Deputy Finance Director

Deputy Finance Director

The Town of East Hartford is seeking a detail-oriented and highly skilled accounting and financial professional to serve as Deputy Finance Director. This critical role supports the Finance Director and acts as a key member of the Finance Department's leadership team, providing advanced accounting expertise and contributing to the effective management of the Town's financial operations. The Deputy Finance Director also supports the Finance Director in initiatives within the Procurement, Tax, and Assessor Divisions.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Leading and supporting the Town's accounting functions, including payroll, accounts payable, general ledger maintenance, financial reporting, and bank reconciliation activities
• Leading and supporting the Town's annual audit, including completion and review of workpapers and financial statements
• Assisting in the development, monitoring, and administration of the Town's annual operating and capital budgets, producing budget to actual forecasts and reports
• Modernization of systems and troubleshooting transactions and processes within Payroll and Accounts Payable
• Ensuring compliance with GAAP, state and federal regulations, and internal financial policies
• Providing comprehensive administrative and technical support of divisions under the Finance Director
• Managing cash flow analysis and supporting the Town's borrowing and debt management strategies

This position directly supports the leadership of the accounting department, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, general ledger, payroll, and the coordination and completion of the annual audit.

The Deputy Finance Director ensures accurate financial reporting, adherence to accounting standards, and effective team management. The role also contributes to budget development by providing annual budget data, monitoring expenditures, identifying variances, and implementing corrective actions.

Additionally, this key position leads modernization efforts in payroll, timekeeping, and accounts payable processes, and ensures compliance with federal, state, and local legal requirements by evaluating new and existing legislation, maintaining adherence to financial regulations, and advising management on necessary policy or procedural changes.

In the Town of East Hartford, we don't just accept difference — we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, residents, and community partners. The Town of East Hartford is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

Essential Job Functions

• Works with departments to ensure compliance of budget related programs and policies
• Supports the director in ensuring the completion of accounting functions and maintenance of the Town's general ledger for all funds, including month-end closes, account and bank reconciliations, financial analysis, journal entries review, fixed assets and internal audit.
• Assist with reporting of budget to actual and forecasts. Monitors internal service funds and reviews accuracy of reports.
• Assists with annual Town audits and improvement of town policies and internal controls to ensure fiscal compliance with best practices and mitigation of risk.
• Assists in establishing the priorities of accounting, cash management, payroll, tax revenue, property assessment and revenue collection.
• Assists in the administration of Tax and Assessor departments with respect to employee management, Town policy compliance, and adherence to sound accounting practices
• Assists with the development of annual budget; interfacing with directors, Town Council and Mayor.
• Prepares financial information of bond offerings
• Coordinates the financial administration of personnel policies and collective bargaining agreements for department employees.
• Serves as a financial resource for Town departments, commissions and boards
• Provides direction and support to departments as directed by the Finance Director.
• Assists with fiscal management of grants
• Assists with actuary reporting for Town Pension and OPEB plans
• Develop strategies for improvements of modernization, efficiency and productivity.
• Ability to manage employees ensuring maximum performance.
• Works with human resource department in the administration of retirement plans and collective bargaining agreements
• Other duties as required.
• Acts on behalf of the Finance Director in his or her absence and performs other duties delegated by the Director.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Considerable knowledge of financial administration: accounting, budgeting, tax collection, purchasing and investing.
• Considerable knowledge of financial and accounting systems, including policies and financial reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of governmental accounting principles and procedures, including auditing, cash management and budgeting.
• Knowledge and expertise of software programs such as MUNIS, Novatime, Crystal reports.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel, including V-lookups and Pivot tables.
• Able to understand municipal operations and relation to budgetary impact.
• Considerable skills in mathematics and analysis.
• Knowledge of town, state and federal laws, policies, ordinances, rules and regulations
• Thorough knowledge of financial administration, including accounting, budgeting, purchasing and investing.
• Able to administer an accounting unit and to supervise the work of others
• Able to interpret statistical and narrative reports
• Able to communicate clear, concise, written and oral instructions
• Demonstrates a level of expertise with financial software products

Job Qualifications and Licensing

Physical and Mental Effort and Environmental Conditions:

• Works in office setting subject to continuous interruptions and background noise
• Long periods of time sitting and a computer terminal.
• May experiences stress from multiple demands of this position.

Job Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree from a recognized college or university in business, accounting, public administration or a related field, supplemented by courses in public accounting plus five years of responsible accounting experience, including at least two years in government and two years of supervisory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Note: The above tasks and responsibilities are illustrative only. The description does not include every task or responsibility.