Chief Financial Officer
Houston Public Works
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Job summary
Houston Public Works seeks a forward-thinking Chief Financial Officer - Deputy Director to provide executive financial leadership and strategic direction for budgeting, capital planning, debt management, and financial reporting. The role oversees the Combined Utility System funds, major debt obligations, and grant administration for a large municipal department.
The successful candidate will lead a team of financial professionals, collaborate with City departments, and report to the Director.
Qualifications
- More than ten years of professional experience in public works operations.
- At least four years in a management capacity.
- Requires understanding of analytical or professional disciplines related to public works finance.
Responsibilities
- Serve as principal financial advisor to the Director and senior executive team.
- Direct budgeting, capital planning, and financial forecasting for a multi-billion program.
- Oversee accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls across funds.
- Coordinate debt management, capital financing, and grant administration.
- Engage with external stakeholders, regulators, and the public on financial matters.
- Lead organizational development and succession planning within Financial Management Services.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FROM: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED
DIVISION: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES
REPORTING LOCATION: 611 WALKER
WORKDAYS & HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 8AM - 5PM*
*Subject to change
Houston Public Works (HPW) plays a vital role in building, maintaining, and enhancing the infrastructure that keeps Houston moving and supports the quality of life of its residents, businesses, and communities. As one of the City of Houston’s largest departments, HPW is responsible for the planning, operation, maintenance, construction management, and technical engineering of the city’s essential public infrastructure.
With a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees, HPW oversees a broad and complex portfolio of critical services and assets, including water and wastewater systems, roadways, bridges, traffic and mobility systems, stormwater drainage, permitting, solid waste, and other infrastructure and public services. HPW is at the forefront of Houston’s continued growth and its efforts to build a more resilient, sustainable, and connected city. Through long-term planning, strategic investment, innovation, and responsible stewardship of public resources, the department works to ensure that Houston’s infrastructure can meet the needs of a growing and dynamic community.
With a commitment to excellence, accountability, and service, Houston Public Works helps lay the foundation for Houston’s future—delivering the infrastructure and essential services that enable the city to thrive today and for generations to come.
We are seeking an accomplished and forward-thinking financial leader to join the Houston Public Works Department as its next Chief Financial Officer - Deputy Director (EXE LEV) and help shape the financial strategy and long-term sustainability of one of the nation’s largest and most dynamic public works organizations.
The Chief Financial Officer serves as the principal financial executive and strategic financial advisor for Houston Public Works. Reporting directly to the Director, the CFO provides executive leadership over financial strategy, budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, treasury and debt management, capital financing, revenue planning, procurement, grants administration, enterprise risk management, and related financial support functions.
The CFO position provides financial oversight for an approximately $3.8 billion FY2027 departmental budget, a $12 billion five-year capital improvement program for FY2027–2031, and an approximately $11 billion debt portfolio. Oversight spans the Combined Utility System, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF), the Storm Water Fund, and other funds supporting water, wastewater, streets, bridges, traffic systems, stormwater drainage, permitting, infrastructure delivery, solid waste, emergency response, and other essential public services.
The CFO works closely with the City of Houston Finance Department, Legal Department, other City departments, governmental and regulatory agencies, rating agencies, investors, financial institutions, auditors, consultants, contractors, regional partners, and the public.
- Serve as the principal financial advisor to the Director and a senior member of the Houston Public Works executive leadership team.
- Advise the Director on fiscal strategy, financial policy, infrastructure investment, organizational risk, revenue requirements, affordability, and long-term sustainability.
- Participate in the development and execution of departmental strategies, priorities, policies, performance expectations, and major business decisions.
- Evaluate complex financial, operational, regulatory, contractual, and organizational matters and communicate well-supported recommendations through executive presentations, reports, memoranda, and briefings for executive leaders, elected officials, employees, external stakeholders, and the public.
- Act on behalf of the Director on financial, administrative, or departmental matters as assigned.
- Direct the development, submission, administration, and monitoring of Houston Public Works’ annual operating and capital budgets.
- Establish financial planning processes that integrate operational requirements, staffing, capital investment, regulatory mandates, debt capacity, revenue projections, and departmental priorities.
