Chief Financial Officer - City of Statesville, NC

The City of Statesville, NC – just north of Charlotte- seeks a finance executive with significant governmental accounting experience to serve as its next Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The City seeks an approachable leader who holds him/herself and others to high standards of excellence and can create and maintain a culture of high morale and accountability within the department. The next CFO is known for their effective communication skills and successfully articulates financial information, issues, policies, etc., to various stakeholders, including Council, City leadership, staff, and peer directors. Valuing and exhibiting high integrity, the next CFO is a fair and trusted leader who will ensure equitable practices across the department and ethical stewardship of public funds. 

The Statesville CFO can balance daily operational matters effectively with annual tasks and strategic planning. This executive should have experience modernizing finance departments with demonstrable success in implementing new policies and procedures to increase efficiency and productivity. The ideal candidate is a strong collaborator and visionary – a big-picture thinker yet attentive to detail. The successful CFO will establish and nurture a culture within the department that embraces collaboration where staff input is valued and integrated.  

About the Community: 

Founded in 1789, the City of Statesville, with a population of 30,761, is the county seat of Iredell County and part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. Statesville offers the charm of a Southern City with historic architecture, a thriving Downtown featuring restaurants, galleries, and shops, as well as the nationally recognized annual Carolina BalloonFest. Statesville is perfectly positioned in the foothills of North Carolina.   A mere 15 minutes from beautiful Lake Norman, 45 minutes from Charlotte and Winston-Salem, and with I-77 and I-40 intersecting within the City limits, Statesville sits as a hub of North/South and East/West travel, creating access to both major metropolitan and recreational amenities from the mountains to the coast.

Known as the quintessential NC community in the middle of one of the world’s most dynamic regions, Statesville embraces the excitement of city life, friendly neighborhoods, and beautiful outdoor spaces. Community members enjoy the comfortable living environment that Statesville affords, where families can live healthy, abundant lives—socially, physically, and economically. Statesville is truly a diverse community that welcomes new people, new voices and ideas, new industries, and new businesses. From significant investments to downtown amenities, the business sector, schools, and infrastructure, Statesville is dedicated to preserving its rich architectural history while creating a dynamic future for the community that elevates the quality of life that members cherish.  

Nearly 21,000 students are enrolled in the Iredell-Statesville Public Schools with a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1. Private school offerings for families include Cornerstone Christian Academy, Statesville Montessori School, and Statesville Christian School. Nearby colleges include Davidson College, Livingstone College, and Catawba College. Mitchell Community College, located in the heart of Statesville, provides many secondary education opportunities to nearly 1,800 students. 

The City of Statesville, which operates under the Council-Manager form of government, manages electric, water, sewer, and airport services in addition to traditional general fund operations. In fact, Statesville was the first municipality in the State of North Carolina to provide electric service to its community members. As a result of this historical accomplishment, Statesville has been recognized as the first Public Power Community in North Carolina. Statesville’s City Council comprises the mayor, six (6) ward seats, and two (2) at-large seats. The City, which employs 542 staff (full and part-time) across 14 departments, is finalizing its strategic plan, which will address future growth and the importance of preserving the culture and history of Statesville. 

Reporting to the City Manager, the CFO oversees and coordinates the entire finance function, including Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing, Utility Billing, Collections, and Information Technology. The CFO must ensure the City complies with generally accepted accounting principles and disburse all funds in strict compliance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. The CFO is also responsible for efficiently procuring goods and services to support City activities, preparing statements of financial condition, supervising the receipt, deposit, and investment of City funds, and maintaining records concerning bonded debt and other obligations of the City.

The CFO will assist in developing and monitoring the City’s budget. The recently adopted FY 24-25 budget of $178.4M, which is supported by a tax rate of $.5178 per $100 of assessed tax value, includes: 

• General Fund: $72.8M
• Electric: $55.7M
• Water & Sewer Fund: $31.6M

The CFO oversees 13 staff members, including four direct reports: Assistant Finance Director, Customer Service Manager/Revenue Officer, and Purchasing Agent. The next CFO will join a nationally recognized municipality. For over 20 consecutive years, the City of Statesville has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). Statesville is proud to have also been awarded the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation award for its annual budget for the 23^rd consecutive year. 

