County Chief Financial Officer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Salary increases

Education incentive

Retirement benefits

Health plans

Flexible spending accounts

Executive leave

Leave redemption

Holidays

Auto allowance

Deferred compensation

Disability program

Job summary

County of Ventura is seeking an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead the county’s financial operations, budget architecture, and multi-fund strategies. You will work closely with the County Executive Officer to prepare preliminary budget recommendations and ensure fiscal sustainability across departments.

The ideal candidate brings deep public finance expertise, strategic planning skills, and a proven ability to manage cross-functional teams while communicating clearly with the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible executive or senior-level financial management experience in a complex public-sector agency or large multi-funded organization.
• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related discipline (Desirable).

Responsibilities

• Direct oversight of operational and capital budget development and analysis.
• Fiscal forecasting and cost accounting responsibilities.
• Supervise professional finance staff and cross-functional teams.
• Coordinate with executive leadership and elected officials on budget matters.
• Oversee debt management, grant compliance, and regulatory reporting.

Skills

Public finance leadership

Executive management

Budget planning

Strategic finance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance/Public Administration

Master’s degree in related field (Desirable)

Job description

BE PART OF SOMETHING AMAZING!

Benefits

• 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.

Description

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.

Recruitment Schedule

This position is open on a continuous basis. This position may close without notice.

Review of Application Materials

The first review of application materials will occur the week of November 2, 2026. Application materials submitted after that date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The County reserves the right to advance exceptionally qualified candidates forward in the process at any time, regardless of the review schedule. All relevant experience, training, and education must be included to determine eligibility.

Typical Qualifications

Any combination of education, training, and experience that results in the required knowledge, skills, and abilities qualifies. Typical combinations include:

• 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).

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.