- Lead short- and long-range financial forecasting, scenario analysis, cash-flow planning, financial modeling, and resource-allocation decisions, and monitor revenue expenditures, reserves, liquidity, debt-service requirements, and other key financial indicators
- Develop strategies to address revenue volatility, inflation, deferred maintenance, operational risks, infrastructure needs, and changes in federal, state, or local requirements.
- Maintain effective budget governance and performance-reporting processes that promote accountability, transparency, informed decision-making, and responsible prioritization of resources.
- Provide executive financial oversight of the Combined Utility System and other enterprise, special-revenue, capital, and restricted funds administered by Houston Public Works.
- Direct water and wastewater revenue planning, cost-of-service studies, rate analyses, revenue-sufficiency evaluations, affordability considerations, and related financial policies.
- Provide executive financial oversight of Transportation and Drainage Operations, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund, the Storm Water Fund, and related operating and capital funding.
- Direct financial planning and resource allocation for street, bridge, traffic, mobility, stormwater, and drainage maintenance, rehabilitation, and capital programs, balancing service levels, state-of-good-repair needs, flood-risk reduction, public safety, and long-term infrastructure investment.
- Monitor and forecast dedicated revenues, including drainage utility charges, ad valorem tax allocations, METRO mobility payments, intergovernmental revenues, grants, and reimbursements, and ensure their use complies with the City Charter, ordinances, legal commitments, fund restrictions, the adopted budget, and financial policies.
- Direct the development of financing strategies for Houston Public Works’ multibillion-dollar capital improvement program.
- Oversee the department’s debt portfolio, including revenue bonds, commercial paper, refundings, federal credit programs, state revolving-fund loans, and other financing instruments.
- Coordinate bond issuances, debt restructurings, investor disclosures, financial feasibility analyses, debt-service projections, and post-issuance compliance.
- Lead or support funding strategies for major drinking water, wastewater, street, bridge, traffic, stormwater, drainage, facility, and regulatory capital programs.
- Oversee applications, negotiations, closings, reimbursements, compliance, and reporting associated with federal and state financing programs, including programs administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Water Development Board.
- Provide executive oversight of departmental accounting, fiscal operations, accounts payable, revenue accounting, capital accounting, fund accounting, reconciliations, and financial close processes.
- Ensure the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and transparency of financial information maintained in the City’s enterprise systems and supporting applications.
- Oversee preparation of the Combined Utility System Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other internal and external financial reports, including fund-level reporting supporting DDSRF, the Storm Water Fund, and departmental capital programs.
- Ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, Governmental Accounting Standards Board requirements, City policies, grant requirements, bond covenants, contractual obligations, and applicable laws and regulations while coordinating external financial audits, the City’s annual audit, single audits, regulatory audits, internal reviews, Controller inquiries, and other oversight activities.
- Establish and maintain effective internal controls, financial policies, standard operating procedures, documentation requirements, and corrective-action processes.
- Oversee grants strategy, grant accounting, reimbursement, compliance, reporting, audit support, and coordination with federal, state, and local funding partners.
- Direct financial support for disaster recovery, emergency response, insurance recovery, federal reimbursement, and continuity-of-operations activities.
- Oversee enterprise risk-management processes, including the identification, evaluation, communication, mitigation, and monitoring of major financial and organizational risks.
- Lead and develop a large multidisciplinary organization of financial, accounting, procurement, grants, risk, administrative professionals, Assistant Directors, Deputy Assistant Directors, managers and other senior leaders
- Establish clear responsibilities, service expectations, performance measures, accountability structures, succession plans, and professional-development priorities.
- Recruit, retain, mentor, and develop a high-performing workforce while establishing accountability, succession planning, and performance expectations.
- Promote a collaborative and service-oriented culture characterized by integrity, accountability, transparency, respect, continuous improvement, and sound financial stewardship.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, management oversight, spans of control, succession coverage, and organizational capacity.
- Prepare and present budget proposals, financial plans, rate recommendations, capital-funding strategies, policy recommendations, audit responses, and other matters to City Council, the Mayor’s Office, executive leadership, oversight bodies, and public audiences, as assigned.
