Finance Manager

Overview

Tumwater is a vibrant community rooted in history and opportunity. Located at the southern gateway to the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, Tumwater offers small-town charm with a big-picture vision. Surrounded by Puget Sound, prairies, rivers, and evergreen forests, we’re just over an hour from ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier. We’re committed to a highly livable, connected, and inclusive future with safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, and strong civic pride.

The Opportunity

This is a key leadership role at the heart of Tumwater’s financial operations. As the Finance Manager, you’ll shape the City’s financial future, lead a talented team, guide complex projects, and ensure finances are managed with transparency, accuracy, and innovation.

In this role, you’ll oversee day-to-day financial activities, from reconciling accounts and preparing reports to managing grants and loans with precision. You’ll be a trusted partner to the Finance Director, helping develop and implement policies that keep the City running efficiently. You’ll work collaboratively across departments, providing expert advice and creative solutions to support our shared mission to serve the community.

If you’re a strategic thinker with a passion for public service and the skills to keep a City’s financial heartbeat strong, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

The Finance Manager consists of two leadership positions:

• Billing, receipting, customer service, project accounting, asset management, B&O tax, violations, treasury, and preparing the Annual Consolidated Financial Report.
• Payroll, accounts payable, benefit vendor reconciliation, procurement card program, general ledger, investments, debt, and the biennial budget.

Important: The City will begin reviewing applications on January 26, 2026. The position will remain open until filled; however, applicants submitting materials by the review date will receive priority consideration.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, and responsibilities required of the job. Other duties may be assigned and/or performed.

The essential functions of this position include but are not limited to:

• Trains, develops, directs and evaluates Fiscal Services staff to help expedite workflow and improve efficiency and effectiveness of department operations; achieve individual goals; foster teamwork; and ensure employees' growth and accountability for their actions.
• Assesses and monitors workload; identifies opportunities for improvement and implements changes.
• Selects, motivates and evaluates personnel; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; makes recommendations regarding discipline and termination.
• Oversees the City's financial reporting, including the preparation and production of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and State of Washington Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) reports.
• Manages the investment and cash position of all City funds, maximizing returns while adhering to the City's investment policies.
• Plans and directs complex and highly visible financial projects, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders and ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.
• Leads the development and maintenance of the City's utility billing, cash receipting and disbursement systems ensuring accurate and timely billing and collections.
• Oversees accounting functions, including accounts receivable, payable, payroll and grant accounting, maintaining internal financial controls and compliance with GAAP and GASB standards.
• Manages the City's business tax and licensing programs and oversees local tax administration including complex tax determinations, compliance efforts and collection activities.
• Prepares and reviews financial statements, annual budget documents and special financial analyses.
• Maintains and develops financial policies, procedures and programs including internal controls and audit procedures to ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial reports.
• Provides technical guidance and training to finance staff on accounting, software use and…