Deputy Director of Finance Position Profile THE COMMUNITY Southlake is uniquely situated in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth area of North Texas. This actively engaged community brags about the quality of life in this upscale city and has proof to back it up. Southlake has consistently been ranked as one of the best places to live by D Magazine and Fort Worth Magazine. The Dallas Business Journal reported on a 2012 quality of life study by On Numbers in which Southlake was listed as the top DFW city and third among 1,145 cities throughout the southern United States. In 2013, the Dallas Morning News reported Southlake as one of the Best Neighborhoods in DFW, with an overall rating of five stars. The reasons for the accolades are easily found within the City s 22 square miles: exemplary schools, acre after acre of green space and the welcoming spirit of its residents; all true Texas traditions. Southlake s quality of life is among the highest in the DFW Metroplex, with its safe neighborhoods, community programs and excellent schools. Due to its location, available land, financial stability, educated workforce, and quality-driven development regulations, Southlake will be the center of growth for years to come.
ORGANIZATION On April 4, 1987, Southlake voters approved a home rule charter which established a council-manager form of government. This form of government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong professional experience of a City Manager. The Southlake City Council consists of seven members, including the Mayor, all elected at-large by Southlake residents. The Mayor and Council Members are elected for three-year terms (unless elected in a special election due to a resignation) and no member may serve more than two successive elected terms. The City Council hires a City Manager who has responsibility for submitting the annual budget, directing day-to-day operations, advising the City Council on matters affecting the City, and appointing and removing City staff. Strategy execution is a fundamental part of the day-to-day operations within the City of Southlake. In 2005, the City Council worked closely with staff to develop a Strategic Management System (SMS) based on the Balanced Scorecard framework. The SMS aligns decision-making and resource allocation with City Council and citizen priorities. It includes components such as vision, mission, values, perspectives, focus areas, corporate objectives, strategy maps, implementation plans, and performance measures. In addition, each department has its own Strategy Map built around the department s core services and develops a departmental business plan each year. Departments also have performance scorecards that provide a way to assess the quality of the work being performed. Attention is given to what needs to be done, but performance is also about how things are done. To guide this, the City s core values define the expectations. The City s values are Integrity, Innovation, Accountability, Commitment to Excellence, and Teamwork. The City has approximately 365 employees and a total budget of $86.9 million with a tax rate of.462 per $100 of valuation. The City has a structurally balanced budget and holds AAA bond ratings from Standard and Poor s and Fitch IBCA. OUR MISSION The City of Southlake provides municipal services that support the highest quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors. We do this by being an exemplary model of balancing efficiency, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and sustainability. OUR VISION Southlake is a vibrant, attractive, safe, healthy and fiscally sound community that epitomizes both economic and environmental sustainability. We offer quality neighborhoods and a high standard of living, with abundant opportunities for learning, shopping, working, recreation and enjoyment of open spaces.
THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT The Department of Finance is led by Sharen Jackson, Chief Finance Officer, and includes Finance Administration, Utility Billing, Municipal Court and the Metroport Teen Court program. This division is responsible for overseeing water meter readings to ensure customer accounts are accurate and up to date. Staff strives to provide stellar customer service in a professional and courteous manner. Finance Administration is a key support division The duties of Municipal Court include maintenance within the City. Every contract, invoice, incoming and processing of citations, affidavits and other court or outgoing payment, grant, donation, or obligation related records; collecting and accounting for fines, of the City is funneled through this division in some court costs and bonds; scheduling cases for court; the form. The ultimate goal of issuance, tracking, and clearing division staff is to accurately of Capias and Capias Pro Fine The mission of the Finance Department is to facilitate accountability of City funds and other record the transactions to warrants; as well as providing assets entrusted to the City and provide financial materially represent the opportunities for citizens to information to enable decision-making that will financial position of the confer with the Municipal ensure the City s financial sustainability while City. Another critical goal Judge. providing exemplary service to our internal and of the division is to develop external customers. The Metroport Teen Court is and implement appropriate a voluntary program which internal controls to mitigate allows juvenile Class C misdemeanor offenders to the potential for undiscovered misuse of City assets. This is done through restrictive financial system access, pay for their citation through community service and involvement in the judicial process. The program separation of duties, standard operating procedures, hopes to interrupt developing patterns of criminal financial policies, physical inventory and periodic behavior by promoting feelings of high self-esteem, surprise audits of cash and operations. motivation for self-improvement, and development of Utility Billing provides for the collection of utility healthy respect toward authority. payments including water, wastewater, residential solid The department consists of 25 full-time employees and waste, recycling, and drainage. The division accepts 2 part-time employees and has a FY 2016 general fund applications for new service as well as customer requests to disconnect and/or transfer existing service. budget of $1,252,430.
ABOUT THE POSITION The Deputy Director of Finance is appointed by and reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer. The purpose of this position is to direct, manage, supervise and coordinate the activities and operations of the accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, technology initiatives, municipal/teen court and utility billing. This is accomplished by providing supervision to assigned division supervisors; implementing goals, policies and priorities; coordinating assigned finance services and activities with other divisions, departments and outside agencies; and to provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Chief Financial Officer. THE IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate will be a sophisticated, dynamic, self-confident, motivated, approachable, and proactive leader with a passion for finance, accounting and people management. The candidate should have a proven track record for making things happen with illustrated tangible wins for his or her organization. The ideal candidate should possess the following core competencies: Strategic Performance: ability to meet performance expectations by setting goals, tracking progress, and measuring success using the SMS components of the departmental business plan, work plan, and scorecard. People Management: ability to manage and encourage staff, coach them to develop their capabilities, and optimize their performance. Building Collaborative Relationships: ability to develop, maintain and strengthen relationships with others, both inside and outside the organization. Communication: ability to deliver verbal and written communications and presentations that are clear, persuasive, well thought out, and tailored to the audience. Customer Orientation: ability to demonstrate concern for satisfying the needs of both internal and external customers by being approachable, available, responsive, and helpful. Innovation: ability to look beyond the traditional to find new, modern and creative solutions. Fostering Teamwork: ability and desire to work cooperatively within a team environment and ability to motivate team members to work together. Flexibility: ability to adapt to changing situations and open to different and new ways of doing things. Personal Credibility: ability to convey a command of the relevant facts and information and be perceived as responsible, reliable and trustworthy. Situational Awareness: ability to accurately anticipate the implications of events or decisions for various stakeholders in the organization and community and plan strategy accordingly. Delegation: ability to allocate decision-making authority and/or task responsibility to maximize the organization s and individuals effectiveness by delegating assignments to the appropriate individuals based on their skills, roles and interests.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE A Bachelor s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting or a closely related field is required. A Master s degree is preferred. A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in fiscal services or a related field including four (4) years of supervisory experience is required. Previous experience in a municipal organization and/or governmental fund accounting is preferred. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The starting salary for the new Deputy Director of Finance will be market competitive depending upon the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate. The City offers a comprehensive benefits package for employees including medical, dental, life and disability coverage, paid vacation, sick and holiday leave, and participation with the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). For more detailed information regarding benefits, please visit www.cityofsouthlakejobs.com. APPLICATION PROCESS Qualified individuals should submit a completed employment application, cover letter, and resume online at www.cityofsouthlakejobs.com no later than 10:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. If you have any questions about the City of Southlake, the department, or the position, please contact Human Resources at 817-748-8064. The City of Southlake is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at all levels of its workplace. Female, minority and disabled candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background check. The Texas Public Information Act may require disclosure of applicant information at any stage of the process.