FINANCE and BUDGET OFFICER

Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission•Santa Cruz, CA

About The Position

Under the direction of the Director of Internal Services, the Finance and Budget Officer is responsible for overseeing, planning, organizing and directing the financial operations of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Duties include but are not limited to: budgeting, long- term and shortrange fiscal planning, financial analysis and reporting, accounting, audits, revenues and expenses, grant financial control, contracts, payroll and related responsibilities consistent with accepted financial, budget and accounting standards. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS This is the management level position within the Finance classification series. This classification is distinguished from lower-level classifications in the Finance Department in that the incumbent is responsible for the day-to-day management of department operations and overall financial governance in support of the agency.

Requirements

Knowledge of: Principles and practices of accounting, auditing, budgeting, financial controls and reporting, and financial analysis, including Government Accounting Standards and special/general fund administration, payroll and benefit administration and investment policy.
Auditing principles, practices, and procedures.
State and federal requirements and fiscal management operations for a transportation planning agency.
Data processing applications, including Vanguard OneSolution and Microsoft Word and Excel.
Principles of effective supervision, training, and personnel management.
Principles of problem identification, analysis and resolution.
Principles of public relations/customer service.
Principles of board and committee administration.
Principles of effective oral and written communication.
Ability to: Evaluate fiscal policies and practices, identify problems, and develop solutions.
Prepare clear and concise complex accounting, fiscal management, and budget reports.
Interpret, explain and apply provisions of federal, state, and local regulations and policies to fiscal and personnel functions.
Plan, organize, and manage varied accounting, fiscal management, personnel and procurement systems.
Effectively use computer applications to input, access and analyze data, and to prepare budgets, financial reports, and narrative reports.
Explain complex fiscal issues to diverse audiences.
Make informed and rational decisions after all options have been considered.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with RTC staff and external stakeholders.
Select, train, supervise, and evaluate subordinates
Perform under stress and adopt effective courses of action.
Effectively interact with others.
Effectively address conflict.
Receive and relay detailed information through verbal and written communications.
Communicate clearly and effectively in oral and written formats.
Bachelor degree accounting, finance, business administration or a closely related field and management experience as a department manager, administrative officer or department director.
Minimum five (5) years’ of progressively responsible experience in institutional financial management in a non-profit or public sector or similar environment which included interfacing with governing boards, or equivalent; and
Minimum 2 (two) years management/supervisory experience administering personnel and budget requirements.
Possession and maintenance of a valid California Class C Driver’s License, or the ability to provide suitable transportation which is approved by the appointing authority.
Physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities which may include the following: Sitting for extended periods of time Lifting or carrying light objects Operating assigned equipment General manual dexterity
The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Nice To Haves

Certification as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Director of Internal Services, manages the RTC’s institutional financial affairs.
Serves as a member of the management team and establishes and maintains effective working relationships with colleagues within the RTC and professional relationships with external constituencies of the RTC.
Develops and implements efficient and effective financial policies, plans and reporting systems to ensure the RTC’s long-term fiscal health.
Oversees the planning, development and administration of all fiscal, budget and accounting functions, including: long-term and short-term budgeting, long and short-range fiscal planning and forecasting; revenue management; financial analysis and reporting; investment policy administration; special and general fund accounting; payroll; accounts payable and receivable; and related responsibilities in accordance with accepted and prudent accounting and budgeting standards.
Provides active performance management and training of assigned staff.
Oversees the development and implementation of fiscal and budget policies, procedures, systems and related initiatives consistent with prudent accounting standards and the operational standards of the RTC, subject to the oversight of the Director of Internal Services and the Executive Director.
Ensures that RTC has adequate funding to meet ongoing and project commitments.
Prepares internal financial statements and presents data to the RTC Board.
Manages RTC’s financial statements and year-end processes, ensuring that the information is current, timely and accurate.
Manages, monitors and tracks major revenue sources TDA, RSTPX, and Measure D) and revenue billings. Responds or directs the response to inquiries from beneficiaries and claimants.
Establishes and updates accounting systems and internal controls. Set up and maintain distribution and revenue tracking schedules, job costing reports, and quarterly billing schedules.
Provides fiscal guidance and reports to staff, including explaining policies, providing contract balances and project line-item expenditures, and responding to questions about budget balances.
Serves as liaison with auditors by preparing and providing documents; answering questions; drafting responses to audit findings; assisting in the preparation of the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) draft audit report; and preparing the staff report for presentation to the RTC Board.
Issues or directs the issuance of RFPs, reviews proposals, and general contract administration.
Performs other duties as may be assigned.