This position provides program research, design, support, delivery for teaching the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) Certified County Finance Officer (CCFO) and Municipal Technical Advisory Services (MTAS) Certified Municipal Officer Finance (CMFO) and other CTAS and MTAS training programs. Working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and governmental accounting standards board (GASB) pronouncements. Provide finance and accounting consulting to CTAS/MTAS customers and serve as an in-house technical expert for CTAS and MTAS staff. Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) and provide technical assistance in broad areas including topics such as cash management and investing, budgeting, purchasing, payroll, internal controls, debt management, capital assets, financial reporting and several other governmental accounting and finance topics. Provide consulting services in solving complex accounting, financial reporting, and management questions and problems directly to CTAS/MTAS customers and consultants. Provide technical assistance and consultation to over 1,400+ past CCFO and CMFO graduates from TN 95 counties and 345 municipalities. Develop and present continuing professional development (CPE) course presentations at several statewide conferences and association meetings. Collaborate with various stakeholders to include Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and other state departments and agencies. Conduct ongoing needs assessment of complex governmental accounting and financial reporting topics and immerging issues to improve the accounting and financial management skills of local government leaders and finance personnel by providing training at conferences and meetings. Develop, deliver, and assess in-person and web-based program courses. This position requires extensive overnight travel. Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by the CCFO/CMFO Program Manager.
Required Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
- Experience:
- (8) years or more of experience in local government accounting and finance as a finance director/deputy finance director/budget director/controller/senior accountant for a local/state government/public university, or as an audit manager/senior auditor or accountant for a local/state government or CPA firm with a concentration in local government auditing and accounting, or as a local government finance/budgetary consultant for a state/university or consulting firm, or equivalent experience.
- At employment, or within 24 months, or two years, of hire date the employee agrees to obtain at least one (1) of the following professional license or national certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or Certified Government Finance Manager (CGFM), or Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO).
- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
- Requires strong knowledge of Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements, financial reporting, accounting concepts, and theory.
- Knowledge of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Government Auditing Standards, U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance for federal grants, and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) GAFFR blue book.
- Ability to analyze local government financial statements including the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and various legal and regulatory requirements of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and other state agencies.
Knowledge of the management, structure, and operations of local governments of counties, cities, and boards of education (BOE).
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Must have the knowledge, skills, and ability (KSA) to adapt from simple accounting tasks to complex accounting and financial reporting. Possess the following skills: (a) managerial, (b) analytical, (c) conceptual, and (d) interpersonal. Interpersonal skills should include excellent oral and written communications, public speaking, and the ability to multi-task and prioritize projects and meet deadlines for publishing and delivery of course materials. Individuals should be self-motivated, work independently, and detail oriented, which is required to plan, research, design, develop, consult, and teach program and CPE courses in an engaging, informative, professional, and technically competent manner.
Ability to independently exercise sound professional judgement when dealing with customers and stakeholders. At employment, or within 24 months of hire date one of the following professional license or national certifications must be obtained: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or Certified Government Finance Manager (CGFM), or Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO).
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status
Preferred Qualifications
Education : Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Public Administration, or a related field
- Experience :
- (5) years or more experience.
- Previous experience working with the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, other State of TN Department or Agency, local government, UT IPS agency, or CPA firm with a concentration of governmental auditing would be a plus.
- Prior experience in developing, training, and teaching continuing professional education (CPE) courses in local governmental accounting/auditing/finance and other related topics to accountants, auditors or other professional staff would be desirable.
- Knowledge, Skills, Abilities : Knowledge and skills of a certified CPE instructor or trainer would be a plus. Ability to facilitate in-person classes with diverse student backgrounds and level of experience.
Work Location : Knoxville, Chattanooga, or Johnson City, TN
The Institute for Public Service (IPS) supports a formal Alternative Work Arrangement program currently in place and more information can be provided if candidate progresses through the recruitment process.
Benefits
Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before May 2, 2026.
- Resume
- Cover Letter
List of 3 Professional References
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About The College/Department/Division
The UT Institute for Public Service provides outreach and assistance to all of Tennessee. Through our agencies and initiatives, we offer technical assistance, training, and consulting on a wide variety of services, including government operations, language services, law enforcement excellence, leadership training, manufacturing excellence, opioid abatement and much more.