Assistant Chief Financial Officer

Assistant Chief Financial Officer

This recruitment is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous and ongoing basis. Early submissions are encouraged.

The City of Oxnard's Finance Department is seeking its next Assistant Chief Financial Officer!

This position is one of three Assistant Chief Financial Officer (ACFO) positions in the department. The role of this ACFO assists in planning, directing, managing, and overseeing activities and operations within the Finance Department. In addition, this position will primarily focus on budget, budget preparation and tracking, financial reporting, process improvements, current and long-term financial planning, assist the Public Works Department in the Cost of Service Analysis review and utility rates recommendations to the City Council, and support of debt issuance and cash flow forecasting. The ACFO will provide internal customer service and budget support to internal customers, as well as supervision of external vendor contracts and financial advisors. In addition, this position coordinates budgetary activities with other departments and provides highly responsible and complex analytical support to the Chief Financial Officer. The Assistant Chief Financial Officer (Budget) oversees a staff of six FTEs.

The City: Located on the beautiful Southern California coast, the City of Oxnard is the most populous city in the County of Ventura with over 210,000 residents. Nestled about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 35 miles south of Santa Barbara, Oxnard prides itself on its rich diversity and culture. Oxnard residents enjoy a spirit of community pride with an unsurpassed quality of life enhanced by the charm of this coastal community, and the cultural and educational amenities of a diverse and vibrant urban setting. It is an ideal coastal community and an excellent place to raise a family that offers oceanfront recreation and outdoor adventures, award winning festivals and friendly, safe neighborhoods.

The Department: The Finance Department is responsible for overseeing the financial management of City funds and supporting the City Council, City Manager and Departments in providing services to the community. The department programs include: general accounting, budget, debt issuance and administration, grant accounting, purchasing, billing and licensing, and mail and courier services.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Forward thinking, motivational, and has high energy, with the ability to provide leadership and inspire support in the City's efforts to encourage workplace values including integrity, respect, teamwork, and high performance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are necessary to work well with staff, department heads, as well as with internal and external stakeholders.
• The successful Assistant CFO will have the desire and confidence to work in a highly visible role to carry out the mission, vision, and needs of the City.
• This position will require flexibility, a willingness to exchange and encourage new ideas, and the ability to build consensus while developing working relationships based on trust and professionalism.
• The ideal candidate will enjoy providing employee development opportunities and coaching, and modeling a positive leadership style to a collegial, supportive, and hard-working staff.

The new ACFO for the City of Oxnard may be seasoned, or an up and comer, in either a large or small city, county, special district or similar governmental setting. This is an excellent opportunity for an optimistic leader with solid interpersonal skills and a passion for public service, especially serving an underserved community; an entrepreneur from within who recognizes this opportunity to create and establish an effective and efficient administrative infrastructure for long-term success.

Priorities and Opportunities:

• Provide leadership that fosters a culture of high performance, transparency, and professionalism that supports training, employee growth and development.
• Continuous review of policies and procedures to ensure budget and long-term financial planning best practices and process improvements.
• Develop positive relationships with internal department heads and provide budgetary support that aligns with the goals and mission of the City.
• Create and foster stability, succession planning, accountability, and positive morale through supportive and effective management.
• Politically astute and diplomatic. Possesses emotional intelligence.
• A supportive, mentoring and coaching supervisory style with the ability to assess talent and train employees accordingly.
• Big picture thinker with the ability to understand details.
• Possess the highest ethical standards and able to make difficult decisions.
• Diplomatic and solutions-oriented.
• A background working is a union environment.

PAYROLL/CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Assistant Department Director NRC

SUPERVISION EXERCISED/SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Incumbents oversee the conduct of performance evaluations, training, and hiring, discipline and termination procedures as well as directly supervise management, professional, paraprofessional and support staff. Work is performed according to overall management and strategic objectives and is reviewed for outcomes produced and results obtained.

WORK SCHEDULE: The normal workweek is Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, and alternating Fridays, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. This position may be required to be available to work additional hours as needed to respond to workload needs. This position is responsible for representing the department at various meetings, including regular City Council and City Council Committees. The standard work environment varies depending on assignment but is typically either dependent on each position, which is primarily in an office setting or out in the field. The City does not offer hybrid or remote work.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Oversees the conduct of performance evaluations, training, and hiring, discipline and termination procedures as well as directly supervises management, professional, paraprofessional and support staff.
• Manages and administers the operations of a major division within a department; coordinates and oversees the implementation of division programs and operational activities; participates in program planning and development; assists in developing goals, policies and objectives; aligns division operations with department and organizational strategy and goals.
• Monitors and oversees service quality and compliance with applicable regulations, standards, codes, policies and/or business requirements; manages operational risk; identifies and implements process improvements for the optimization of resources and the effective delivery of high quality services.
• Provides technical guidance; monitors and evaluates projects and processes; performs research of specialized and technical information; analyzes and resolves complex and sensitive issues; handles escalated customer concerns; and creates, negotiates and implements initiatives and solutions.
• Serves as division representative, liaison and/or advisor to management, City officials, boards, commissions, authorities, outside agencies, the public and/or other organizations regarding assigned area; facilitates and participates in meetings.
• Develops and delivers presentations; prepares and/or oversees the preparation, maintenance and/or distribution of correspondence, reports, documents, system information and other related communication materials.
• Oversees and assists in the analysis, development and administration of assigned budget; monitors and approves expenditures; monitors budget compliance; and makes budget recommendations.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are the minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the classification:

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or a field directly related to the assignment

EXPERIENCE:

• Four (4) years of progressively responsible related experience that includes significant management and supervisory experience

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to speak and understand English to effectively communicate with fellow employees, customers and vendors

HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

• Master's degree in accounting or finance
• Professional certifications related to this position
• Prior experience in municipal finance, revenue administration, or public sector accounting

ABOUT THE BENEFITS:

In exchange for all your hard work and determination, you will receive a competitive salary of $171,926 to $223,504, negotiable based on experience and qualifications, along with a wide host of benefits including:

• Enjoy CalPERS Retirement membership: Classic 2% at 55, New 2% at 62; your contribution secures your future; no Social Security participation.
• 12 paid holidays off per year.
• The City contributes 1% of employee base pay/salary to a Retirement Health Savings Program.
• The City contributes 4.5% of employee base pay/salary to the City-sponsored 401(a) plan.
• Leave accrual rates vary between 6.24 – 11.78 hours per pay period based on years of service with the City of Oxnard.
• 60 hours of Administrative Leave per fiscal year.
• The City will contribute $2,054.00 monthly towards medical insurance premiums with no cash back