Chief of Financial Strategy and Compliance, Public Health (Strategic Programs Manager)

King County • Chinook Building 401 5th Avenue Seattle, WA

20d • Onsite

About The Position

Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC) is seeking a Chief of Financial Strategy and Compliance (Strategic Programs Manager) to join its leadership team. This role is crucial for guiding the department towards financial sustainability and strengthening its finance and compliance infrastructure. The position serves as the financial and compliance steward for a mission-driven department, requiring a savvy financial strategist, skilled builder of control systems, and strong manager of financial compliance oversight. The Chief of Financial Strategy and Compliance provides strategic financial advice and analysis to the Department Director, Chief Administrative Officer, and department leadership. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, this role manages the Office of Financial Management and Compliance, a central team of over 30 finance professionals. It also sets policies and standards for finance teams embedded in divisions within the department and collaborates with other departments to ensure alignment across shared bodies of work. With an annual budget exceeding $500 million, PHSKC manages five funds, several of which face complex financial challenges, including uncertainty with federal, state, and local funding streams that threaten the sustainability of its core services and programs. This position is responsible for strategic long-term financial planning, budget preparation and strategies, budget and reporting tools, grant management, financial compliance and internal controls, and accounting practices and standards across six divisions.

Requirements

• Demonstrated commitment to Equity and Social Justice and pursuing changes to policies and practices that address systemic racism and inequities.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or other related business fields AND at least seven (7) years of working experience in finance. Additional experience may substitute for the required education.
• Experience managing a finance team or section in a complex financial environment.
• Knowledge of current standards and developing trends in public sector budgeting, government fund accounting, managerial and financial accounting, including GAAP, GASB, and Federal and State grant accounting and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in managing diverse teams including motivating and developing employees, supporting professional development, coaching and mentoring, setting clear expectations, and providing constructive feedback.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills in methods and quantitative techniques for sound financial and budgetary analyses and forecasting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead development of and buy-in for a vision for financial management and the plan for achieving it.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in building trusted partnerships with internal and external customers through establishing a track record of transparency, follow through, and resolving differences respectfully.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and plan for future strategic and business needs including assessing financial implications and tradeoffs.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully lead people to bring about desired results in a matrixed team environment.
• Demonstrated experience with auditing and working with federal, state, and local auditors to resolve issues successfully.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex financial information to different audiences.
• Knowledge of public administration, government contracting, and personnel administration.
• Demonstrated experience to simultaneously manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.

Nice To Haves

• Five (5) years or more of governmental accounting, budgeting and contracting experience.
• Experience with revenue cycle management and financial management in a health care environment.
• At least four (4) years’ experience managing a team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the department’s budget development and financial management, including leading the development of the department’s budget in line with its priorities and values, ensuring strategic direction, transparency, inclusion of community and department staff, and health equity.
• Oversee the department’s overall financial health and efforts to leverage effectively its financial resources to accomplish its mission.
• Direct, review, and ensure accuracy and integrity in fiscal and compliance analyses, reporting, and standards across the department.
• Ensure the successful completion of the department-wide financial year-end processes.
• Represent the department to the Executive Office, King County Council, and community partners.
• Ensure the department’s financial compliance efforts are of the highest standard by identifying, escalating, tracking, and resolving financial and compliance risks, including clear follow-through on corrective actions.
• Oversee internal controls and compliance by ensuring department-wide compliance with funder requirements; assessing internal control risks and identifying internal control weaknesses; identifying non-compliance with organization policies and/or laws and regulations, as well as opportunities to improve operational effectiveness and efficiencies; and ensuring implementation of compliance remedies and improvements.
• Maintain a grants management program with strong internal controls, that meets regulatory compliance with all funding agencies, and provides support, as needed, to small or new organizations to achieve departmental equity goals and effective stewardship of public funds.
• Identify areas for standardization and/or process improvement using data-informed decision making when appropriate.
• Lead the department’s efforts to achieve financial sustainability by ensuring the development of long-range financial plans for each fund that are effective tools for strategic and business planning.
• Assess the risks and opportunities for the sustainability of the department’s major funding sources.
• Guide the development of models to analyze the impact of potential operational and funding changes on the long-term sustainability of the department’s financial health.
• Develop and maintain financial policies and procedures along with training and support for finance teams across the department.
• Create, maintain, and improve systems and processes that foresee, monitor, and communicate risks and opportunities for fund sources and revenue.
• Guide the development of high-performing finance teams across the department by overseeing the operation of the department’s Office of Financial Management and Compliance, including accounting payables and receivables, financial compliance, grant administration, budget and forecasting, payroll, fiscal monitoring and reporting, and process improvement.
• Be a champion for equity and cultivate a culture that allows all members of the team to contribute and thrive.
• Ensure that county, department/division, GAAP, and GAAS standards are followed across the department’s financial practices, including in complex Federal and State grant reporting; accounting; and accounts receivable and accounts payable practices.
• Lead and coach effective finance leaders throughout the department.
• Work within the department’s matrixed structure to ensure division finance teams across the department have the skills and training to support best-in-class financial management practices.
• Oversee continuous improvement efforts to achieve exemplary financial management throughout the department by identifying and pursuing remedies to policies and practices that contribute to systemic racism and inequities; establishing efficient and streamlined financial operations with standard work, policies and procedures, training, and performance management for finance functions at all levels of the department.
• Provide financial analyses and recommendations to support department leadership in making decisions, integrating equity into financial analyses and recommendations; identifying risks, benefits, and counter measures using the department’s risk appetite statement; and providing guidance and support on the methodologies and analyses for developing rates and fees.
• Oversee the management of daily operations of the department’s Office of Financial Management and Compliance: accounting services (billing grants, payroll, cash collection), grant administration (Medicaid administration, State contract, audit liaison, sub-recipient monitoring), fiscal monitoring and reporting (including Best Starts for Kids levy revenue), and budget and forecasting (quarterly budget forecasting and monitoring, biennial budget preparation, and budget and scenario modeling and strategy).
• Monitor and analyze the financial performance of the department; provide regular updates to the Department Director, CAO, and executive leadership; and facilitate development of possible corrective actions, where needed.

Benefits

• King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability.
• We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact.
• As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve.
• Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust.

What This Job Offers

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