Head of Finance (Full-Time)

The Division of Administration/Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) has a vacancy. The Louisiana Office of Community Development (LOCD) administers Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT) grants and other federal and state funding allocated to the State of Louisiana. These programs support long-term recovery, resilience, and mitigation for communities affected by Presidentially Declared Disasters. LOCD's grant portfolio exceeds $20 billion and encompasses multiple federal awards, each containing numerous programs, funding activities, and implementation timelines.

This is a professional position designed to manage disaster recovery and mitigation programs under the Louisiana Office of Community Development (LOCD). The position ensures allocation and use of recovery and mitigation funds in observance of federal and state statutory requirements, regulations, and policies. This position reports to the Director of Finance and exercises direct supervision over professional finance staff. The incumbent is expected to work with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment, to coach and develop staff, to document existing financial processes into written standard operating procedures (SOPs), and to recommend improvements that strengthen internal controls and improve accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency.

The Division of Administration is the state government's management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Working to provide state and federal grants for community development

Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes

A baccalaureate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field plus two (2) years of professional level experience in financial management, financial analysis, accounting, grants management, or public sector finance. Substitutions : Six years of full-time professional experience in disaster recovery, accounting, financial management, or grants management may substitute for degree. A Master's degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience or two (2) years for a specialized degree in related fields. Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT) programs. Knowledge of Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program. Knowledge of federal grant financial requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200. Experience supporting audits and responding to monitoring or compliance reviews. Experience with the State of Louisiana LaGov ERP financial system, including its finance modules, and with financial reporting from the LaGov Data Warehouse or SAP Business Objects; familiarity with legacy ISIS/AFS data is a plus. Experience with HUD financial and reporting systems, including the Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting (DRGR) system and eLOCCS. Professional experience with communications/public relations Advanced proficiency in Microsoft office advanced, particularly in SharePoint and/or Excel

Overall Plan, organize, and direct the financial management and administration of Disaster Recovery programs funded through CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT and other federal, state and recovery sources. Conduct financial analysis, cost projections, scenario modeling, and program performance reviews to support program design, implementation, financial management, and closeout strategies. Supervise, coach, and develop finance staff while coordinating with program managers, grants management, contracts, accounting, budgets, and other Finance functions to ensure effective and consistent operations. Supervision, Coaching, and Staff Development Supervise assigned finance staff, including assigning and reviewing work, establishing performance expectations and measurable performance standards, conducting performance evaluations, and addressing performance issues. Coach and mentor staff on federal grant financial requirements, LOCD procedures, and the State financial system, and identify and support training and professional development opportunities. Build and maintain a cross-trained team so that draw processing, reconciliation, and reporting functions continue during absences, peak workloads, and turnover. Participate in recruitment, selection, onboarding, and retention of finance staff. Financial Operations Manage and oversee the financial operations of disaster recovery programs, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing of expenditures, payments, and project draw requests. Review and approve disaster recovery project draw request, including eligibility, accuracy, coding, and availability of funds for requested costs. Monitor contractor, subrecipient, and vendor financial activity to ensure that expenditures are allowable, allocable, reasonable, properly documented, and consistent with applicable agreements and requirements. Ensure that payments and expenditures are properly authorized and reconciled with the State financial system (LaGov ERP) and HUD reporting databases (DRGR). Review contracts for appropriate financial coding and submission to the Office of Financial and Support Services, or equivalent state financial office. Perform and oversee transaction processing, reconciliation, and reporting in the State of Louisiana LaGov ERP financial modules. Reconcile program and grant financial data among LaGov ERP, the LaGov Data Warehouse, HUD reporting systems, and internal tracking tools; research and resolve variances and document the resolution. Maintain financial coding structures, including funds, cost centers, functional areas, grants, and project structures, so that expenditures are charged to the correct award, activity, and program. Policies, Procedures, and Standard Operating Procedures Develop and maintain accounting and finance policies and procedures for managing disaster recovery funds and expenditures. Document existing financial processes into written standard operating procedures (SOPs), desk procedures, process maps, and workflow narratives that identify each step, the responsible position, control and approval points, required supporting documentation, system entries, and expected processing timeframes. Train staff on documented procedures and verify through review that procedures are followed consistently. Ensure compliance with federal and state financial requirements, including HUD regulations, OMB Uniform Guidance under 2 CFR Part 200, grant agreements, approved Action Plans, and LOCD fiscal policies. Research and analyze new federal and state financial requirements and recommend appropriate policies or procedural changes. Establish financial management processes to track expenditures, obligations, burn rates, program income and other financial activity across all funding sources. Process Improvement and Efficiency Evaluate existing financial workflows to identify duplication, manual workarounds, bottlenecks, and control gaps, and recommend practical improvements to leadership. Recommend and implement efficiencies, including automation of recurring reports, standardized templates and checklists, expanded use of LaGov ERP and LaGov Data Warehouse reporting, and reduced processing time for draw requests and payments. Develop and track performance measures for finance operations, such as draw processing time, draw aging, reconciliation timeliness, and error and rework rates, and report results to leadership. Lead or support implementation of new or revised financial systems, reporting tools, and dashboards, including requirements definition, testing, documentation, and staff training. Communication & Coordination Coordinate closely with program managers, grants management staff, contracts staff, finance teams, state agencies, and external partners to align program operations with financial controls and reporting requirements to ensure smooth and consistent financial operations. Communicate financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting expectations to program staff, contractors, subrecipients, vendors, and partner organizations. Prepare clear written and verbal explanations of complex financial information for executive leaders, legislators, program staff, auditors, and non-financial audiences. Financial Reporting Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to federal partners, executive leadership, legislators, auditors, oversight entities, and other stakeholders. Prepare monthly and periodic reports on General Fund expenses and balances, program income, grant expenditures, obligations, and remaining balances. Prepare recurring and ad hoc financial reports using LaGov ERP, the LaGov Data Warehouse, and SAP Business Objects, and reconcile reported balances to source records. Develop and maintain financial tracking tools, dashboards, spreadsheets, and reports to support transparency, monitoring, and executive decision-making. Ensure integration and accuracy of financial data within the State financial system (LaGov ERP), grants management systems, HUD reporting platforms (DRGR), business intelligence systems, and other applicable databases. Maintain complete and accurate financial records and documentation to support internal reviews, external audits, federal monitoring, legislative inquiries, and oversight activities. Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer" for People with Disabilities.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process.