What are the responsibilities and job description for the Finance Manager position at City of Palo Alto?
Description
Are you an experienced Accounting or Finance professional skilled in team leadership
and providing excellent customer service?
and providing excellent customer service?
Are you passionate about developing and mentoring your team in anticipation of future needs and opportunities?
Would you like to work for an organization that offers every other Friday off and a partial-remote work schedule?
We are seeking a Finance Manager to join our skilled team. Apply today!
The City's Administrative Services Department (ASD) is recruiting a dynamic leader to serve as the Finance Manager and to oversee, develop and lead a 16-person accounting division. As a full-service Charter City with a council-manager form of government, Palo Alto has a reputation for being progressive and innovative while maintaining high-caliber financial reporting of its operating budget of $1.2 billion and capital budget of $442 million for fiscal year 2025.
This leadership role requires a combination of an experienced accounting professional with dynamic leadership skills to optimize team contributions, collaboration and cross-functionality in order to innovate and provide ever-increasing levels of customer service to City staff, City Council, and Palo Alto citizens. This position will develop team culture and recognition. It is also responsible for assisting the team in interpreting policy as applied to individual events and will define policy in evolving or new areas.
Are You Who We're Looking For?
The Ideal Candidate will be an experienced accounting professional with:
- 5 years of experience involving increasing responsibility in accounting and financial work.
- A minimum of 3 years as the team leader in a management or supervisory role of a high-performing team.
- CPA and Master's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Public Administration.
- Public sector accounting experience that includes preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
- Experience in the key oversight areas of accounts payable/receivable, general ledger, payroll, and enterprise accounting.
- Top-tier communication skills, experience collaborating with stakeholders, and a commitment to continuous learning and growth.
Why Palo Alto?
The City of Palo Alto is a progressive, cutting-edge city that innovates in all areas of civic service and technology. Palo Alto is looking for an accounting and finance manager to bring that same level of innovation and service to the city's accounting functions. This role should exemplify our community's values by focusing on innovation and delivering high-quality service while maintaining the financial rigor necessary to uphold excellence in regulating agency reporting requirements. This role requires strong technical skills. The City's diverse business activities – including managing a full suite of utility services, an airport, and typical City services such as public safety – offer employees exposure to a wide range of professional development opportunities. This position provides the chance to explore new technical areas, work on innovative cases within your field, present to senior management and Council members, and learn from leaders across the organization.
You can find the City of Palo Alto's Annual Budget here.
Benefits & Work Environment:
- Hybrid Work Location – Ability to work remotely and onsite (current policy allows for 2 days/week remote and 3 days/week on-site)
- Schedule – Enjoy a hybrid, 9/80 work schedule (with every other Friday off).
- Benefits - Fantastic benefits package!
- Professional Development – Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
-
Education Benefits – Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District
(pilot program, subject to change) - Childcare Support – Up to $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
- Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan – Competitive pension benefits
Recruitment Timeline:
Minimum Qualifications Review: Ongoing
First Review of Applications: May 1 - posting may close at any time after this date
Interviews: First round interviews are expected to be via MS Teams and take place in mid-May.
Second round interviews will be in-person and expected to take place in late May.
Desired Start Date: mid-June
Applicants are encouraged to complete the online work history form as well as attach a cover letter and resume. A position-specific cover letter is used to indicate a candidate's sincere interest in the position and can highlight areas of work experience that may not be readily apparent.
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Oversees the automation of accounting and financial functions for the City's centralized accounting system, as well as the conversion of existing data, either in manual or in automated form, to the new system.
- Supervises the timely preparation of financial reports to city, county, state, and federal agencies, banks, and other financial institutions.
- Interacts with external and internal audit staff in reviews of accounting systems and controls and oversees implementation of recommended changes to such systems or control procedures.
- Manages, trains, and evaluates assigned staff, cultivates career development within the finance profession.
- Administers financial provisions of all major expenditure contracts; monitors all capital improvement project expenditures and expenditure of grant funds.
- Ensures compliance with federal laws (including IRS regulations), state laws, and municipal codes as determined by the City Attorney.
- Implements pronouncements approved by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:
- Possession of a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Accounting, Business, or Public Administration, or other closely related field.
- Five years experience involving increasing responsibility in accounting and financial work including considerable management and supervisory experience.
- Master's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Public Administration
- Government accounting experience
- Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License
Supplemental Information
Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
Salary : $442
