Finance Director

THE OPPORTUNITY

The City of Orange offers its next Finance Director a career-defining opportunity to lead in a city with a high-performing organizational culture where employees make important contributions and are valued as team members. The new Finance Director will have the opportunity to lead projects and staff without the distractions found in less successful environments, all in an ideally located city with rich historical significance. This vacancy gives the successful candidate an opportunity to join an Executive Management Team that enjoys working together and supporting one another.

THE CITY OF ORANGE

The City of Orange was incorporated in 1888. It has grown to more than 20 times its original geographic size yet managed to maintain the small-town values upon which it was founded. More than 140,000 residents live in the 27 square miles that make up the City of Orange today. Its prime location offers direct access to five major freeways, a commuter rail network, two major malls and ample public transportation.

The City is fortunate to have a history of being fiscally, organizationally, and politically stable. Orange is also known for having a very positive organizational culture that places a high value on teamwork and mutual support.

THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT

The Finance Department is committed to providing effective, prudent, and efficient financial planning for the City of Orange. In addition to managing the City's assets, the Finance Department maintains financial records in compliance with Federal and State laws and advises City officials with financial information to make informed decisions.

Currently, the Department is budgeted with 31 full-time positions and has a FY 22-23 budget of approximately $3.67 million. Assisting the Director in leading/managing the department is an Assistant Finance Director and four managers who work collaboratively with the Director to lead five divisions/programs within the Finance Department.

THE POSITION

This at-will position is a key member of the City Manager’s Executive Team and provides day-to-day management of the Finance Department. Key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, providing leadership and overall direction to department staff, establishing the City’s central budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting practices, coordinating the development and administration of the City’s annual budget and Capital Improvement Program budget, and managing the City’s investment portfolio.

The ideal candidate will have exceptional management, interpersonal, and communication skills, with a hands-on and proactive approach to addressing a broad range of municipal fiscal issues and responsibilities. The successful candidate for this position must value relationships and be an empowering leader who encourages innovation and problem solving while holding people accountable for quality work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of training and experience, which would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business or Public Administration, or a related field from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Experience: A minimum of seven years of management and/or administrative experience in municipal finance and accounting. The City prefers candidates with backgrounds in various areas of municipal finance and ideally will have a career history which features service in communities of similar size and complexity.
• Certification: Certification as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California is highly desirable.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The annual salary range for the Finance Director is up to $209,232. Placement within the range is negotiable and dependent upon qualifications (DOQ). The City contributes an additional 3% on top of salary which can be taken as cash or placed into a 401A Money Purchase Retirement Plan. Employees with a Master’s degree or higher are eligible to receive $500 per month of Education Pay which is reported to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) as pensionable compensation.

The City offers an outstanding benefits package which includes retirement benefits provided by CalPERS. The City of Orange is one of a few cities in Orange County in which an employee who is a Classic Member of CalPERS (or other reciprocal retirement system), will be enrolled in the CalPERS 2.7% @ 55 benefit formula with one-year final compensation. Classic Member employees contribute 8.0% of pension reportable salary on a pre-tax basis for this retirement benefit.

Employees who are new CalPERS members (those obtaining initial membership on or after January 1, 2013), will be enrolled in the CalPERS 2% @ 62 benefit formula with three-year final compensation in accordance with PEPRA. New member employees contribute 6.75% of pension reportable salary on a pre-tax basis for this retirement benefit.

This position is subject to 9/80 alternate work schedule with City Hall closures every other Friday.

In addition, the City offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. Refer to the detailed candidate brochure for additional information.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

This recruitment will be handled with strict confidentiality. References will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established. Confidential inquiries are welcomed to Bryan Noblett or Greg Nelson at (916) 550-4100.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at www.mosaicpublic.com/careers and should apply immediately, as this recruitment will close once a sufficiently strong candidate pool has been established.

The City of Orange is an Equal Opportunity Employer.