City of Fort Collins, CO - Chief Financial Officer

The City of Fort Collins seeks a visionary and highly skilled Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to drive business strategies and lead the City’s financial operations and ensure long-term fiscal stability. As a key executive leadership team member, the CFO manages all aspects of the City’s finances, including financial planning and analysis, budgeting, accounting, procurement, safety and risk management, and financial reporting. This role also oversees strategic planning, policy development, and financial risk assessment to align with the City’s mission and priorities. The CFO plays a critical role in developing and advising the City Manager and elected officials on financial strategies, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Are you the right applicant for this opportunity Find out by reading through the role overview below.

The CFO drives the development of a high-performing Financial Services organization that emphasizes exceptional customer service, fiduciary responsibility, and data-driven decision-making. The leader guides strategic planning and budgeting processes to ensure resources are allocated to the City’s highest-priority objectives, fostering organizational accountability and monitoring progress through financial reports and metrics. The CFO also provides financial analysis and decision support to Service Area Directors and Department Heads, enabling data-based and collaborative decision-making.

As a champion of innovation and efficiency, the CFO leads the implementation of systems and processes that enhance service delivery and ensure sound financial management. This role is responsible for developing financial policies, overseeing investment programs, managing debt, and guiding the development of comprehensive financial plans. The CFO builds relationships across the organization to promote transparency and support effective financial decisions while anticipating future challenges and emerging trends to proactively prepare the organization.

The CFO ensures alignment with the City’s strategic goals and strengthens its position as a forward-thinking organization by guiding complex financial and operational matters. Aligned with the City’s belief in having a broader view, the CFO also plays a unique role within the community, region, and beyond.

Financial Services Service Area

The CFO joins the City at a time of significant transformation as the Utilities and Financial Services departments undergo a reorganization with an anticipated completion date in early 2025. The successful candidate joins an internal Change Team and a trusted consultant to impact City and service area culture, shape the efficiency and effectiveness of our infrastructure, and support our goals of innovative strategies propelling us into the future. The new CFO will play a critical role in implementing new organizational models, shaping the structure with people placements, and driving innovation to make a lasting and significant contribution.

Financial Services employees are innovative leaders and partners in fiscal stewardship. The Service Area has a budget of $16.7 Million and is comprised of nine departments with a total of 78 employees and currently encompasses Accounting and Financial Operations, Budget, City Give, Financial Planning and Analysis, Purchasing, Safety and Risk Management, Sales Tax, Utility Customer Connections, and Utility Finance. The reorganization will transition Financial Services to six departments, including Accounting and Financial Operations, Budget and Financial Planning, City Give, Purchasing, Sales Tax and Revenue, and Utility Finance.

One to Three Year Priorities

• Lead Financial Services through the reorganization. Increase strategic alignment, enhance decision-making opportunities, bolster collaborative partnerships, and strengthen the sustainability of our operations to support a robust, strong, and sustainable future.
• Support a collaborative team environment, reconstitute the management team, align processes across the organization, and rebuild the culture while ensuring a core financial foundation of transactional, internal control, and compliance excellence.
• Collaborate with the City Manager to modernize and enhance the budget methodology and process to increase meaningful transparency and connectivity between financial investments and service levels.
• Mature grant development and compliance to sustainably leverage outside funding opportunities, including federal grant dollars. Properly manage and allocate the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), oversee the reporting and compliance, and ensure readiness for federal audits.
• Manage the financial information systems portfolio. Lead digital transformation and future financial technology initiatives, including the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Information System (CIS) implementations.
• Lead the capital financing using instruments like revenue bonds and certificates of participation and partner with engineers, design firms, and program managers to realize projects such as the Halligan Reservoir, Water Quality Lab, Civic Center Master Plan, and Southeast Community Center.
• Develop a long-term capital planning and asset management strategy working horizontally with departments to consolidate individual plans in support of a holistic strategy and funding approach.
• Enhance the City’s revenue strategy. Consider utility rate increases and future tax initiatives, develop and resource an expanded sales and use tax audit program, and explore and implement a comprehensive cost recovery strategy.
• Proactively partner and build trust with colleagues and peers throughout the City. Provide financial tools and support to advance City Council goals, departmental initiatives, and organizational priorities.
• Actively champion and support the City’s ongoing efforts to lead with equity in our processes and service delivery. Collaborate with colleagues to ensure Fort Collins continues to foster an inclusive and equitable culture that represents all residents.

The Successful Candidate

The Chief Financial Officer is excited by the opportunity to provide strategic leadership, evolve Financial Services, and strengthen the organization to meet the needs of the Fort Collins community. Invested in building organizational resilience and capability, the CFO is a trusted partner who combines operational know-how with the ability to work horizontally across the organization to shape and execute the City’s financial strategy. With a forward-looking approach to financial management and local government, the CFO is committed to long-term financial sustainability and operational excellence.

The CFO actively builds relationships across the organization and works collaboratively to understand and address its financial needs. The successful candidate easily gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty and integrity in all interactions. Considered an effective communicator and authentic storyteller, the successful candidate simplifies complex financial information to create understanding among diverse audiences. With strong political acumen, the CFO balances confidence and humility and effectively articulates the financial position and needs of Fort Collins to the City Council, City leadership, staff, and the broader community.

The CFO fosters a culture of teamwork, innovation, and shared problem-solving, ensuring Financial Services maintains its core strengths while building adaptable and sustainable leadership structures that embrace change and transformation. The CFO develops and invests in employees, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Rooted in financial best practices, the CFO applies diverse skills to implement effective processes in a growing community. The ideal candidate combines critical thinking, analytical expertise, and systems thinking to identify trends, connect insights, and address emerging issues. They evaluate alternatives based on financial, social, environmental, and strategic impacts, proposing well-rounded solutions.

The CFO is skilled in navigating a hybrid financial model that includes centralized and decentralized functions. They understand the macro and micro factors that influence government and are experienced in utilizing financial systems and tools to optimize efficiency and accuracy. The ability to develop and implement complex systems and processes across the entire City organization is essential.

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