Finance Director

SUMMARY

The City is searching for a seasoned Finance Director with excellent technical, management, and communication skills. The next Finance Director will assist the City with a financing plan for needed public safety facilities, a new city hall, as well as other key infrastructure, so strong financial planning capabilities are a must.

Issaquah operates as a non-charter code city under Washington state law with a Mayor-Council form of government. The proposed 2025-2026 budget totals $193.8 million in expenditures for 2025, and $202.6 million for 2026, respectively across all funds. The City has a AAA bond rating, with no findings in the 2024 audit. Learn more online. The City has 300 employees and 7 bargaining units.

The City currently provides a full range of services, including finance, police, arts and culture, clerk, communications, community planning and development, economic development, human resources, human services, municipal court, parks and community services, public works, sustainability, and water/sewer/stormwater. Together with the City Administrator, the Mayor implements the policies and ordinances of the City Council. www.issaquahwa.gov.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

The Finance Department is made up of 13.75 FTE in the divisions of Accounting, Budget and Payroll.

The ideal person for this position understands that Finance is an internal service department, whose main customers are city staff, while maintaining responsible stewardship of public funds as the primary responsibility. The ideal person will excel at translating technical finance information while employing strategic thinking in assisting other departments and policymakers. Strong accounting capabilities are available within the existing Finance team, so the new Director will not need to focus on accounting yet will use finance and managerial knowledge to understand/communicate the big picture, delegate, and mentor staff.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

To move the organization forward and ensure successful outcomes, the Finance Director will set high expectations, support LEAN processes, and mentor, coach, and develop staff to deliver support and services as efficiently and effectively as possible. The new Director will:

• Plan, organize, manage, lead, and direct the operations of the Finance Department; develop goals and objectives, establish work plans, and evaluate performance measures consistent with Council direction, City mission and values, and the interests of the community.
• Forecast, estimate, and monitor the financial activities of the City.
• Need to be comfortable wearing two hats: Coordinating the technical staff and reports, as well as outward-facing work like strategic leadership and providing policymaker advice.
• Frequently translate complicated financial information in real-world terms to policymakers.
• Exercise extensive interdepartmental communications and collaboration. Viewing other department leaders and staff as internal customers is essential.
• Continue to innovate and grow as an internal service provider to the other departments and the City Council with financial management and planning information.
• Continue to improve upon the City’s biennial budgeting process.
• Assist the Council and City leadership on understanding capital financing alternatives in anticipation of potential future ballot items.
• Develop and implement internal policies, procedures and standards and taking necessary actions to improve operations.
• Review legislation and assure compliance with laws, regulations, statues, and codes that impact financial operations, services, and long-range financial planning.
• Negotiate and resolve the sensitive and controversial issues relevant to the job requirements.
• Share information, maintain trust, and create a work climate that encourages effective dialogue. The department team is looking forward to having another true partner who is a model of the organization’s values and is eager to communicate the work of this diverse organization.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Issaquah is seeking a collaborative, communicative, results-oriented people person to serve as its next Finance Director. This individual will have extensive knowledge of accounting and auditing theory, principles and practices and their application to a wide variety of financial transactions, services, and problems plus the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, or finance
• Five (5) to seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in financial-management or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and ability required to perform the job
• Fund accounting, municipal budget preparation, familiarity with municipal finance, and administration experience
• Principles and practices of human resources management, supervision, and training
• Public relations practices and techniques
• Establishing effective working relationships with elected officials, other employees, and the general public
• Principles and techniques of project management
• Strong ethical standards
• Knowledge of systems and inequities as they relate to diversity and inclusion
• Bondable

PREFERRED CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES:

• A master’s degree in a related field
• Ten (10) years’ experience preferred
• Long-term financial planning and financial management experience
• Applicable Federal and State laws and regulations of financial reporting methods
• State of Washington experience and understanding of revenue options is desirable but not mandatory
• Municipal experience working with elected officials in a strong Mayor-Council form of government is beneficial
• CPA certification is a plus

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Current financial principles and procedures.
• Operational characteristics, services and activities of a comprehensive finance program including capital finance, public bond issuance, and managing investments.
• Organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation programs, policies and operational needs.
• Accounting and auditing theory, principles and practices and their application to a wide variety of financial transactions, services and problems.
• Manual and automated financial-management information systems.
• Advanced principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.
• Applicable Federal and State laws and regulations of financial reporting methods.
• Municipal administration, ordinances, statues and other legal processes.
• Principles and practices of modern public administration including planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling; principles and practices of budgetary development, control, and administration.
• Principles and practices of human resources management, supervision, and training.
• Public relations practices and techniques.
• Statistical concepts and methods.
• Principles and techniques of project management.

SKILLS IN:

• Written and verbal communications.
• Conflict resolution.
• Use of computers, computer applications and software.
• Ability to:
• Lead, administer, and oversee assigned work programs, including monitoring work schedules, legal requirements and progress reviews.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals and groups regarding complex or sensitive issues or regulations.
• Plan, organize, prioritize, assign, monitor, and evaluate the work of assigned staff.
• Establish effective working relationships with elected officials, other employees and the general- public.
• Supervises subordinate professional personnel.
• Develop, administer, and control the Citywide budget.
• Read and interpret complex laws and regulations.
• Prepare complex narrative and statistical reports, correspondence, and other documents.
• Speak effectively in public.
• Analyze and evaluate the impacts of policies, projects, programs and activities.