Assistant Finance Director

Position Description

Under the general direction of the Director of Finance, the Assistant Finance Director serves as a leader in support of the oversight, development, and control of fiscal operations for the City, and provides fiscal oversight and general business assistance to the Director of Finance, Department and Division Heads of the City in achieving goals and objectives for the Finance Department and the City Commission. This position is a key support person to the Director of Finance that oversees our operational teams and internal and external financial reporting functions, payroll processing, budget and financial analysis, and the issuance of municipal debt. Primary responsibilities for the Assistant Director of Finance are oversight of the Enterprise Resource Planning system, management of our municipal debt portfolio, implementation and oversight of the annual budget, and completion of the annual audit functions.

Primary Responsibilities

Scope of Responsibility:

The Assistant Director of Finance is responsible directly and through subordinate supervisors and staff for several major financial operating functions to include development of fiscal administrative operating systems including our primary Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other financial management protocols that are a subset of ERP; ongoing development of and compliance within our internal control structures; municipal debt and capital asset management; financial analysis, including budget and reporting; and internal and external audit procedures. Incumbent supervises professional staff members within the Finance Department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversees City fiscal administration and establishes goals and directives for supervisors and staff in compliance with Finance Director goals and directives. Supports the goals and objectives established by the Director of Finance for the Finance Department;Provides guidance to subordinate supervisors in the development, recommendation and implementation of policies and procedures to accomplish divisional goals and objectives;Assembles professional support teams within the department to accomplish goals and objectives, supervises their activities and provides guidance to assure goal attainment;Evaluates ongoing business support systems and recommends changes to improve or modify financial management systems as needed;Designs and develops new fiscal accounting and administrative systems as needed;Assists in the design, development, and maintenance of operational policies and procedures and monitors Departmental compliance;Maintains healthy and supportive relationships with Director of Finance, City Administrator, Department and Division Heads, subordinate employees, consultants, attorneys, and other professionals in support of City functions.
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) SystemsIn collaboration with Finance staff and other departments, supports the transition to and subsequent modifications of a new ERP system. The Assistant Director is a major contributor and advocate for operational accounting in the agency-wide ERP project;Manages internal financial reporting on a City-wide basis;Develops and distributes fiscal reports required to continuously monitor budget compliance;Implements new technologies that help improve our overall system in internal accounting controls;Develops framework for supporting Departments and Divisions in fiscal administration;Manage integrity of ERP system by maintaining chart of accounts, monitoring user account access and permissions, and ongoing testing of system.
• Monitors City-wide compliance with fiscal operational policies and procedures, and maintenance of internal control design and development. Assists Director of Finance with fiscal issues, planning, and treasury management;Participates in inter-departmental meetings to provide input, advice and technical assistance regarding accounting, funding, budgeting issues as they relate to the development of programs;Maintains a high level of awareness, directly and through delegation of responsibility to subordinates, of legal and compliance issues and trends at all levels of government that may impact departmental operations directly or indirectly; Designs, develops and implements adequate levels of internal accounting controls that safeguard City’s assets and comply with appropriate regulations, including appropriate modifications to internal accounting controls or workflow process as a result of audit findings;Reports violation of our internal controls and potential financial abuse to the Director of Finance.
• Management of the City’s Municipal Debt PortfolioActive participation in the issuance and defeasance of municipal debt; provides key recommendations to senior management on the appropriate use and issuance of debt obligations for capital financing needed to operate:Prepares cash flow forecasts in support of capital financing transactions;Evaluates the feasibility of proposed bond issues in relation to operational sustainability and adequate resources to pay future debt services;Works directly with financial advisors and bond counsel in the debt issuance process;Reviews and approves official statements and related debt covenants associated with each bond issue;Oversight of debt including recording, payment, and long term tracking of all debt obligations.
• Chief Compliance Officer for Debt Obligations
  The Assistant Director of Finance is designated as the Chief Compliance Officer and shall be responsible for the administration and supervision of the City’s post-issuance compliance management program. In coordination with the City municipal advisor, the Chief Compliance Officer shall also be responsible for overseeing the timely filing of information on the MSRB’s EMMA System to comply with continuing disclosure requirements. The Chief Compliance Officer shall be responsible for the following: Monitoring the City’s Arbitrage Rebate and Yield Restriction Compliance program, including oversight of any third-party consultants engaged to perform arbitrage rebate and yield restriction compliance calculations;Managing the City’s record retention program related to debt issuance documents;Reviewing the use of facilities and other assets financed by proceeds of tax-exempt obligations;Performing calculations, at least annually, with respect to the amount of private business use of each tax-exempt financed asset and each tax-exempt bond issue that the proceeds of which were used to finance such assets;Identifying any changes in the use of tax-exempt financed asset that may require a Remedial Action to be taken.
• Oversee Finance Managers within existing Finance Department reporting structure
  As a working manager, provide technical resources, ongoing supervision, direction, and product reviews to Finance Managers regarding their respective responsibilities, as described below:
  
  6.1 External Reporting: Primary functions include Annual Audit, Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Grant Reporting, and Fiduciary Responsibilities.
• Annual audit process, including procurement of qualified auditors, workpaper preparation, and audit communications, response to audit findings, if any, to include appropriate modifications to internal accounting controls or workflow process;
• Preparation of supporting documentation and drafting our Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, along with submission of our financial reports to Federal repositories upon completion;
• Assist with research and implementation of new Governmental Accounting Standards;
• Grants management support and guidance for fiscal reporting of federal, state and local grants and related grants management tracking and reporting systems in support of required Federal financial assistance reporting.
• Oversees accounting activities for entities under contract for fiscal services the FM Area Diversion Project.

