COMPTROLLER

Arlington County's Department of Management and Finance (DMF) is seeking an experienced and innovative senior level financial manager to provide leadership in accounting processes and policies, financial analysis and financial reporting. The County Comptroller operates within a large (over $1 billion), complex, decentralized financial environment and is responsible for assuring the integrity of the County's financial systems and for safeguarding all monetary and other County assets.

Specific duties include:

• Coordinating the work of the County's external auditors, and state and federal authorities in their analysis of the County's finances, Financial Management System, and in the preparation of the County's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and report to the Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
• Planning, directing and organizing the operations of the Accounting Division and proactively addressing and responding to the needs of the user departments, and redesigning processes and systems to better support them;
• Assuring that the Accounting Division provides the accurate and timely financial information about the County's overall financial status, as well as the financial status of individual programs, to the public, the County Board, County management, County staff, as well as to other interested organizations, such as the bond rating agencies;
• Managing logistics within constricted deadlines;
• Facilitating the interaction of many diverse players and focusing attention on identifying solutions to accounting or financial management challenges; and
• Assessing training needs and leading the development and delivery of financial management training;
• Developing relationships and working closely with County partners, such as the Treasurer, and DMF partners in budget and procurement.

Minimum:  Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field. Must have extensive mid-to-upper level management experience leading a comprehensive financial accounting office in state or local government or equivalent, and experience in the following:

• Managing a unit/section in public accounting or a governmental agency, auditing not-for-profit organization or in state or local government;
• Working knowledge of GAAP, generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Financial Accounts Standards Board (FASB) pronouncements;
• Using leadership knowledge to provide informed opinions, expertise and innovation with a demonstrated record of accomplishment in the finance and accounting industry and a record of excellence in the financial community;
• Articulating a vision for improving access to financial information and mobilizing the resources necessary to achieve the goal;
• Communicating controversial, complex financial concepts and data, either orally or via clear written documentation to a diverse population such as: staff, executive leadership in the County, the community, the media, and the County Board;
• Developing effective working relationships and partnerships with personnel from many different disciplines and at many different levels including, County executives, elected officials, appointed commissions, citizen advocacy groups, County administrators, regional counterparts, business leaders, and staff; and
• Leading teams and collaborating with other departments to include identifying strengths or weaknesses of financial operations and proactively addressing issues and recommending solutions.

Interested candidates should include a letter of application that describes how their experience and qualifications meet the position requirements.  Please use the space provided in the Supplemental Questionnaire section or attach your letter to your on-line application. Resumes may also be attached. 

In your cover letter please describe the organization(s) where you have worked including budget and staff; the range of services and functions you managed; and to whom you reported. Be sure to describe:

• your experience in financial analysis, financial reporting and working with external auditors;
• your leadership experience developing and implementing accounting processes, policies and best practices;
• a specific list of significant accomplishments; and
• experience managing and mentoring staff in a similar finance focused office.

Note:  This recruitment is open until the position is filled with a preferred filing date of June 4, 2018. Applications submitted by this date will receive first consideration. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. Qualified applicants in this first group will be referred to the hiring manager and interviews will be conducted on a regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose qualifications best fit our needs. Applications received after June 4, 2018 may be considered if a hire is not made from applicants received by the preferred filing date. The application process will close when the position has been filled or when enough qualified applications have been received.

Starting salary will depend upon the qualifications and experience of the candidate selected and is negotiable. The annual salary range for this position is $99,153-$186,118 (July 1st, 2018). This position is in the Arlington County Government's Senior Management Accountability Program (SMAP), in which Senior Program Managers are evaluated and compensated based on a performance agreement linked to the County's Management plan, and results achieved, among other criteria. For more information on Arlington's family friendly benefits, click here.

Completion of the Commonwealth of Virginia Statement of Economic Interest form will be required of the successful candidate upon hire and annually thereafter.