Village of Westchester, Finance Director

The Village of Westchester, established in 1925, with a current population of 16,492, is seeking an experienced, innovative, and team-oriented professional to serve as its Finance Director. Westchester is a non-home rule community located in Cook County, just 13 miles west of downtown Chicago. Known for its solid residential base, strong community spirit, and suburban charm, Westchester offers a full range of excellent municipal services and a welcoming environment for businesses and families alike.

Westchester is a full-service municipality with a current total budget of $52.1 million for FY 2025-26, including a $23.2 million General Fund, $14.4 million Utility Fund, and significant allocations for capital projects. With a focus on financial transparency and accurate cost accounting, the Village continues to pursue opportunities to make the organization more efficient, customer friendly, and effective. The Village has maintained a strong fund balance and a stable bond rating from Moody’s of A2 (recently reaffirmed).

Westchester’s primary revenue sources include local taxes, intergovernmental revenues, and charges for services. The Village plans to advance economic development and engage in strategic financial planning to enhance its infrastructure and continue delivering exceptional public services.

The Village operates under a council-manager form of government, with legislative oversight provided by an elected President and Board of Trustees. Under the general supervision of the Assistant Village Manager, the Finance Director is an integral part of the revitalized executive leadership team. This position administers, directs, and controls municipal fiscal and accounting operations, including payroll, financial planning and long-term forecasting, cash/treasury management, budgeting, accounting/auditing, debt management, TIF management, tax levy, revenue administration (including collection), utility billing, collections, and purchasing.

The Director has two direct reports, which are the Accounting Manager and Accountant. The Finance Department overall has six authorized full-time staff:
Finance Director, Accounting Manager, Accountant, Accounts Payable/Payroll Clerk, Finance Clerk, and Utility Billing Clerk.

The Finance Director serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Village and is responsible for the administration of all financial operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the annual budgeting and capital improvement plan process in collaboration with the Village Manager, Assistant Village Manager and executive management team.
• Overseeing accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, production of financial statements and reports, annual audits, debt management, and monitoring expenditures.
• Providing strategic financial guidance to the Village Manager and Assistant Village Manager, elected officials, and department heads.
• Developing and implementing financial policies and procedures to ensure fiscal health and transparency.
• Managing cash flow, investments, and treasury functions to optimize financial performance, including regular banking and transactional work.
• Preparing and presenting informative financial reports, analyses, and forecasts for various stakeholders.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant financial regulations and standards.
• Provide a high degree of customer service to various Village patrons.

The full job description is available here.

The ideal candidate for the Finance Director position will possess:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and enterprise financial management systems.
• A bachelor’s degree with major coursework in Public Administration, Business, Finance, or a closely related field.
• MBA/MPA/CPA designation, or equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities is preferred.
• At least five years of senior leadership level financial management experience, with at least two years in a managerial capacity.
• Direct experience in municipal or public sector financial management, with a thorough understanding of governmental budgets, audits, GASB principles, fund accounting, debt management, tax…