- Represent Houston Public Works in discussions and negotiations involving governmental agencies, regulators, financial institutions, regional partners, contractors, consultants, community organizations, and other external parties, as assigned.
- As directed, respond to inquiries from elected officials, governmental agencies, auditors, investors, rating agencies, media representatives, and members of the public.
- Ensure financial communications are accurate, timely, understandable, transparent, and consistent with legal and disclosure requirements.
- Monitor legislative, regulatory, economic, accounting, financial-market, and industry developments that may affect Houston Public Works.
- The Deputy Director and CFO exercises executive-level supervision over multiple financial and administrative functions.
- The position establishes objectives and priorities for subordinate executives and managers and is accountable for the performance, internal controls, customer service, and professional standards of the Financial Management Services division of Houston Public Works.
This description identifies the primary responsibilities and qualifications of the position and is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of all duties. The Director of Houston Public Works may assign other executive, financial, operational, or administrative responsibilities consistent with the position’s authority and organizational needs.
The position is primarily performed in a professional office environment but requires occasional attendance at City Council meetings, public hearings, executive meetings, financial presentations, project or operational locations, and meetings with external stakeholders.
The position may require work outside normal business hours and is designated as an essential or Tier I emergency-management position. The employee may be required to report during declared emergencies, severe-weather events, infrastructure failures, or other incidents affecting continuity of City services.
This is a Department of Houston Public Works Emergency Management position at the Tier I Level.
Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline would normally be obtained through a formal four-year degree from a college or university or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed.
More than ten years of experience are required in progressively responsible professional work directly related to Public Works operations, with at least four years in a management capacity.
Valid driver's license and compliance with the City of Houston driving policy (A.P. 2-2).
Preference will be given to candidates who possess:
- Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, accounting, finance, or a related discipline.
- Executive financial leadership experience in a large municipal government, public utility, infrastructure organization, regulated enterprise, or similarly complex public-facing organization.
- Experience overseeing multibillion-dollar operating budgets, capital programs, debt portfolios, or enterprise funds.
- Experience with municipal revenue bonds, commercial paper, credit ratings, investor relations, debt restructuring, federal credit programs, state revolving funds, or other public-finance instruments.
- Experience with utility cost-of-service studies, rate design, revenue requirements, affordability programs, financial forecasting, and bond-covenant compliance.
- Experience managing dedicated or restricted infrastructure funds, drainage utility revenues, street and drainage financing, or transportation capital programs.
- Experience securing and administering federal or state grants and infrastructure financing.
- Experience leading procurement, grants, enterprise risk management, disaster recovery finance, or other multidisciplinary support functions.
- Experience presenting complex financial matters to elected officials, governing bodies, executive teams, rating agencies, investors, regulators, and the public.
- Experience leading organizational transformation, process improvement, financial-system modernization, or development of high-performing teams.
- Extensive knowledge of governmental accounting, enterprise-fund accounting, GASB standards, financial reporting, auditing, internal controls, and public-sector budgeting.
- Comprehensive knowledge of financial management, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, debt management, capital planning, dedicated and restricted infrastructure funds, audit, internal controls, risk management, and financial reporting.
- Exceptional integrity, judgment, discretion, and commitment to public service.
- Ability to evaluate issues involving financial, legal, operational, engineering, political, regulatory, and community considerations.
- Ability to make sound decisions in situations involving incomplete information, significant financial exposure, competing priorities, and high public visibility.
- Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, analytical, and relationship-management skills.
- Ability to explain complex financial matters clearly to financial and nonfinancial audiences.
- Ability to establish credibility and productive working relationships with elected officials, executives, employees, regulators, investors, auditors, contractors, community stakeholders, and the public.
- Ability to lead through organizational change, emergencies, financial constraints, and operational challenges.
- Ability to develop leaders, build cohesive teams, delegate effectively, establish accountability, and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
- Proficiency with enterprise financial systems, financial modeling, data analysis, and management-reporting tools.
**Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6.
Yes
If yes, this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment drug test.
36
Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.
EOE Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
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