Director of Finance

Location:  City of Cedar Park, TX Download: 

The Community

The City of Cedar Park is a vibrant suburb of 0ver 83,000 residents, located 17 miles northwest of downtown Austin and is recognized for its fast growth in the dynamic Central Texas region. Cedar Park is the third largest city in the Austin metropolitan area, ideally situated for corporate headquarters and has a growing number of high tech and major manufacturing employers. With deep roots as a small community and ability to retain a hometown feel, it is known for its outstanding schools, pro-business climate and relaxed family environment. Named one of the Best Suburbs for Growing Families and Best Small City in America in 2020, Cedar Park offers all the benefits of life in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, with desirable neighborhoods, an entrepreneurial business environment, and an effective, well-managed city government. 

Government

The City of Cedar Park operates under the council-manager form of government, per the city charter. The council-manager form is a system of local government that combines the political leadership of elected officials in the form of a council or other governing body with the managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The Cedar Park City Council consists of a Mayor and six at-large Council positions. All of these elected positions are volunteer. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for the City.  The current City Manager has been with the City since 1996 and was appointed City Manager in 2006.  In addition, the Deputy City Manager and two Assistant City Managers have more than five decades of experience with the City, providing stable leadership within the City Management team. Working with the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager oversees a robust, full-service city operation known for being innovative, forward-thinking, and implementing best practices in local government.  In 2022, the City received the highest possible credit rating of AAA from S&P Global.  This is the first time in the City’s history that Cedar Park has received the AAA rating and the City joins a small list of Texas cities to accomplish this feat. 

The Department

The Finance Department is responsible for the collection, investment and disbursement of all City funds, preparing the annual budget and audit, processing the City's payroll, managing water/wastewater Utility Billing, monitoring City purchases, and administering the City's depository agreements and transactions. 

Mission

The Finance Department ensures the City's assets by maximizing available resources, minimizing costs, and protecting cash principle by planning for City's future financial growth. 

The Position

The Director of Finance provides administrative direction and supervision to municipal financial activities, including accounting and financial reporting; maintaining internal controls; budget development, communication, and monitoring; cash and investment management; debt administration; disbursements, including payroll, accounts payable, investment purchases, and debt service payments; utility billing; collections, including general accounts receivable and cashiering; sales and use tax collection, reporting, and auditing; and general administration.  The Director of Finance supervises the Assistant Director of Finance and the Accounting Manager and reports to an Assistant City Manager. 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

  •        Supervises department staff, including planning and developing goals and objectives for staff
  •        Plans, organizes, coordinates, compiles, and publishes the annual city budget and annual combined financial reports
  •        Manages the investment of funds, bank relations, and investment portfolio policy
  •        Manages purchasing and the fixed asset inventory system, ensuring compliance with state purchasing laws and City guidelines
  •       Researches, analyzes and makes recommendations on financial policy and City Council actions required for financial management and accounting
  •       Monitors the operating and capital improvement budgets for compliance with approved appropriations
  •       Prepares and presents monthly financial reports to the City Council and City Manager
  •       Prepares and submits quarterly financial reports to municipal bond and rating agencies
  •       Prepares and presents program issues to City Council for deliberation and decisions
  •       Assists outside auditors in annual audit
  •       Manages city real estate rental operations
  •       Works collaboratively with individuals and groups on issues impacting the City by providing information and resolving problems and disputes
  •       Attends City Council meetings and assists the City Manager in executing policies
  •       Makes recommendations regarding hiring, termination, and discipline of employees
  •       Prepares and presents employee performance evaluations
  •       Answers questions and resolves complaints directed by Council members, employees, and the general public regarding financial policies and procedures
  •       Plans, manages, and assists the City Manager on special projects, including the preparation of certain grant applications
  •       Identifies and plans long-range projects designed to upgrade various city operations to meet the growing need for service

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  •        Knowledge of:  general management principles; budgeting procedures and multi-funded financing operations; purchasing law; risk management; personnel policies and procedures; generally accepted accounting principles, especially related to governmental finances; financing techniques for commercial property; principles and concepts of public/private investing; and state and federal guidelines related to city operations.
  •       Skill/Ability to:  select, motivate, train, supervise, and evaluate staff; prepare budgets and financial statements; apply general management principles to complex situations; operate computer using standard word processing and spreadsheet software; establish and maintain effective working relationships with officials in local and state government and the general public; demonstrate proficiency in both oral and written communication; gather, compile, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data and make sound decisions regarding that data as it applies to providing services; and recognize, evaluate, and respond adequately to a variety of financial issues faced by the city. 

Education and Experience

Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field, in addition to at least eight (8) years of progressively responsible municipal government and finance management experience, including five (5) years supervisory and leadership experience; any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered. 

Certifications

Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy or Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO) is strongly preferred. 

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should possess a strong proficiency in municipal accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and serve as the key contact for all financial issues.  The successful candidate should have experience in capital improvement projects, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ), investments and bond programs; experience with utility billing will be highly beneficial. 

The ideal candidate must be able to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and provide direction to the department and City Management.  While a strong knowledge of financial terminology is necessary, this individual should also be able to effectively communicate across divisions and with City Management in a clear and articulate fashion and should be a strategic leader with experience working in a customer focused department with a high-performance culture.

This person will have the ability to make decisions pertaining to staff and procedures within the department.   The ideal candidate should possess the capacity and interest to be an effective mentor and leader for staff, developing and strengthening relationships across departmental lines. The ideal candidate must be able to set a positive example of competence, professionalism, energy and work ethic to the department.  Advanced written and oral communication skills are imperative for this position. 

Salary

The City of Cedar Park is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance will be available for the successful out of area candidate. 

How to Apply

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: CPDF

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
888.321.4922
www.affionpublic.com

**The deadline for resumes is November 25, 2022**

The City of Cedar Park is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

Posted: 10/27/2022