Accounting & Finance Manager

State of Nebraska • Lincoln, NE

16h • Onsite

About The Position

Step into a high-impact leadership role as an Accounting and Finance Manager with the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), where your expertise will shape how public funds are managed, safeguarded, and strategically deployed to support critical infrastructure. With an appropriated budget of approximately $1.6 billion, this position offers a rare opportunity to influence statewide financial strategy—overseeing accounts payable and receivable, financial coding, ensuring audit readiness, and other core fiscal operations that keep the agency running effectively. Ideal for an accounting professional with proven supervisory experience, this role leads a team of skilled accountants while balancing strategic leadership with hands-on financial oversight. You will play a key role in advancing accountability, operational efficiency, and transparency across major agency programs, while mentoring and developing high-performing staff. This position serves as a cornerstone of NDOT’s financial integrity, ensuring that all expenditures and receivables are accurately recorded and fully compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, and all applicable federal and state funding regulations. With annual expenditures and receivables each nearing $1.3 billion in FY25, the scale and complexity of operations require disciplined oversight and strong internal controls. This role is essential to maintaining audit readiness, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and NDOT policies, and upholding public trust in the stewardship of transportation resources.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with emphasis in accounting, mathematics, statistics, or economics, and six years of accounting experience, two years of which have been in an administrative supervisory capacity.
• Accounting experience may be substituted for college on a year-for-year basis up to two years.
• Graduate study in the above-listed academic fields may be substituted for general experience on a year-for-year basis.
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to provide independent authorized transportation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in the public sector or transportation finance.
• Strong working knowledge of governmental accounts payable and receivable processes.
• Proven skills in ensuring audit readiness.
• Demonstrated experience with high-dollar and high-volume transactions, such as NDOT’s approximately $1.6 billion appropriation.
• Solid foundation in governmental accounting standards, auditing practices, and compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Experience/proficiency with financial and enterprise systems such as EnterpriseOne (E-1), OnBase, Roads Payment System (RPS), Roads Billing System (RBS), Mainframe applications, and MS Access.
• State of Nebraska Pre-Audit Certification.
• Proven leadership overseeing multidisciplinary financial teams.
• Effectively communicating and presenting complex financial policies to diverse audiences.
• Implementing process improvements that enhance transparency, efficiency, and internal controls.
• Building and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with team members, leadership, and external stakeholders while fostering a culture of accountability and service.
• Advanced knowledge and hands-on experience with EnterpriseOne (E-1), OnBase, RPS, RBS, mainframe systems, and Microsoft Access are highly desirable, with demonstrated ability to leverage these platforms in complex financial environments.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Access, and Word, including the ability to analyze, manipulate, and present financial data to support decision-making and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated leadership capability in managing and guiding a multidisciplinary team of professional accountants, fostering accountability, technical growth, and high performance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop clear, comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) tailored to diverse audiences across NDOT.
• Strong ability to respond to auditor inquiries with clarity, accuracy, and precision, ensuring timely and well-supported explanations of financial data and processes.
• Proven ability to cultivate collaborative, professional, and positive working relationships across internal teams, divisions, and district offices, promoting cohesion and effective cross-functional engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive oversight of the agency’s financial operations, including the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Standard Operating Procedures that govern NDOT’s fiscal activities.
• Monitor expenditures to ensure full compliance with auditing standards, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, while maintaining a strong system of internal controls.
• Establish and enforce financial policies and procedures, serves as a key advisor to the CFO and Accounting Costs Manager on complex fiscal matters, and ensures the integrity and accuracy of all accounting systems and financial records.
• Ensure audit readiness across all financial transactions and evaluate financial and administrative records for accuracy, compliance, and internal control effectiveness.
• Lead teams responsible for employee reimbursements, contractor and non-contractor payments, and accounts receivable operations—ensuring all transactions are executed in full compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
• Oversee the maintenance and integrity of the agency’s Chart of Accounts and accounting manual, promoting consistency, accuracy, and organization-wide adherence to established standards and regulatory requirements.

Benefits

• State-matched retirement contribution of 156%
• 13 paid holidays
• Generous leave accruals that begin immediately
• Military leave
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Dependent tuition reimbursement program with partnering Nebraska community colleges
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) through the Federal government
• 79% employer-paid health insurance plans
• Dental and vision insurance plans
• Employer-paid $20,000 life insurance policy
• Wide variety and availability of career advancement as the largest and most diverse employer in the State
• Opportunity to be part of meaningful work and make a difference through public service
• Training and Development based on your career aspirations
• Job security and stability, even during times of economic hardship
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fun, inviting teammates
• Free parking

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager