Assistant Director of Finance

The Assistant Director of Finance assists the Director of Finance in leading and providing professional guidance and technical assistance to the City of New Bern staff. Performs complex professional and administrative work in planning, organizing, and overseeing the financial activities of the City. This position has an integral role in supporting the implementation of department initiatives and ensuring compliance with Federal and State regulations and city policies.

This position is dedicated to delivering timely, accurate, and transparent financial information, as well as providing exceptional service to both internal and external customers. An employee at this level must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrate strong leadership skills and the ability to collaborate and support cross-departmental team relationships. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Director of Finance.

Supervision is exercised over the Accounting Division and Purchasing & Warehouse Division managers Aids the Director of Finance in overseeing accounting and purchasing activities and implementing department initiatives, instrumental in developing City policies and procedures and ensuring compliance, preparation or review of various financial reports, oversee the annual fiscal audit process, supervises and provides support to division managers and staff, serves as Acting Director in their absence to ensure continuity of financial operations and departmental leadership.

(The following tasks are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.)

• Supervises and mentors division managers in performance of their duties; prepares performance evaluations on direct reports and reviews evaluations conducted by subordinates.
• Serves as an integral role supporting the Finance Director and collaborates with other departments to provide financial insights and support their fiscal responsibilities.
• Analyzes financial data to support decision-making and recommend improvements to financial processes.
• Compiles a variety of financial information for the preparation of periodic and special reports; completes special projects as required.
• Monitors legislation, accounting standards in public financial management and recommend and implement procedural or policy changes.
• Collaborates with staff and department representatives to develop and recommend financial policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure compliance with local ordinances, city policies, state statutes, federal regulations, and technical accounting pronouncements.
• Oversee the preparation and process of the annual fiscal audit and works directly with the accounting manager and outside auditors, reviews year end audit schedules and assists in the preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.
• Prepares and administers the divisional budgets and assists with the preparation of the departmental budget process.
• Reviews, validates for compliance, and approves accounting transactions, such as journal entries, procurement card transactions, electronic payment transfers, payroll, accounts payable and receivable transactions, utility billing and payment transactions, fixed assets, and purchase orders.
• Ensures timely reconciliations of month end and year end transactions.
• Oversee the preparation of the Annual Citizens Report to comply with the criteria established to meet the GFOA Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) Award.
• Oversee debt administration issues; prepare resolutions, declarations to reimburse, and project ordinances; prepare requests for proposals; reviews and recommends contract awards; maintains and updates information relevant to the bond rating; analyzes and ensures compliance with arbitrage regulations; prepares official statements for bond or refunding issues.
• Performs related tasks as required.

Comprehensive knowledge of general laws and administrative policies governing municipal financial practices and procedures; comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of governmental accounting; thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of a municipal purchasing system; thorough knowledge of the practices, methods and laws relating to municipal bond financing; ability to evaluate complex financial systems and efficiently formulate and install accounting methods, procedures, forms and records;

ability to prepare informative financial reports; ability to think analytically to prioritize work, make data driven decisions, and meet established deadlines, ability to collaborate and work cohesively in a team environment, ability to delegate duties appropriately, ability to plan, organize, direct and evaluate the work of subordinate employees; ability to communicate complex ideas, both orally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective working…