6.2 Internal Reporting and Operations: Primary functions include Annual Budget, Ongoing Financial Reporting and Monitoring, Bank Reconciliations, Accounts Receivable/Payable, and Payroll Processing.

• Annual budget development process including the assignment of professional staff needed for this function;
• Preparing financial analysis supporting budget recommendations to the Budget Review Team;
• Monitor budget performance, including a means of tracking, along with year-end projections;
• Maintain a system of recording budget amendments that occur outside of the annual budget development process;
• Timely and accurate billing, receivable, and payroll processes.

6.3 Purchasing Program: Primary functions include purchasing assistance, compliance monitoring, and policy updates.

• Maintain purchasing policy through regular review and updates;
• Provide city-wide staff training on purchasing program;
• Assist departments via RFP templates and best practices guidance;
• Assess program compliance through active monitoring and reviews;
• Create online warehouse of state contracts and other public procurement resources;
• Establish protocols and system development designed to ensure efficient, effective procurement process.

7. Using independent judgment provides supervision and leadership to department personnel under the span of control.

7.1 Directs the activities of professional and technical staff and subordinate supervisors responsible for work units within the Division, delegates authority, assignment and review of projects/programs;

7.2 Sets goals and objectives for others to work towards and monitors performance;

7.3 Leads unit management in creating and maintaining a positive work environment and fostering effective performance of staff;

7.4 Conducts ongoing feedback, coaching, mentoring, and timely formal reviews of performance for assigned employees;

7.5 Investigates conflict issues with employees and recommends performance improvement plans where necessary to improve employee performance. Recommends disciplinary actions, if needed;

7.6 Provides training and work direction, ensuring the employee knows and follows department and city rules as well as sound work and safety practices in order to accomplish the job objectives and avoid injury or loss;

7.7 Encourages employee growth and development by providing or encouraging learning opportunities;

7.8 Assesses staff development needs and directs the provision of staff training;

7.9 Participates in decisions regarding the content of jobs and the number of staff within the functional areas under the span of control.

8. Communicates courteously and professionally and maintains working relationships with others in carrying out job functions.

8.1 Frequently interacts with others in the work unit to exchange detailed and/or technical information;

8.2 Frequently interacts with the public, vendors or across departments to exchange detailed and/or technical information;

8.3 Communications include responsibility for maintaining relationships that are key to the function or the city;

8.4 Plans and carries out communications at a level that can impact the morale and performance of a major work unit.

9. Performs all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices.

9.1 Knows and follows department and city rules as well as sound work and safety practices in order to accomplish the job objectives and avoid injury or loss;

9.2 Wears proper protective equipment when policy requires or conditions indicate a need exists and utilizes proper body mechanics and ergonomics while performing work;

9.3 When potentially unsafe conditions are observed makes efforts to avoid or correct them if they are controllable and draws them to the attention of the responsible supervisor or safety representative in a timely manner.

10. Performs other duties and activities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

The job requires a bachelor’s degree in public or business administration with an accounting, finance or a related field as a specialization and nine or more years of progressively responsible governmental accounting experience, including five or more years of supervisory responsibility, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above. A Master’s degree or recognized professional certification such as CPA or CPFO is preferred.

Knowledge, skills and ability include:

• Knowledge of concepts, principles and practices of governmental accounting and fiscal administration including treasury management, accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, capital planning and purchasing, etc.;
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and governmental accounting standards (GASB);
• Knowledge of grant administration including recordkeeping, reporting, and Uniform Guidance (UG);
• Knowledge of North Dakota Century Code and City Home Rule Charter;
• Knowledge of all local, state and federal laws pertaining to fiscal administration;
• Knowledge of municipal capital financing techniques and debt issuance practices;
• Experience working with modern accounting, payroll, and timekeeping software systems;
• Experience in ERP implementation, change management, and ongoing maintenance;
• Knowledge of governmental industry changes in operational environments;
• Knowledge of the comprehensive functions and operations of a large municipality, particularly the fiscal requirements and procedures;
• Knowledge of human resource management practices such as training, delegation, discipline, etc;
• Skill in the planning, development and implementation of fiscal management practices and systems;
• Skill in leadership and management to coordinate the diverse activities of separate operating units towards the achievement of common goals;
• Skill in organization and prioritizing work and delegation of projects and tasks;
• Skill in informational analysis and problem solving to assess large amounts of information and formulate decisions;
• Skill in communication, including persuasive communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with City Commission, other municipal officials, coworkers, staff, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey complex information in readily understandable terms and to give and receive work direction;
• Skill in coaching and development of staff by providing a challenging work environment and appropriate levels of feedback to enhance professional development over time.

Physical Demands

Most work is performed in a normal office environment. Work requires extensive use of a computer, telephone and other office equipment. There is high attention to detail and deadlines. Work is generally light with considerable variety. Daily work may involve moving between buildings and rooms. Intermittent driving is required to attend meetings. The job may involve dealing with and calming individuals who are emotionally charged over an issue.

Activities include stooping, standing, walking, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing/listening, seeing/observing, repetitive motions.

Light Work: Physical demands are normally those associated with light work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently to move objects.