DIRECTOR-FINANCE

THE PORT OF LONG BEACH IS SEEKING A DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 

(This is an at-will position)

 Salary Range: $190,124 – 266,175

THE ROLE

The Director of Finance serves as the financial and risk management advisor for the Port of Long Beach, managing a team of 36 and an annual division operating budget of $13 million. The Director is responsible for accounting, financial planning and analysis, capital projects, debt issuance and administration, grant administration, internal control and all aspects of risk management, including insurance, claims, litigation management, and loss control programs.

CANDIDATE CONNECT (INFORMATION SESSION)

To find out more about this exciting career opportunity and the Port of Long Beach, please join our virtual information session on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 5:00 PM PST, via MS Teams. This is a unique opportunity to hear first-hand about the position, speak directly with hiring leaders, ask questions, and learn why the Port of Long Beach is your employer of choice! Candidates are not required to be on camera. To join audio only, call 1 323-451-1087, Phone Conference ID: 171 533 912#. Please note a PowerPoint presentation will be shared during the meeting, and will not be visible to those who call-in only.

The Port of Long Beach's Finance team is a dynamic group dedicated to ensuring the financial health and sustainability for one of the busiest ports in the nation. Committed to transparency and efficiency, this team manages a diverse portfolio that includes accounting, budgeting, financial planning and analysis, grants management, insurance, and risk management. With a focus on innovative financial solutions. They support the mission by optimizing resources, driving investment opportunities, and enhancing overall operational effectiveness. Collaborating closely with other divisions, the Finance team plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the Port that contributes to economic growth in the region.  

ABOUT US

The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. With its deep-water, rail access, and ongoing investment in state-of-the-art facilities, the Port continues to be the preferred gateway for Asia-Pacific trade and an exemplary model for its environmental innovations and initiatives. The Port operates entirely on revenue generated from its operations and grants, and is not funded by taxes or the City’s General Fund. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at more than $300 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California. In 2025, the Port is celebrating “20 Years of Leading Green,” marking two decades of its landmark Green Port Policy that has dramatically reduced environmental impacts from operations. In 2024, industry leaders named Long Beach “The Best West Coast Seaport in North America” for the sixth consecutive year. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.3 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

To learn more about the ways we are building the Green Port of the Future, please visit: https://polb.com/environment.  

The Director of Finance servs as an essential and critical financial advisor with responsibility for leading and directing all financial and risk management at the Port of Long Beach.

How you get to contribute:

• Establishes goals and objectives for the Finance Division, measures performance, and ensures an effective customer-oriented service level is maintained. 
• Establishes rigorous disciplined approach to Board-mandated metrics that include reliable financial statements, forecasts and controls.
• Establishes and maintains accounting and finance processes including but not limited to billing and revenue collection, fund disbursements, transaction recording accuracy, and internal control programs to protect assets.
• Establishes and maintains all risk management services to include identifying Port exposures to loss and implementing appropriate risk management techniques to transfer risk so as not to impede the ability of the Port to perform at a desirable level.
• Manages the Port's general liability, property, auto, professional insurance programs, including areas of self-insurance.  Works with brokers to determine appropriate program structure and levels of risk to retain.   Makes program, carrier and policy recommendations.
• Alerts upper management to areas of exposure in Port's practices and makes recommendations for mitigations of these exposures.
• Creates, implements, and overseas development of the Port’s annual budget. 
• Ensures Port policies and procedures are maintained by developing and updating financial policies.
• Coordinates the preparation of financial statements, cash flow statements, industry statistics and rate of return analysis to generate intermittent financial reports and analyses.
• Supervises all issues related to outstanding debt for the Port, which incorporates bond issuance and maintenance, lines of credit management, bond covenant compliance and account management in coordination with fiscal grants.
• Consults with leadership team to determine short-term and long-term needs, designs processes and information systems that will be responsive to those needs and provides direction, information and support to directors on financial matters that affect their respective organizations.
• Attends and participates in Board of Harbor Commission, committee, staff, public and private agency meetings as required regarding assigned services, activities and programs.
• Assesses established system of controls to ensure tracking and compliance with budgets and oversees a successful annual audit.
• Manages relationship with third-party administrators, attorneys, insurance companies, brokers, underwriters, financial advisers, bond counsel and other risk management or financial service providers.
• Serves as liaison with City Auditor on all internal control maters.  Manages an internal control function dedicated to Port activities.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Required

• A Bachelor's Degree in business, accounting, finance, risk management or another related field is required. Experience offering specific and substantial preparation for the duties of the position may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) professional designation is preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of increasingly responsible public or private sector experience in the finance and accounting sector.
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience. 

