Finance Manager

Job Description:

Finance Manager

Description

Description:

Are you an experienced professional passionate about financial stewardship and providing excellent customer service?

We are seeking Finance Manager to join our vibrant team.

Apply today!

The City's Administrative Services Department (ASD) is recruiting a dynamic leader to serve as the Finance Manager and oversee a 14-person accounting division. As a full-service Charter City with a council-manager form of government, Palo Alto has a reputation for being progressive and innovative while maintaining high-caliber financial reporting of its operating budget of $1.2 billion and capital budget of $442 million for fiscal year 2025.

The ideal candidate will exemplify our community's values by focusing on innovation and delivering high-quality service, while maintaining the financial rigor necessary to uphold excellence in regulating agency reporting requirements. This role requires strong technical skills, particularly in public sector accounting, with experience in leading the preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and managing the operations of the Accounting Division. This position will report directly to either the Assistant Director or Director. Key areas of oversight for this position include accounts payable/receivable, general ledger, payroll, and enterprise accounting.

The City's diverse business activities - including managing a full suite of utility services, an airport, and typical City services such as public safety - offer employees exposure to a wide range of professional development opportunities. This position provides the chance to explore new technical areas, work on innovative cases within your field, present to senior management and Council members, and learn from a variety of expertise across the organization. Therefore, effective communication skills, experience collaborating with stakeholders, and a commitment to continuous learning and growth are highly desirable.

Benefits: Fantastic benefits package! To learn more, click Here .

Compensation (Management): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click Here .

Schedule: Enjoy a hybrid, 9/80 work schedule (with every other Friday off).

Essential Duties:

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Oversees the automation of accounting and financial functions for the City's centralized accounting system, as well as the conversion of existing data, either in manual or in automated form, to the new system.
• Supervises the timely preparation of financial reports to city, county, state, and federal agencies, banks, and other financial institutions.
• Interacts with external and internal audit staff in reviews of accounting systems and controls and oversees implementation of recommended changes to such systems or control procedures.
• Manages, trains, and evaluates assigned staff, cultivates career development within the finance profession.
• Administers financial provisions of all major expenditure contracts; monitors all capital improvement project expenditures and expenditure of grant funds.
• Ensures compliance with federal laws (including IRS regulations), state laws, and municipal codes as determined by the City Attorney.
• Implements pronouncements approved by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).

To review full job description, click Here .

Minimum Qualifications:

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:

• Possession of a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Accounting, Business, or Public Administration, or other closely related field.
• Five years experience involving increasing responsibility in accounting and financial work including considerable management and supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Public Administration
• Government accounting experience
• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License

Supplemental Information:

The Selection Process:

• Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.

Recruitment Timeline:

• Minimum Qualifications Review: Ongoing
• On Demand Interviews: Week of January 6, 2025
• Department Level Interviews: To be determined.

Please note: The following dates are tentative and may change based on the needs of the hiring department.

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Compensation Plan HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 1/5/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$144,726.40 - $217,089.60 Annually