumbent:

• Advanced knowledge of accounting, auditing, cash management, financial reporting, general ledger systems, purchasing practices, bonds, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects and their compliance with generally accepted principles and federal and state regulations.
• Knowledge and ability to utilize computers and applicable software daily, including, but not limited to: Microsoft Officer, Microsoft Outlook, and Tyler Munis.
• Ability to allocate and utilize limited resources in a cost-effective manner.
• Ability to communicate in a clear, effective, and concise manner, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all people.
• Knowledge of and ability to correctly interpret specific practices, requirements, policies, and procedures as it relates to the duties of this role, to include federal and state regulations and City laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to follow instructions, perform work accurately and thoroughly, perform multiple tasks simultaneously under time pressures and deadlines.
• Advanced ability to read literature, books, reviews, scientific or technical journals, abstracts, Financial reports, and/or legal documents.
• Advanced ability to apply fundamental concepts of theories, work with advanced mathematical operations methods, and functions of real and complex variables.
• Ability to be punctual and attend work regularly.

Special Requirements:

• Must be able to pass required pre-employment screenings, CJIS and fingerprint check, and have the ability to comply with state and federal requirements for criminal justice information security standards.

Licenses and Certificates:

• Valid driver's license with good driving record and ability to maintain while employed is required.

Work Environment:

• Work is performed primarily in climate controlled office environment. Physical demands are sedentary in nature requiring little physical effort in working with light, easy to handle (up to 10 lbs) materials. Requires sitting, standing, and walking. Requires light fatigue of eyes, fingers or other facilities because of fairly continuous use of motor senses.