Finance Director

Job Summary:

The Finance Director is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the financial functions of the City of Sebastian, FL. This includes fiscal management, accounting, billing, risk management, procurement, and contract services. The successful candidate will have a Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or Public Administration, and ten years of experience in governmental finance or a related field.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assumes full management responsibility for all financial functions, facilities, services, and activities.
• Establishes City-wide accounting procedures, procurement policies, contract monitoring systems, internal control measures, financial reporting practices, and budgeting process.
• Directs fiscal management of the City, including budget preparation, monitoring, and presentation.
• Responsible for making revenue forecasts, monitoring collections, and reporting significant deviations from expectations to the City Manager.
• Approves all payments and oversees that proper accounting procedures are used for processing collections and making payments.
• Makes cash flow analyses, manages the investment portfolio, and ensures that investments meet policy guidelines and that adequate cash is available to meet obligations.
• Manages revenue collection programs, including tax assessments, grants, licenses, or user fees, and other sources.
• Prepares analysis and submits recommendations to ensure cost recovery of municipal services and justifies adjustments to City fees and charges for services.
• Coordinates efforts to secure bond or bank note financing and identifies the revenue source that can support the scheduled loan amortization payments.
• Prepares annual and 5-10 year revenue projections and determines the allowable funding sources that are allocated to specific projects in the capital improvement program.
• Coordinates with the County Property Appraiser with the State required process for holding public hearings and setting the property tax millage.
• Presides over operating budget and capital improvement program submittals and directs the preparation of an annual operating budget and capital improvement program.
• Presents the budget and capital program and acts as a resource for the Budget Review Committee.
• Prepares periodic budget versus actual reports for review by the City Council.
• Advises and otherwise provides assistance and guidance to the City Council, City Manager, and other City staff and the public regarding financial matters.
• Supplies reports and information to other department heads regarding revenue and expenditure projections and provides assistance with handling unanticipated occurrences.
• Participates in the formulation of economic development goals, objectives, and policies that might enhance the fiscal position of the City.
• Develops and directs the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the Finance Department.
• Selects and sets work standards for Finance Department personnel; evaluates and reviews work for acceptability and conformance with industry standards.
• Develops and administers the budget for the Finance Department; approves all expenditures and manages the funds provided for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Monitors changes in laws and regulations affecting City operations and implements policy and procedural changes as required.
• Oversees the development of invitation to bid and requests for proposals; ensures the documentation for required products or services is clear and specific.
• Reviews executed contracts and agreements to ensure compliance with renewal provisions and updates to bonds and insurance requirements.
• Oversees activities and provides administrative services to the Police Pension Plan or at least monitors their meetings if those services are performed contractually.
• Provides input to human resources functions and serves on the management team for negotiations of the collective bargaining agreements.
• Coordinates risk management activities with the Human Resources Department and handles renewals or changes to property and liability insurance policies.
• Communicates effectively with other City departments, elected officials, and outside agencies; explains and interprets departmental programs, policies, and activities.
• Prepares, reviews, and presents staff reports on special projects as assigned by the City Manager.
• Approves City Council agenda transmittals from all departments and participates in the final review of the agenda prior to it being distributed.
• Acts as the liaison for the City with the elected officials and other outside public agencies regarding the financial affairs and fiscal management of the City.
• Coordinates the annual independent financial audit and implements any auditor recommendations.

Requirements:

• Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or Public Administration.
• Ten years of experience in governmental finance or a related field.
• Designation as a Certified Public Accountant desirable but not required.
• Possession of a valid, State of Florida driver's license to operate a motor vehicle.

Desired Traits:

• Knowledgeable worker.
• Customer-focused.
• Respects others.
• Drives to excel.
• Believes in teamwork and collaboration.
• Believes in continuous learning.
• Demonstrates ethical behavior.
• Supportive of change.

Performance Aptitudes:

• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others on how to apply procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Language and Communications Ability: Requires the ability to keep the supervisor informed of potential problems or unusual events.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver, and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires ability to apply principles of rational systems.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.
• Organizational Skill: Requires the ability to maintain documents in an organized and orderly manner.

Work Environment:

The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.
• Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Standing or Sitting: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Visual Acuity: Including color, depth perception, and field vision.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave. Part-time regular employees are eligible for vacation and sick leave. To learn more details, visit the City of Sebastian website.