Water & Sewer Finance Deputy Director

Dorchester County, South Carolina; Summerville (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorchester County seeks a Deputy Chief Financial Officer to provide strategic financial leadership for the Water & Sewer Department. You will oversee all fiscal operations, long-term planning, budgeting, treasury, rate development, and regulatory compliance to ensure reliable service delivery for the community.

You will be the department’s chief financial authority and advisor on operating and capital budgets, revenues, financial risk, and sustainability, collaborating with the Director, CFO,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• Requires eight years of progressive experience in public sector finance, utilities, or infrastructure-focused organizations with at least 4 years in a leadership role with supervisory responsibilities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of governmental accounting standards, budgeting, and capital planning.
• Strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for Financial Services, Purchasing, Customer Service, Utility Billing, Warehouse Operations, and Dispatch.
• Lead and manage long-term financial planning, forecasting, and development of operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenditures, and performance metrics.
• Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, billing, collections, procurement, financial reporting, internal controls, audits and financial compliance, to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance with governmental standards.
• Direct rate studies and develop rate structures that support financial sustainability; present recommendations to leadership and governing bodies.
• Lead financial planning for large capital and infrastructure projects; support debt issuance, financial modeling, and coordination with rating agencies and financial advisors.
• Provide leadership and supervision to assigned staff, including work planning, performance review, training, discipline, and selecting new employees.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, environmental services, and administrative divisions to align financial strategies with departmental priorities.
• Assist the Director in planning, organizing, and directing operations, maintenance, construction, and administration of water and wastewater systems; serve as acting Director when needed.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related discipline

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

The purpose of this job is to provide strategic financial leadership for the Water & Sewer Department, overseeing all fiscal operations, long-term financial planning, budgeting, treasury functions, rate development, and regulatory financial compliance. This role ensures the department’s financial health and supports reliable, sustainable delivery of water and sewer services for the community. The Deputy works closely with the Director, Deputy County Administrator/CFO, and the County Administrator, other County Departments, and County Council to support long-term financial sustainability and infrastructure investments.

The deputy serves as the department’s chief financial authority and principal financial advisor to the Water and Sewer Director on matters involving operating and capital budgets, rates, debts, revenues, financial risk, and long-term fiscal sustainability.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
•Provide leadership and oversight for Financial Services, Purchasing, Customer Service, Utility Billing, Warehouse Operations, and Dispatch.
•Lead and manage long-term financial planning, forecasting, and development of operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenditures, and performance metrics.
•Lead long-term financial planning forecasting, and development of operating and capital budgets; monitor revenues, expenditures, and performance metrics.
•Ensure alignment of financial decisions with departmental goals and regulatory requirements.
•Oversee all financial operations, including accounting, billing, collections, procurement, financial reporting, internal controls, audits and financial compliance, to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance with governmental standards.
•Direct rate studies and develop rate structures that support financial sustainability; present recommendations to leadership and governing bodies.
•Lead financial planning for large capital and infrastructure projects; support debt issuance, financial modeling, and coordination with rating agencies and financial advisors.
•Provide leadership and supervision to assigned staff, including work planning, performance review, training, discipline, and selecting new employees.
•Collaborate with engineering, operations, environmental services, and administrative divisions to align financial strategies with departmental priorities.
•Assist the Director in planning, organizing, and directing operations, maintenance, construction, and administration of water and wastewater systems; serve as acting Director when needed.
•Assist with development, implementation, and improvement of departmental policies, procedures, and ordinances.
•Oversee daily procurement and finance operations; review expenditures for enterprise, general, and special funds to ensure proper procedures are followed.
•Support budget administration, including budget requests, invoice processing, grant preparation, permit applications, and monitoring capital project expenditures.
•Ensure delivery of efficient, professional customer service; resolve complex customer issues and respond to inquiries, concerns, and requests.
•Performs general administrative/clerical work as required including, but not limited to, preparing reports and correspondence, copying and filing documents, entering and retrieving computer data, attending meetings, etc.
•Attend meetings, workshops, conferences, etc., as appropriate, to maintain knowledge of current legislation, trends and technology in assigned areas of responsibility.
•Assist Director in the development and implementation of rates and charges necessary to execute operations and maintenance of the infrastructure and capital funding for the Capital Improvement Plan to include the issuance of various debt instruments and other financial tools; monitors capital project expenditures.
•Ability to analyze complex financial information, identify financial risk, and develop recommendations for executive leadership.
•Ability to prepare and present complex financial information clearly to executive leadership, elected officials, employees, and the public.
•Performs other related job duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:
•Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related discipline.

•Requires eight (8) years of progressive experience in public sector finance, utilities, or infrastructure-focused organizations with at least 4 years in a leadership role with supervisory responsibilities.

•Demonstrated knowledge of governmental accounting standards, budgeting, and capital planning.

•Strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills.

Special Qualifications, Certifications and Licenses:
•Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license with an acceptable driving history.
•CPA, CMA or related professional certification strongly preferred.
•Extensive experience in public sector finance, utilities, or infrastructure-focused organizations.



Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment):
Work is performed in relatively safe, secure and stable work environment.

Dorchester County has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position; typical work 40 hours per week Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some flexibility in hours is allowed, but employees must be available during the “core” work hours of 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and must work 40 hour each week to maintain full-time status. Must be available to work on holidays and weekends during emergencies. This is a safety sensitive position and employees holding this position have the responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. This position is subject to random drug testing.




E.O.E. Dorchester County does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability or military service in employment or the provision of services.