FINANCE DIRECTOR

St Pete Beach, City of (FL); Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Pete Beach seeks a Finance Director to lead the City’s financial operations, budgeting, and reporting.

You will partner with the City Manager and leadership to safeguard fiscal health, compliance, and transparency while directing accounting, investments, procurement, and related programs. The role requires extensive government finance experience, a relevant Bachelor's (Master's preferred), and credentials such as CGFO/CPA are a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of seven years in governmental finance with supervisory/management experience.
• Master's degree preferred; CGFO/CPA or similar credentials favored.
• Valid Florida driver's license required upon appointment; background screening.
• Experience with budgeting, financial reporting, and compliance with laws/policies.

Responsibilities

• Directs financial management and provides strategic guidance on fiscal condition and sustainability.
• Directs preparation and presentation of financial statements and reports.
• Oversees investment programs and procurement activities.
• Serves as primary liaison with auditors and coordinates annual financial audit.
• Provides timely financial analyses and executive-level reporting.

Skills

Public finance

Budgeting

Financial reporting

GAAP knowledge

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Master's degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Financial software

Job description

St. Pete Beach offers something few communities can match: the opportunity to build a career in public service while living and working in one of Florida’s most distinctive coastal communities.

Located along Florida’s Gulf Coast, St. Pete Beach is known for its beautiful beaches and dunes, spectacular sunsets, award‑winning dining, and family‑friendly destinations. With approximately 10,000 residents, the City combines a strong sense of community and appreciation for its history with a forward‑looking commitment to innovation, sustainability, and responsible growth.

St. Pete Beach is equally committed to protecting the natural resources that define the community. Sustainability initiatives include protecting sea turtles and maintaining clean, safe, and accessible beaches. The City’s unique character is complemented by destinations such as the historic Don CeSar, as well as a wide range of recreational, cultural, and community activities that make St. Pete Beach an exceptional place to live, work, and visit.

For those who join the City team, public service here has a tangible impact. Every position contributes to the quality of life of residents and visitors and to the long‑term vitality of the community.

As Finance Director, you will play a critical leadership role in that mission. You will steward the City’s financial resources, strengthen its long‑term fiscal position, and help ensure that the financial foundation supporting municipal services, infrastructure, community priorities, and responsible growth remain strong. Working alongside the City Manager, City Commission, department leaders, and a dedicated team of professionals, you will help shape the City’s financial future while honoring the community’s history and values.

Position Summary

The Finance Director serves as the City’s chief financial management professional and provides strategic leadership for the City’s financial operations, fiscal planning, and financial stewardship.

Reporting to the City Manager, the Finance Director plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates municipal finance activities, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, investments, procurement, and related financial programs and services. The position provides leadership and direction to Finance Department personnel and serves as a key advisor to the City Manager, City Commission, and executive leadership team on financial matters.

The Finance Director is responsible for maintaining the integrity, accuracy, transparency, and long‑term sustainability of the City’s financial operations while ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and professional standards.

Financial Strategy, Management & Reporting

• Directs the City’s financial management activities and provides strategic guidance regarding fiscal condition, financial performance, and long‑term financial sustainability.
• Directs the preparation and presentation of monthly, annual, and other financial statements and reports.
• Oversees the City’s financial activities and investment programs in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and established investment objectives.
• Serves as the City’s primary financial liaison with independent auditors and coordinates activities associated with the City’s annual financial audit and related reporting requirements.
• Provides timely, accurate, and meaningful financial information and analysis to the City Manager, City Commission, department leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Prepares or directs the preparation of special financial analyses, reports, forecasts, and presentations and leads special projects as assigned by the City Manager.
• Identifies financial risks, trends, and opportunities and develops recommendations to support informed executive and policy decisions.

Budget, Fiscal Planning & Compliance

• Partners with the City Manager and department leadership in the development, preparation, presentation, monitoring, and administration of the City’s annual budget.
• Supports long‑range financial planning and evaluate the fiscal impacts of programs, initiatives, capital investments, and policy decisions.
• Oversee processes that promote compliance with the adopted budget, applicable financial policies, purchasing requirements, disbursement procedures, and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including TRIM requirements.
• Directs and supervises the City’s accounting functions and ensures appropriate internal controls, financial procedures, and reporting practices are maintained.
• Monitors revenues, expenditures, fund balances, and other key financial indicators and recommends corrective action when appropriate.

