Title: Finance Director
Supervisor: Board of County Commissioners
Work Unit: Accounting Office
Current Classification: Pay Grade: 21 ($81,748 - $106,490) Exempt
ASSIGNED DUTIES AND TASKS
Provides leadership and plans, directs and supervises the operations and activities of the Finance Department and the various aspects of personnel administration including hiring, supervision, progressive discipline, and annual evaluations.
The principal function of this position is to provide the leadership necessary to effectively and accurately manage, maintain, and develop the County’s financial operations under the supervision of the Park County Board of County Commissioners. Considerable leeway is granted for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative.
All duties below are essential functions unless otherwise indicated.
Job duties are not all inclusive and subject to change:
- Maintain General Ledger, review and reconcile grants to general ledger, utilizes journal entries for transfers, corrections and revenue interfacing with the Treasurer’s Office.
- To direct planning and preparation of the County’s Annual Operating Budget, including performing budget analyses and developing fiscal objectives designed to meet goals and objectives of the County Commission. Establishes budgetary guidelines and policy for all County departments, makes recommendations to the County Commission regarding policies and guidelines, and ensures those policies are followed in the budget preparation. Collaborates with County departments in developing annual budget requests.
- Set levies for property taxes.
- To analyze the financial condition of all County funds and make accurate and appropriate recommendations to the County Commission concerning necessary changes. Monitors and evaluates County revenues and expenditures to ensure adherence to the budget objectives and compliance with state laws and regulations, and makes recommendations to the County Commission accordingly. Analyzes the effects of federal and state legislative changes on the County’s budget.
- Create and maintain accurate County financial projections.
- To prepare and update the Capital Improvement Plan under the direction of the County Commission.
- To oversee the Financial Compliance Audit for Park County, including implementing Audit recommendations.
- To manage the development and implementation of the Finance Department’s goals, objectives, policies, and procedures as required. Communicates with all related personnel in efforts to encourage, motivate, promote leadership, and support teamwork in the performance of departmental objectives.
- To oversee various aspects of personnel administration including; hiring, supervision, progressive discipline, termination, and annual evaluations. Ensures the provision of adequate training for all department staff to perform their assigned duties. Assesses appropriate staffing levels for the Finance Department and allocates resources accordingly.
- To communicate and coordinate regularly with the County Commission, department heads, elected officials, federal and state officials, news media, and the general public to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
- To collaborate with County elected officials and department heads and, when needed, City staff, to provide excellent public service to the community. Effectively develops mutually respectful relationships, achieve consensus among competing interests and groups, and fosters a collaborative approach to problem solving.
- Handle all refuse tag activities.
KNOWLEDGE
The position requires considerable knowledge of accounting theory; GAAP, with emphasis on governmental accounting and financial reporting principles; financial statement preparation, financial analysis, general ledger, accounts payable, fixed assets, and use of financial software. The position requires familiarity with general government fund accounting and requires knowledge of governmental accounting and funding structures; research methods and techniques; statistics; tax policies and procedures; local, state and federal budget and financial reporting requirements; and supervision. The position also requires the ability to present complex information to a variety of audiences with diverse levels of understanding; analyze and interpret project accounting data and problems; and communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
The minimum education level required is a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, or a related field. A Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is preferred, or a minimum of five years of overall professional experience with financial and operations management, demonstrating ultimate responsibility for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting, and audit coordination. Experience in governmental or not for profit accounting is preferred.
ACCOUNTABILITY
This position makes decisions regarding the accounting operations and services of the Accounting Office. Work requires the interpretation and application of accounting rules, regulations, and policies. Actions and services provided have a direct impact on the financial integrity of the County as a whole. Work is covered by established guidelines, and policy manuals are available.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The position requires handling non-public confidential information. The position acknowledges the confidential nature of non-public information regarding County employees and elected officials. Consistent with applicable police and guidelines, the person in the position will respect and safeguard the privacy of employees, elected officials and Park County and the confidential nature of information in accordance with Montana state law. Without limiting the general nature of this commitment, the person in the position will not access or seek to gain access to confidential information regarding any past or present employees, elected officials, and Park County in the course of fulfilling job responsibilities. The person in the position hereby acknowledges that the person understands that in this context, confidential information is considered all non-public information that can be personally associated with an individual.
If in the course of executing job responsibilities, the person in the position accidentally accesses information that others might consider inappropriate for this position to access, the person in the position will notify the person’s supervisors of the date and time of the access. If a question arises at a later time, it will be understood that the access was accidental. The person in the position will not disseminate any such information.
By signing this Position Description, the undersigned hereby acknowledges reading and understanding this section regarding confidentiality and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions set forth herein. Violation of confidentiality may warrant disciplinary action, up to and including, suspension, demotion or termination of employment.
INDEPENDENCE OF ACTION
The position exercises a high level of independent responsibility in performing job responsibilities. The incumbent and the County Commission develop work objectives jointly, and the incumbent is responsible for planning and organizing the work, resolving conflicts, and determining methods and approaches. Guidelines, manuals and established procedures are available through the Accounting Department’s Accounting Manual, GAAP, the Budgetary Accounting and Reporting Systems (BARS), and Montana Codes Annotated. The County Commission is available to provide general guidance in work activities.
PERSONAL CONTACTS
This position has contacts with other County personnel, elected officials, department heads, vendors, auditors, financial professionals, the State Department of Administration and members of the public to exchange accurate financial information and guidance and coordinate activities. The incumbent interprets, clarifies, or explains accounting information in order to be responsive to questions and inquiries.
WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
The position requires the following special vision requirements: close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less), and the ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus). The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.