Desirables

• MBA or advanced degree is a plus.
• Maritime industry or related experience desirable but not required.
• Experience in risk management setting which included insurance procurement, claims management and analysis is desirable.
• Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Claims (AIC), and/or Charter Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designations desirable.
• Conversant in US GAAP rules and internal controls.
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems management.
• National accounting firm audit experience is helpful but not required.
• Bond issuance and dept capital raising experience is helpful but not required.
• Experience overseeing the development of dashboard and key metrics to track the business and inform strategy is a plus.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience leading large accounting and finance teams in an organization with substantial revenues. To thrive, you will need to be flexible, strategic, innovative and forward thinking with excellent client/customer relation skills and exceptional public speaking/presentation skills. It is essential you have demonstrated leadership that includes maturity, vision and ability to articulate an organization’s vision, mission and goals to others. This role requires the ability to acclimate quickly in a fast-paced environment of innovation and collaboration, and the willingness to employ creative solutions in structuring business.

If you require an accommodation because of a disability in order to participate in any phase of the application/selection process, please contact (562) 283-7500, or email hrexecrecruitment@polb.com. 

The Port of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the Port of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act. 

How do we start the conversation?

The final filing date for this recruitment is Monday, April 23, 2025, at 4:30 PM PST. The Port reserves the right to extend the closing without notice in order to accept additional applications. To be considered for this extraordinary opportunity, you must submit a cover letter and a resume (as PDF attachments) reflecting the scope of current/most recent organizations and responsibilities. Incomplete submissions, or those that clearly do not meet the minimum requirements, will not be considered. Documents will be evaluated to determine the most qualified applicants. Submissions will only be accepted online at www.governmentjobs.com.

Individuals determined to be most qualified for the position will be invited to participate in a panel interview to further evaluate candidate qualifications. First and second round panel interviews are scheduled to take place onThursday, May 8, 2025 (virtual) and Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (in-person). Candidates should ensure availability on both dates. The successful candidate will be appointed shortly thereafter.

THE BENEFITS

The Port of Long Beach has established an annual salary range of $190,124 – 266,175. Starting salary is determined by a combination of qualifications, professional experience, and internal equity considerations. An attractive package of executive level benefits is also included with the opportunity of working in one of the most diverse and dynamic areas of the United States. The Port’s generous benefits package includes:

• Auto Allowance – $550 per month.
• Executive Leave – 40 hours per year.
• Retirement – For new employees, the CalPERS retirement formula is 2.0% at 62, coordinated with Social Security. Currently, member contribution is 8.00% for CalPERS, and 6.2% for social security, paid by the employee. For employees with prior CalPERS status, Central Payroll will review and determine the formula. For prior employees with a break in service greater than six (6) months, this could be 2.0% at 62, coordinated with Social Security. 
• Vacation – Vacation is accrued at 3.7 hours per pay period to begin, which is equivalent to two weeks on an annual basis. Vacation can be used after six months of service.  Vacation accrual increases at specific milestones of years of service. 
• Sick Leave – Accrued at 8 hours per month. Accruals may be converted upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums or retirement service credits. 
• Holidays – 11 scheduled holidays per calendar year and four (4) personal holidays.
• Paid Parental Leave – After six (6) months of City employment, the City pays up to 30 consecutive days (160 hours) for eligible employees to take paid time to bond with child upon birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child, up to the age of 17. 
• Bereavement Leave – 5 days for death or critical illness of immediate family member.
• Vacation Accrual for Prior Service – Vacation accrual rate may be adjusted to provide credit for previous full-time employment at a public service agency. Credit for public service shall only be given for completed years of service as a full-time permanent employee. Public Service credit does not apply to any other benefits.
• Pay for Performance – Pay for Performance is awarded based on employee performance as demonstrated through achievement of individual goals, demonstration of required competencies, and available budget funds. 
• Deferred Compensation – City match of base salary for all qualified members. 
• Group Health Insurance – Medical and dental options (HMO and PPO). Free vision coverage.
• Life Insurance – City-paid life insurance policy of $20,000 plus executive insurance benefit equal to three times annual salary up to a maximum of $500,000.
• Disability Insurance – City-paid short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Education Reimbursement – Tuition reimbursement available for employees to obtain additional education or training.
• Annual Physical – Eligible to receive an annual physical examination at City expense through the City provided program.
• Public Student Loan Forgiveness – As the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach, a governmental agency, the Port of Long Beach is a qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• 529 College Savings Plan – The ScholarShare529 plan is an account that allows employees to invest specifically for future education expenses through the Long Beach City Employees Federal Credit Union. Funds can be used from your 529 savings plan to send your grandkids, kids, or even yourself, to any accredited public or private U.S. college or university – or two-year technical or vocational institution.

Salary : $190,124 - $266,175