Investment, Procurement & Financial Operations

• Oversees the City’s investment activities and ensure financial resources are managed prudently and in accordance with applicable law, policy, and investment objectives.
• Provides leadership and oversight for the Procurement Division and promotes effective, transparent, and compliant procurement practices.
• Coordinates financial programs, systems, processes, and services with the City Manager and other City departments.
• Evaluates financial systems, processes, and internal controls and recommends improvements that enhance efficiency, accountability, transparency, and service delivery.
• Supports the effective implementation and continuous improvement of financial technology, reporting systems, and business processes.

Executive Leadership & Organizational Development

• Provides leadership, direction, mentoring, coaching, and performance management for Finance Department personnel.
• Establishes clear expectations and promotes accountability for performance, service, accuracy, timeliness, and professional conduct.
• Fosters a culture of collaboration, accountability, customer service, innovation, continuous improvement, and professional development.
• Delegates responsibilities effectively while maintaining accountability for departmental performance and outcomes.
• Leads employees through organizational, process, technology, and system changes with clear communication and thoughtful implementation.
• Builds effective partnerships across the organization and maintains productive working relationships with the City Manager, department directors, employees, elected officials, auditors, professional advisors, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Serves as a trusted financial advisor and strategic partner to the City Manager and executive leadership team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in governmental finance, accounting, budgeting, or a closely related field, including supervisory or management experience.
• Master's degree in a related field preferred.
• Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or comparable public finance credentials preferred.
• Valid Florida driver's license required upon appointment.
• Completion of applicable background screening required

Additional Qualifications & Skills

• Comprehensive knowledge of municipal financial management, including governmental accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, fiscal administration, internal controls, investments, procurement, and applicable laws, regulations, professional standards, and policies.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and their application in governmental financial operations.
• Strong analytical, financial modeling, problem‑solving, and strategic planning skills, with the ability to evaluate complex financial and operational information and develop sound, actionable recommendations.
• Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, leases, interlocal agreements, contracts, policies, and other governing documents and recognize when specialized legal review is appropriate.
• Ability to evaluate financial systems, processes, and controls and develop and implement effective methods, procedures, and improvements.
• Ability to develop and implement long‑range fiscal strategies and assess the financial implications of policy, operational, and capital decisions.
• Ability to prepare and communicate clear, accurate, and meaningful financial reports, analyses, forecasts, and executive‑level presentations for audiences with varying levels of financial knowledge.
• Ability to exercise sound independent judgment, identify financial risks and opportunities, manage competing priorities, and make effective decisions under time‑sensitive conditions.
• Ability to lead, develop, delegate, and evaluate the work of professional and administrative staff while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected and appointed officials, employees, governmental agencies, auditors, professional advisors, community stakeholders, and the public.
• Strong proficiency with modern financial and business technology, including Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel; enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems; payroll systems; financial reporting tools; and related applications.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise appropriate discretion when handling sensitive financial, personnel, and organizational information.

General Working Conditions

• Work Environment: Work is generally performed in a professional office environment and may also occur at City Commission meetings, public meetings, conferences, training programs, and other locations associated with official City business. The position involves regular interaction with employees, elected and appointed officials, stakeholders, professional advisors, and members of the public.
• Computer and Office Work: The position requires frequent and extended use of computers, financial management systems, enterprise resource planning systems, software applications, electronic communication, and other office equipment to perform financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, research, document preparation, and executive management responsibilities.
• Handling of Materials: The position may require occasional handling, moving, and carrying of files, financial records, reports, and other work‑related materials weighing up to approximately 15 pounds, as necessary to perform assigned duties.
• Travel: Theposition may require occasional travel for meetings, conferences, professional development, presentations, and other official City business.
• Concentration and Work Demands: Theposition requires sustained attention to detail, accuracy, confidentiality, and concentration when analyzing financial information and performing complex analytical, administrative, and executive responsibilities. The position may involve significant workload fluctuations, competing priorities, sensitive matters, and time‑critical deadlines.
• Communication and Information Processing:The position requires the ability to effectively receive, process, evaluate, and communicate information necessary to perform the essential functions of the position, including participation in meetings, presentations, discussions, telephone communications, and virtual meetings.