Job Details

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

The County of Santa Barbara is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department of Social Services in Santa Barbara, California. We are seeking a finance and accounting professional who has strong organizational leadership skills, financial acumen, strategic business thinking, and experience with complex financial systems and programs in a governmental agency, preferably a California health and human services organization. This position is categorized as a Financial Services Manager III classification within the County's leadership series.

The ideal candidate is a public accounting and budgeting expert, with the ability to see the bigger picture and make decisions based on a commitment to long-term financial integrity. As CFO, you will be an integral part of the Department's leadership team, helping navigate the Department through changing fiscal and policy mandates, priority-setting, and funding decisions that best support the Department's mission to help vulnerable members of our community become safe, supported, and self-sufficient.

Joining the Social Services Department is an opportunity to positively affect the lives and futures of children, families, and seniors in our community. The Department of Social Services has over 800 employees and provides a broad range of services and programs critical to delivering a countywide safety net for children, the elderly, and dependent adults. The department also provides eligibility determination to access healthcare benefits and supports individuals and families in achieving economic self-sufficiency through various services including CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief, and employment training and placement assistance.

This position is a key leadership role within the Department of Social Services overseeing the Fiscal Division. This position is part of a leadership team of 35 managers and executives and supports over 750 positions in 7 locations. This is a civil service leadership position that reports to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer and oversees a department budget of $238 million. The CFO oversees four direct reports, including an Assistant Chief Financial Officer, and 28 indirect staff located primarily in three locations across the County (Santa Barbara/Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria). This position is a fully in-office position without the possibility of a regular hybrid schedule.

The Fiscal Division is divided into the following areas of responsibility:

• Financial Systems and Data Management
• Procurement and Contracts
• Specialized Accounting
• Grants Finance
• Budget and Resource Planning
• Financial Accounting and Reporting
• General Accounting

The incumbent will understand and have a passion for public finance and budgeting and be able to effectively communicate complex concepts to both technical and lay audiences. Our ideal candidate is a transparent and collaborative leader with unquestionable ethics, and experience overseeing complex financial, budgeting, and accounting operations, preferably in a large California public sector health and human services organization. The next CFO for the Department of Social Services will demonstrate emotional intelligence, question the status quo, and seek out innovative solutions to complex problems to improve how we do business and better serve the community.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have strong analytical skills and use data and financial strategy to manage complex and changing environments.
• Understand complex, interconnected budgets and funding sources.
• Have experience overseeing the budgeting and finances of a large government agency.
• Be a visionary and approachable leader who builds trust, cooperation, and collaboration.
• Be highly organized, able to plan ahead, multitask, and manage time effectively.
• Stay calm under pressure and meet deadlines with a steady leadership style.
• Have experience working in a diverse team, both leading and supporting others to deliver strong results.
• Have experience implementing a large-scale financial or other IT system in a public agency. Experience implementing or using the Workday system is highly desirable.
• Have experience forecasting financial outcomes, developing recommendations, and clearly communicating them to leadership, both verbally and in writing.
• Work effectively with the Auditor-Controller, County finance staff, and the County Executive Office.
• Make recommendations to executive leadership that balance the upholding of financial best practices with Department goals, culture, and available resources.
• Be committed to continuous improvement, including process redesign, technology upgrades, and organizational change.

Examples of duties include:

1. Serves as a member of the County's management team by planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing the activities in areas such as: accounting, budget, accounts receivable/payable, employee benefits, payroll, debt management, public funds and property tax collections, financial analysis, and auditing.
2. Establishes annual or mid-term priorities, goals and operational plans for the division or programs.
3. Recommends, establishes, and provides direction for new or revised services, programs, processes, policies, standards, or operational plans, based upon the department's longer-term strategies.
4. Recommends division's strategic plans within department strategic direction to next level manager or director.
5. Troubleshoots and resolves program or work unit issues and keeps higher-level management informed of issues/resolution.
6. Develops, administers and evaluates fiscal services and programs to ensure compliance with strategies and performance goals; manages work systems and processes; maintains and updates procedures, and ensures compliance; researches trends and best practices; and recommends and implements changes.
7. Develops and administers work unit budget; reviews and approves budget requests and transactions; negotiates and manages contracts; researches and analyzes financial information; makes resource allocation recommendations; and implements resource allocation decisions.
8. Researches, analyzes, develops, and reviews original fiscal, compliance, and related reports, contracts, plans, grant proposals, materials, presentations, and other documents; and develops and makes recommendations to higher-level staff.
9. Develops, implements, and evaluates services and programs to ensure adherence to strategic and performance goals; manages work systems and processes; maintains and updates procedures; researches trends and best practices in area of assignment; and recommends and implements operational and/or program changes.
10. Develops and administers budgetary and procurement processes; manages contracts; researches and analyzes financial information; makes resource allocation recommendations; and implements resource allocation decisions.
11. Troubleshoots and resolves program or work unit issues and keeps higher-level management informed of issues/resolution.
12. Oversees the preparation of (and/or prepares) contracts, reports, records, plans, and other documents involved in managing the area of assignment; oversees (and participates in) the research and analysis of policy and related information; and/or makes recommendations to higher-level management staff.
13. Supervises management, professional, paraprofessional, and support staff; and is responsible for conducting performance evaluations, employee development, hiring, discipline, and termination procedures.
14. Coordinates work with the general public, County staff, external agencies, etc.; may represent the County on various professional committees; and may prepare and make presentations to the public, elected officials, boards, and/or other stakeholders.
15. Performs other related duties as required.

Education and experience: The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be acquired through various types of training, education, and experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:

• Equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field and,
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in accounting or finance, including at least three (3) years as a supervisor or manager.

Additional requirements:

• For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California driver's license and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs as a condition of continued employment.

Desirable qualifications:

• The following licenses or certifications are desirable but not required: Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Knowledge of:

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
• Principles and practices of accounting, tax, auditing, and collections.
• Principles and practices of budget development and management.
• Principles and practices of financial planning and analysis, investment portfolio management, cost and revenue management, and cash management.
• Principles and practices of payroll and benefits.
• Principles and practices of public administration and program management, including strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Management principles, practices, and techniques.
• Principles and practices of governmental accounting, fiscal management, budgeting, and auditing.
• Principle