County Chief Financial Officer

Ventura County; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 337,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Dental & vision

Vacation & leave

401(k) with match

Job summary

Ventura County seeks an accomplished Chief Financial Officer to lead the countywide budget architecture, supervise multi-fund financial operations, and guide debt management and financial forecasting. The CFO partners with the CEO, presents budget recommendations to the Board, and ensures regulatory compliance while driving fiscal sustainability.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in public finance, strategic leadership, and ability to communicate transparently with diverse

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or closely related field.
• Seven years of progressively responsible executive or senior-level financial management experience in a complex public-sector agency or large-scale organization.
• Master’s degree preferred; CPA/CPFO credential welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operational and capital Budget development and analysis, forecasting, cost accounting, and management of enterprise financial systems.
• Lead debt management, including borrowing evaluations, bond issuances, and debt service administration; engage with rating agencies and investors.
• Develop multi-year financial forecasts and General Fund projections; model fiscal impact of policy decisions.

Skills

Executive leadership

Public finance

Budgeting

Debt management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting

CPA or CPFO credential

Tools

Enterprise financial systems

Job description

BE PART OF SOMETHING AMAZING!

Click here to view the County Chief Financial Officer brochure.

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. The salary range for this position is $229,553 to $337,476 annually, DOQ. An employee in this position will also be eligible for the following:

• General Salary Increase: A general salary increase of 3.5%, effective December 20, 2026, and 3.5%, effective December 19, 2027.
• Educational Incentive: may be eligible for 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5%, based on completion of an associate's, bachelor's, or graduate degree from an accredited institution, not required for the position.
• Retirement/Social Security: Defined retirement benefits vest after 5 years of service. The County and you also each contribute to Social Security. For more information, visit: www.vcera.org. If you are eligible, you may establish reciprocity with other public retirement systems, such as CalPERS.
• Health Plans: Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your dependents. A flexible credit allowance of up to $1,024.11 biweekly.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Increase your spending power by reimbursing you with pre-tax dollars for IRS-approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Executive Annual Leave: 248 hours earned per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service, to 328 hours after 10 years of service, and to 368 hours after 15 years of service. Credit for prior public service may be considered (Management Resolution, § 1202A).
• Annual Leave Redemption: The ability to "cash out" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours. (Management Resolution, § 1207)
• Holidays: 13 paid days per year, including 1 floating holiday to use at your discretion.
• Auto Allowance: $575 per month.
• Deferred Compensation: You may elect to contribute to one or both of the County's deferred compensation plans (established under Internal Revenue Code sections 401(k) and 457). If you participate in the County-sponsored 401(k) plan, the County will match a part of your contribution up to 3% of your salary, on a per-pay-period basis. Following 5 years of continuous County service, an additional 2% non-elective contribution will be made to the 401(k) plan.
• Other benefits include: Disability Plans; Employee Assistance Program; County-paid Life Insurance; County-paid membership in professional organizations (related to position); Tuition Reimbursement; Benefit Reimbursement Program; Wellness Program; and WorkLife Program, which includes child care and elder care referrals.

The Position

The County Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an executive-level leader who assumes overall fiduciary responsibility for the County’s financial operations and directs the countywide budget architecture. Working in close partnership with the County Executive Officer (CEO), the CFO leads the compilation, balancing, and issuance of the Preliminary Recommended Budget for annual public hearings, reviews all department and agency submittals, and presents formal budget recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.

Serving as the principal architect of the County’s fiscal sustainability, the CFO oversees long-term and short-term debt management—including borrowing evaluations, bond issuances, debt service administration, and direct engagement with credit rating agencies, institutional investors, and the public. In addition, the CFO directs the development of multi-year financial forecasts, fiscal impact analyses, and General Fund General Purpose Revenue modeling to project the downstream effects of policy decisions.

Beyond core accounting and budgeting, the CFO coordinates countywide cost allocation schedules, rates, and user fees, ensures rigorous regulatory and grant compliance, and represents the CEO on key interagency committees and regional financing authorities.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a politically astute, forward-thinking public finance executive with a proven record of managing complex multi-fund operations, overseeing effective asset management, and championing long-term fiscal sustainability within a high-functioning budget and finance team. Serving as a trusted fiduciary advisor to the County Executive Officer and the Board of Supervisors, the CFO brings deep technical mastery in balancing major operating and capital budgets, conducting multi-year expense and revenue forecasting, strengthening fiscal sustainability, and directing debt portfolios and rating agency engagements. Adept at navigating state and federal mandates, this strategic problem-solver translates intricate fiscal impact analyses and General Fund projections into clear, data-driven policies that protect the County’s financial resilience.

Beyond technical expertise, the successful candidate is an exceptional communicator with demonstrated leadership skills who thrives under public scrutiny and during important, sensitive actions related to budgets, operations, and strategic pursuits. The candidate should possess the collaborative skills to build trusted partnerships across diverse county departments, elected bodies, and community stakeholders. As an empowering leader committed to operational excellence, the ideal CFO leverages current technologies, modern fiscal systems, a seasoned and dynamic staff, and sound change management practices to foster continuous improvement, inspire high-performing teams, and uphold the highest standards of public stewardship.

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: County Executive Office

PAYROLL TITLE: Assistant County Executive Officer

This position is at-will and excluded from the provisions of the Civil Service Ordinance. Incumbents in this classification are eligible for benefits at the MB2 level.

Typical Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or a closely related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible executive or senior-level financial management experience in a complex public-sector agency (or comparable large-scale, multi-funded organization).

Scope of Experience

• Direct oversight of operational and capital budget development and analysis, fiscal forecasting, cost accounting, workload metrics, reimbursement streams, and enterprise financial systems.
• At least three (3) or more years of experience supervising professional-level finance/accounting staff and managing cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated experience reporting to, or working regularly and closely with, a principal executive officer (e.g., County Executive/Administrator, Assistant Director, or elected governing board).

Desirable Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline.
• Active credentialing as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO).

Extensive, qualifying senior-level financial leadership, education, and professional training that clearly demonstrates possession of the required knowledge, skills, and executive competencies may be considered on a year-for-year basis in lieu of education.

For more information about this position, please contact Bill Friedel at [phone] or at [e-mail].

Interview Process

Well-qualified candidates, as evidenced by their résumés, may be invited to an initial screening interview, which may be conducted by phone, one-way video, or another format at the County's discretion. Candidates who advance will be invited to an in-person panel interview, and top finalists will then meet with the County Executive Officer for a final interview. The interview process may be consolidated or expanded based on the size and quality of the candidate pool.

Background Investigation

The selected candidate may be subject to a thorough background investigation, which may include inquiries into past employment, education, criminal history, and driving record. In addition, the successful candidate will undergo DOJ/FBI Live Scan fingerprinting.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability, family or medical leave status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy-related conditions), or sexual orientation.