Finance Director

Executive-level Finance Director responsible for long-range financial and budget planning for the City of Helena, overseeing accounting, debt management, reporting, and financial operations across city funds.

Responsibilities

• Lead budget, accounting, investments, debt service, utility billing and customer service, business and other licenses, grants administration, city-wide procurement, IT special projects, city-wide revenue analysis, billing and forecasting including fees, charges for services, mill levies, and special assessments.
• Develop and evaluate goals and performance metrics for the finance division; establish and assess policies and procedures; improve service delivery; lead continuous improvement efforts and drive automation of functions to enhance financial management.
• Recruit and lead staff; evaluate workloads, assign responsibilities; provide staff training and professional development; implement and assist with performance improvement plans, discipline and termination recommendations.
• Represent the City on various committees or boards as appointed by the City Manager; provide financial analysis and recommendations to support decision making.
• Support strategic city initiatives through deliberate budget management, financial planning, analysis and reporting; forecast long-term revenue and expenditures and monitor fiscal health.
• Analyze financial data to prepare periodic reports and recommendations for the City Manager, Commission and Department Heads; coordinate fee schedules and rate resolutions; establish financial operational strategies by analyzing trends.
• Support the City Manager’s Office in financial management strategies and operations, including analysis of legislative proposals, funding for capital improvements, economic development initiatives, interlocal agreements, and development or approval of key business models; analyze investment strategies for excess funds in permitted investments; periodically report on the City’s borrowing activities.
• Analyze and prepare long-term revenue forecasts for general revenues; assist department heads with department or division revenue forecasts and trend analysis; maintain historical revenue records; use forecasts to estimate taxes, assessments, investments and other revenues; analyze fee and charge changes and assist with cost/benefit and service cost recovery proposals.
• Advise on best practices in budget policies and procedures, including cost allocation methodologies, reserve policies, performance metrics and budget presentation.
• Actively collaborate with community stakeholders on city budgeting and public engagement.
• Design, establish and maintain effective accounting systems and sound policies for complex accounting of financial transactions, payroll, operating and capital budgeting, project accounting and internal controls in accordance with GAAP and GASB.
• Oversee debt service financing to support operations and capital investments; coordinate debt issuance, recording and payments; work with bond counsel, underwriters and financial advisors; ensure debt service reserves, budgets and payments are recorded; monitor debt capacity and defeasance potential.
• Collaborate with the City Controller to coordinate annual audits and comprehensive financial statements to secure recognitions such as the GFOA Certificate of Achievement; execute technical accounting standards and prepare audit workpapers and financial statements, MD&A, and notes.
• Oversee coordination, accounting and monitoring for all city grants; serve as a principal resource for fiscal compliance with grant contracts, GAAP, OMB circulars and other regulations; establish grant administration policies and ensure centralized grant accounting for financial information, expenses, revenue tracking and grant closeouts.
• Oversee centralized procurement practices for the City; plan, organize, direct and control purchasing and contract administration; ensure policies and practices meet legal, risk management and ethical standards; train departments on procurement methods.
• Oversee the City’s utility billing, utility customer service and licensing division; establish policies on cash handling, billing, collections, customer relations and account adjustments; ensure timely creation, collection and posting of bills, delinquency management, rate changes and sewer calculations.

Technologies

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software

Benefits

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Physical Demands

• Sedentary work with occasional lifting up to 50 pounds; some file handling and records management activities.

Safety

• Adheres to safety policies and procedures; participates in safety trainings; reports unsafe conditions and incidents promptly.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance or related field with emphasis in accounting from an accredited college or university; master's degree preferred.
• Six years of progressively responsible experience with emphasis on public administration, government finance and budgeting; at least four years of management and supervisory experience; familiarity with ERP software.
• Other relevant combinations of education and experience may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Licenses and Certifications

• Possession of certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and/or Certified Public Finance Officer, or ability to obtain within one year of hire.

Supervision

• Supervision Received: Supervised by the City Manager
• Supervision Exercised: Direct and delegated supervision over finance division staff, approximately 12 employees

Compensation

• Salary: $110,036.24 - $121,314.95 per year

Work Location

• Helena, Montana, onsite