What are the responsibilities and job description for the CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER position at City of Huntington Beach?
The City of Huntington Beach is seeking an exceptional leader with demonstrated expertise in public sector financial management principles. This finance professional will report to the Assistant City Manager and join a cohesive Executive Leadership Team that is aligned to serve the public interest through good governance, dedicated to Huntington Beach’s quality of life, and committed to City Council policy.
The candidate selected will be a strategic leader who can provide clear financial direction to the organization. They must be capable of translating financial data into actionable insights that support the organization’s long-term financial goals. This includes leading financial planning initiatives, driving innovation in financial processes, and working cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues to ensure alignment with overall organizational objectives. The ideal candidate will excel in problem solving and critical thinking, making use of these skills to identify solutions to complex organizational and budget challenges while continuing to meet project deadlines and policy goals.
A strong understanding of public sector regulations, funding mechanisms, and compliance requirements is essential. An individual adept at navigating complex regulatory environments and ensuring all financial practices adhere to local, state, and federal guidelines will be well received by the City. The Finance Director should be experienced in managing audits, reporting, and ensuring transparency in financial operations.
Given the public sector’s unique stakeholder environment, the individual selected will be an effective and credible written and verbal communicator with well-developed political acumen. The new Director should demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability. The ideal candidate will have a genuine dedication to public service and a passion for contributing to the community’s financial well-being. Their leadership style should reflect the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
The Community
The City of Huntington Beach is located in northwestern Orange County 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 90 miles northwest of San Diego. The City encompasses 28 square miles of land and 26 square miles of water, making it the 24th largest city in California. With a population of about 202,265 residents, Huntington Beach is the fourth largest populous city in Orange County.
Known as “Surf City USA,” Huntington Beach features nearly 8.5 miles of spacious beaches and hosts an annual visitor population of over 11 million people, especially during the summer, and features numerous large-scale special events, surf competitions and festivals. Even with its swell of visitors, Huntington Beach has been listed for decades as among the FBI’s safest cities in the nation. In 2022, WalletHub ranked the City of Huntington Beach #1 in the nation for quality of services to residents. Huntington Beach consistently ranks near the top of WalletHub’s annual rankings of the happiest cities in the country.
Huntington Beach has one of the largest recreational piers in the world and has the longest concrete pier in California. The City is home to a thriving beach community and is consistently named as one of the top ten beaches in California. Running parallel to Pacific Coast Highway and just steps from the ocean is a ten-mile strand perfect for biking, inline skating, jogging, or a leisurely stroll.
Huntington Beach boasts a wide variety of municipal amenities. It has a world-class Central Library with four branch libraries. The City’s Park system includes 79 public parks (including a dog park), riding stables, and the largest city-owned and operated regional park in Orange County — the 356-acre Huntington Central Park. Residents enjoy five recreation centers (including a senior center), three miles of equestrian trails, two golf courses, 72 tennis courts, a marina, and a protected wildlife preserve.
Huntington Beach draws some of the largest crowds in the world for its popular events, including the U.S. Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, the Surf City Marathon, and the Pacific Air Show. It’s also home to the International Surfing Museum, the Surfing Walk of Fame, the Surfing Hall of Fame, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, and the Huntington Beach Art Center.
The community’s 35 elementary schools and five public high schools frequently receive local, state, and federal awards and honors, including recognition as California Distinguished Schools and National Blue Ribbon Schools. Golden West College, a community college, is also located in the City. Orange Coast College; the University of California, Irvine and California State Universities at Long Beach and Fullerton also provide convenient proximity to higher education. Huntington Beach is an extremely diversified business community. No single business or industry dominates the local economy, which supports leading commercial, industrial, and recreational industries ranging from tourism and leisure to aerospace, high technology, and advanced manufacturing.
To learn more about the City of Huntington Beach, please visit www.huntingtonbeachca.gov.
This position is responsible for exercising independent judgment in establishing efficient and effective financial operations consistent with City Council policies and administrative guidelines established by the City Administrator. Knowledge of principles and practices of public administration including budget preparation and analysis, grant accounting and bond issuances, financial planning, and concepts of automated financial management information systems will be paramount to the new Director’s success in this role.
The Finance Department currently has 27 full-time and 1 part-time team members organized across four divisions: Administration, Accounting Services, Budget Management, and Business License. The department is responsible for providing financial management, oversight, monitoring and reporting functions for the City’s complex financial resources. The department accomplishes this objective by providing budgetary oversight, monitoring and preparation; purchasing and procurement expertise; accounting and financial report services; cashiering, accounts receivable and collections services; payroll and accounts payable services; utility billing; and business license customer service.
Any combination of education, training, and experience that would likely provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform in the position is qualifying. A typical combination includes six years of responsible financial experience including at least four years as a supervisor and equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, business or public administration or closely related field, including courses in advanced accounting, auditing, cost accounting and business law is required. Public sector experience in a large municipal agency, a Master’s degree, and a valid Certified Public Accountant credential is highly desirable.
Applications will be screened in relation to the criteria articulated in this job announcement. Applicants with the most relevant qualifications will be invited to participate in the first round of panel interviews in September. The top candidates may then be invited to participate in additional interviews and other selection activities. The City anticipates making an appointment following the completion of thorough background and reference checks on the selected candidate. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process and, at that time, will be done so in close coordination with the candidate impacted.
Salary : $167,675 - $224,700
