Finance Director

sumterlocalgovconsulting; Fairburn (GA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 136,000; Full time

Job summary

Sumter Local Government Consulting is assisting the City of Fairburn, GA in recruiting a Finance Director to lead the city's financial operations. The role reports to the City Administrator and acts as CFO, overseeing budgeting, reporting, treasury, procurement, and internal controls.

The ideal candidate will have deep municipal finance expertise, strong leadership, and the ability to present complex financial information to the Mayor and City Council.

Qualifications

• An experienced municipal finance professional with strong command of governmental accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, forecasting, internal controls, debt management, procurement, and audit requirements.
• Ability to explain complex financial matters to elected officials, present information clearly to the Mayor and Council, and support decision-making.
• Experience leading a Finance Department and developing staff; building cross-functional relationships.

Responsibilities

• Oversee accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, accounts payable/receivable, treasury and cash management.
• Manage debt, procurement, audit coordination, state compliance reporting, grant administration, and internal controls.
• Coordinate preparation of the city's annual budget and monitor financial performance.
• Lead BS&A software implementation and ensure reliable processes across departments.
• Provide clear financial recommendations to City Administrator, Mayor, and Council.

Skills

Municipal finance

Leadership

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Forecasting

Internal controls

Debt management

Procurement

Audit compliance

Tools

BS&A software

Job description

Sumter Local Government Consulting is pleased to be assisting Fairburn, GA, in conducting a recruitment for their next Finance Director.

The City of Fairburn is seeking an experienced municipal finance professional to serve as its next Finance Director. Reporting directly to the City Administrator, the Finance Director serves as the City's Chief Financial Officer and provides leadership for the City's financial management operations.

The Finance Director oversees accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, accounts payable and receivable, treasury and cash management, debt management, procurement, audit coordination, state compliance reporting, grant administration, and financial controls. The Director also has primary responsibility for coordinating preparation of the City's annual budget and monitoring financial performance throughout the year. This is both a technical and leadership position. The Director must ensure the accuracy and integrity of the City's financial information while giving the City Administrator, Mayor and Council, and department directors the information they need to make sound decisions. An important part of the role is the ability to take complex financial information, identify the issues that matter, and present those issues clearly to elected officials and others who may not have a finance background. The Director will lead an eight-position Finance Department. Recent organizational changes converted a budget and finance analyst position into two staff accountant positions to provide additional backup capacity and strengthen budget oversight. The next Director will be expected to continue developing the team, establish clear expectations, encourage cross-training, and ensure that critical financial functions are supported by reliable processes and appropriate internal controls.

One of the most significant near-term responsibilities will be the City's transition from ENCODE to BS&A financial software. The implementation will involve multiple departments and will require coordination of business processes, data, training, internal controls, and ongoing financial operations. Experience with financial system implementation, and particularly familiarity with BS&A, will be valuable.

The Ideal Candidate

Fairburn is looking for an experienced municipal finance professional who understands both the technical and leadership sides of the job. The successful candidate should have a strong command of governmental accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, forecasting, internal controls, debt management, procurement, and audit requirements. Just as important will be the ability to apply that knowledge in a practical way that supports the work of the entire organization. The next Finance Director should be comfortable working directly with the City Administrator and presenting financial information to the Mayor and Council. The ability to explain complicated financial matters in understandable terms will be important. The City is looking for someone who can provide a recommendation, explain the financial implications of different options, and give decision-makers reliable information without unnecessarily complicating the discussion. Leadership style will matter. The Director should establish expectations and hold people accountable while remaining approachable and willing to work through issues with employees and department directors. The City needs someone who can develop the Finance staff, improve processes where needed, and build productive working relationships throughout the organization.

Salary

Salary $130,000 - $136,000