Deputy Chief Financial Officer

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking an accomplished financial leader to serve as our Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Deputy CFO). We are seeking a leader who combines technical expertise, operational leadership, and the ability to guide complex financial transformation. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Deputy CFO has a strong internal and operational focus, serves on behalf of the CFO when needed, and provides leadership across the agency’s financial operations. The work of the Deputy CFO centers on three priorities: 1. Technical Financial Leadership: Serves as a primary advisor to the CFO on agency financial operations and provides leadership over day-to-day finance operations. Identifies risk, strengthens controls, analyzes financial information, and supports sound decisions. 2. Operational Leadership: Provides internal operational leadership for the Financial Services Division. Partners with teams throughout ESD to strengthen centralized financial operations and develop efficient and effective service-delivery models. Helps lead the division’s operational work, support organizational health, develop leaders and staff, and assumes supervisory responsibility for the Financial Services Division in the CFO’s absence. 3. Financial Transformation and Systems: Helps lead ESD through a significant period of financial transformation and systems modernization. Oversees financial system-development and automation initiatives and plays an important role in ESD’s implementation of statewide One Washington and Workday financial systems. Helps ESD prepare its people, processes, and financial operations for this transition and helps shape the future of how financial work is performed across the agency. This role is for a financial leader who wants to understand the technical underpinnings, strengthen operations, develop people, and thoughtfully lead transformation. The Deputy CFO has the opportunity to protect the integrity of today’s financial operations while helping shape how ESD’s financial work is performed in the future.

Requirements

Option 1: 10 years of progressively responsible financial management and operational leadership experience, including at least 5 years supervising professional-level finance staff and managing complex budgets.
Option 2: Associate’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field AND 8 years of progressively responsible financial management and operational leadership experience, including at least 5 years supervising professional-level finance staff and managing complex budgets.
Option 3: Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field AND 6 years of progressively responsible financial management and operational leadership experience, including at least 5 years supervising professional-level finance staff and managing complex budgets.
Ability to take action to learn and grow.
Ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
Strategic Financial Planning & Forecasting: Ability to translate high-level economic data and trends into actionable, long-term agency financial plans and forecasts.
Internal Controls & Risk Management: Deep knowledge of internal control frameworks, risk assessment protocols, and financial mitigation strategies to safeguard agency resources.
Enterprise System Governance: Competency in aligning financial system development, automation initiatives, and IT portfolios with organizational goals.
Policy & Procedure Formulation: Skill in designing, updating, and executing administrative and financial policies that comply with state and federal regulations.
Intergovernmental Relations: Familiarity with state oversight and financial entities (such as the State Auditor's Office, Office of Financial Management, and State Treasurer's Office) to represent the agency effectively.
Transformational Leadership: Capacity to guide organizational change, streamline operational efficiencies, and foster cross-divisional collaboration (e.g., partnering with Unemployment Insurance and Leave and Care operations).
Executive Coaching & Development: Demonstrated talent for providing constructive leadership, professional development, and mentorship to high-performing finance teams.
Cultural Humility & DEI: A tangible, active commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to model and instill cultural humility across division leadership.
Decision-Making & Delegation: Sound judgment to act as a delegated appointing authority and step into supervisory oversight for the Financial Services Division when required.
Must be able to pass Unemployment Insurance (UI) & Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) claim and fraud check.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree (MBA, MPA) or professional certification such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).
Demonstrated experience working within state or local government financial structures (such as Washington State's Office of Financial Management or similar state frameworks).
Demonstrated track record overseeing large-scale financial system automation or enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation projects (e.g., Workday ERP).

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary advisor to the CFO on agency financial operations.
Provide leadership over day-to-day finance operations.
Identify risk, strengthen controls, analyze financial information, and support sound decisions.
Provide internal operational leadership for the Financial Services Division.
Partner with teams throughout ESD to strengthen centralized financial operations and develop efficient and effective service-delivery models.
Lead the division’s operational work, support organizational health, develop leaders and staff.
Assume supervisory responsibility for the Financial Services Division in the CFO’s absence.
Lead ESD through a significant period of financial transformation and systems modernization.
Oversee financial system-development and automation initiatives.
Play an important role in ESD’s implementation of statewide One Washington and Workday financial systems.
Prepare ESD’s people, processes, and financial operations for this transition.
Shape the future of how financial work is performed across the agency.