Chief Financial Officer

Overview

The Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking a highly accomplished state financial executive to serve as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and principled leader—calm, methodical, and resilient under pressure. You are compassionate, inclusive, culturally competent, technically sharp, and politically astute. You are a balanced, human-centered leader committed to fostering a culture of performance and positivity, approaching work with transparency and honesty.

You engage diverse stakeholders with empathy and resolve, possess strategic and financial technical skills to lead change, and communicate complex information in accessible analysis for varied audiences. You have insight into the Washington state budget and its current financial transformation.

Please note:

This position is open until filled. The first review of applicants will occur three weeks from the posting date.

As the CFO, you will shape the strategic direction of the agency’s financial landscape. You will lead the Financial Services Division, partnering with program leaders and stakeholders. You will support ESD’s mission of contributing to healthy communities by providing equitable access to resources that improve economic security. You will oversee and monitor all dimensions of the agency’s financial operations, navigate change, prioritize projects, and foster a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and partnership with teams and agency partners.

Washington State is undergoing a profound financial systems transformation, migrating from the Agency Financial Reporting System (AFRS) to Workday ERP under the One Washington initiative. The success of this transition—and the integrity of the state’s financial reporting—depends on the expertise, judgment, and stewardship of the Financial Services Division.

The CFO will serve as the business sponsor for this transformation, guiding the agency through complex business process redesign, financial data modeling, and change management. This role demands a leader who can translate enterprise-level strategy into operational excellence, ensuring compliance with federal and state financial laws, rules and policies while fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.

This is a hybrid role with an expectation of 2–3 days per week in person in Olympia, WA.

• Lead development and monitoring of biennial operating and capital budgets
• Oversee federal grant performance, reporting, and compliance
• Manage banking relationships and trust fund operations
• Ensure equitable distribution of funds to support marginalized communities
• Direct procurement, contracting, and asset management functions
• Advance equity within Financial Services Division (FSD) and across ESD
• Recruit, retain, and support a diverse and technically proficient workforce
• Represent ESD to OFM, legislative budget committees, and external partners
• Lead the development of fiscal notes and financial impact analyses for legislation
• Maintain a strong fiscal internal control environment and ensure timely payments

Option 1: Ten years of combined relevant experience and/or education in business, finance, accounting, public administration, or a closely related field, including five years of progressive financial management experience, with multiple fund sources and managing supervisors in a highly complex organization, applying human-centric leadership and management principles.

Option 2: Associate’s degree in business, finance, accounting, public administration, or a closely related field, plus eight years of relevant experience, including five years of progressive financial management experience involving multiple fund sources and managing supervisors in a highly complex organization, applying human-centric leadership and management principles.

Option 3: Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, public administration, or a closely related field, plus six years of relevant experience, including five years of progressive financial management experience with multiple fund sources and supervisory management in a highly complex organization,…