Following the adoption of a new capital plan and considerations for using debt to finance more infrastructure, the next CFO will effectively guide staff and the Council through implementing a new approach and processes. Additionally, the CFO will collaborate frequently with key stakeholders, including but not limited to City leadership, Council, financial advisors, Bond Attorneys, and community members, especially regarding the City’s first upcoming bond rating process and the computation and explanation of revenue-neutral tax calculations.

The ideal candidate will have experience working for municipalities that manage their own utilities. Statesville’s electric utility uses Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) accounting. The new CFO needs to either have knowledge of or the capacity to learn the differences between a FERC chart of accounts and traditional government enterprise accounting in order to assess the pros and cons of changing the accounting methods for the electric utility.

Key Position Priorities: 

• Strategically address career succession and implement innovation in career development – showcasing a commitment to continued training and professional development for staff in order to build skills, achieve performance excellence, and develop staff for promotional opportunities and varied job assignments. 
• Thoroughly assess the functions and staffing within the organization – evaluating effectiveness, accuracy, and efficiency in service delivery; recommend and implement changes to support centralizing administrative work and increasing service delivery while building a culture of finance professionals with strong morale and a desire for growth. 
• Expand the use of existing technology to improve department performance and workflows and oversee training and compliance of the systems while ensuring that improvements of technology are integrated with any updates to policies and procedures.  
• Facilitate education and understanding of financial policies and procedures within the department and across the organization to build skills and improve efficiency while balancing the management of accounting funds, navigating federal, state, and private funding requirements, and ensuring compliance and adherence to deadlines across the department. 
• Work collaboratively with City leaders in strategically planning for growth within the department to align with and support the City’s vision, strategic plan, and future growth priorities.  

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field. CPA and/or MBA preferred.  Five years of progressive leadership experience in governmental finance or organization-wide financial management, including two years of supervisory experience. An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. North Carolina Local Government Finance Officers Certification is required within one year of hire, contingent upon the availability of the courses. Must have the ability to be bonded and possess a valid driver’s license in the State of North Carolina. 

The Successful Candidate: 

• is a tech-savvy leader with prior experience assessing and facilitating financial software system upgrades and ongoing implementation;
• has an understanding of federal and state grants, the variety of grantor requirements and regulations, and the facets of grant reporting; 
• will evaluate opportunities to decentralize duties among the departments while ensuring responsible internal controls and collaborative partnerships and recognizing opportunities to centralize duties where appropriate. 
• develops effective audit preparation skills in-house or collaborates with a contractor to support the preparation of financial statements; 
• models a positive and enthusiastic approach that builds confidence within the Finance Department and encourages the building of productive relationships within and outside the department; 
• is a responsive, detailed, and deadline-oriented professional who continuously improves customer service in a service-driven organization and develops and engages staff to deliver excellent customer service to both internal and external customers; 

• creates a framework for facilitating departmental information needs to meet financial reporting requirements without a restrictive and punitive “compliance mindset;” 
• strives for effective outcomes by being a results-oriented project manager who incorporates the input of multiple stakeholders and collaborates proactively to develop policies and procedures, solve problems, and manage financial resources;
• demonstrates extensive knowledge and application of NC General Statutes, the principles and practices of the general fund and local governmental accounting, the preparation of internal financial statements and complex external financial reports, including the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and other required regulatory reports, the principles and practices of cost and fixed asset accounting, grants management and compliance, internal controls and audit principles and practices, and of the principles and practice of municipal budgeting, capital improvement budgets, and funding, forecasting and financial modeling; 
• creatively assesses ways to increase revenue and manage expenses in a resource-restricted environment;
• develops and applies performance measurement metrics to evaluate progress and increase accountability for goal achievement with a high attention to detail;
• communicates excellently one-on-one, in small groups, and in public speaking to make complex financial topics understandable to community members, staff and Council; and,
• advocates for best practices and confidently and persuasively present options to the City Manager management team and the City Council. 

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range is $107,972 to $178,152, commensurate with qualifications and experience. The City of Statesville offers an excellent benefits package, including a 401(k) with a 100% employer match up to 5% of your annual salary. 

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief Financial Officer – City of Statesville, NC title.  

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) employment application portal, not any other external website. 
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. 
• Applicants should apply by February 21, 2025. 
• The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to virtual interviews and skill evaluations on March 25-26, 2025.  Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for 2-3 hours of virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. 
• Direct inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. 

The City of Statesville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Developmental Associates, LLC manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. 

To learn more about our selection process, visit  https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select “Client Openings," and scroll down to “Important Information for Applicants.” 

Salary : $107,972 - $178,152