Are you looking for an opportunity to make an impact in a growing City?  The City of Suffolk is looking for a talented professional to lead our Department of Finance and serve as a key member to the City Manager's Executive Leadership Team.  Suffolk maintains a strong financial presence with a AAA Bond rating and is a city on the move, centrally located in both Hampton Roads and the overall mid-Atlantic region.  As chief accounting and financial officer, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure the financial integrity of municipal finance operations continues.  As a member of this dynamic team - YOUR input, leadership, knowledge, efforts and contributions will support the City's unparalleled growth and fiscal strength through: * Leadership of the finance team to build the strategic direction and customer focus for all functions.  * Collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team to guide the City's financial successes and ensure accountability and effectiveness. * Direct planning and coordination of all aspects of City financial management and administration including general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, fixed assets, debt issuance, capital facilities planning, strategic planning, and investment of City funds. * Oversight and direction of all year-end closing and financial reports to include the annual ACFR.  * The salary range for the position is negotiable based on qualifications and experience.* To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.  * Plans, organizes, and directs all operations of the City's financial operations relative to accounting, general ledger, payroll, accounts payable, debt issuance, and strategic planning; analyzes and evaluates suitability of existing and alternative local fiscal practices and financial management; provides general advice, assistance and recommendations to the City Manager, and others as the City Manager may designate; decides and implements procedural changes. * Delegates work assignments; oversees the Financial Services Comptroller; advises and assists department heads; counsels subordinates as needed; ensures continuing professional development for staff; directs and reviews schedules and other reports prepared by staff to ensure compliance with annual audit requirements and reporting requirements; reviews and develops financial policies for recommendation to City Manager and City Council; and provides strategic direction for preparation of annual financial and capital improvements plans. * Directs and analyzes studies of general economic, business, and financial conditions and their impact on City and departmental policies and operations; oversees implementation of financial policies. * Reviews the fiscal impact of legislative changes and controls expenditures to ensure compliance with budgeted appropriations and legal requirements; confers with City Attorney regarding legal matters related to finances. * Participates at the executive management level in various teams to review, consider and make recommendations on development projects, solicited or unsolicited proposals from the private sector, implementation of new city programs, determine and address impacts of changing legislation, formation and execution of public private partnerships, and other various matters that come before the executive management. * Analyzes the various methods of debt funding; recommends and implements bond repayment structure; oversees bond issuance; attends bond sale bid opening; prepares, reviews, and executes bond closing documents; prepares debt authorization ordinance; advertises for public hearing; calculates legal debt margin. * Oversees city wide strategic planning including creating and managing new initiatives to improve citizen, customer, and employee satisfaction.  Actively participates in Council retreats. * Coordinates and works closely with the City's Financial Advisor to provide guidance and recommendations for the development and implementation of financial and strategic planning policies for improving fiscal strength and the City's bond rating. * Monitors account activity of expenditures and revenues for meeting budget forecast objectives and prepares quarterly performance reports for the City Manager, Council and City Finance Committee making recommendations for needed corrective action. * Reviews fiscal impact analysis of growth and development in the City as requested. * Assists in debt management related issues, including preparation of rating agency information and presentations and other financing related issues. * Researches, analyzes, reviews, and prepares a variety of reports, schedules, official statements, and account data. * Attends various committee and board meetings; serves on committees and boards as a financial advisor. * Communicates financial matters concerning the City to the media. * Evaluates, advises, and recommends options for proposals. * Supervises or prepares action or informational items for Council's information or as agenda items.  Prepares and presents publicly various information on finance related matters. Communicates with Council members and other elected officials. Makes recommendation of most appropriate action. * Performs other related duties as required. Bachelor's Degree in accounting, business administration or a related field; Master's Degree in Business Administration or Public Administration preferred and 6 to 9 years of progressive managerial accounting and budgeting experience in a governmental setting, including at least 3 to 5 years of supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities. Certification as a Certified Public Accountant is desired. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT Residency in the City of Suffolk required within 2 years of hire * Knowledge of the principles and practices of governmental accounting, auditing, procurement, and strategic planning including modern City financial administration. * Knowledge of federal, State and City laws and policies concerning City fiscal operations. * Knowledge of the operations of City government including taxation and other sources of revenue. * Knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization and administration. * Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things. * Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments and/or directions to subordinates and assistants. Includes receiving instructions from immediate supervisor. * Ability to read a variety of informational documents, annual audits, minutes, and related departmental records and reports. Requires the ability to prepare financial statements, depreciation schedules, fund balance projections, revenue and expense reports, and various related financial reports and information, using prescribed format and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction and style. Must be able to speak before an audience with poise, voice control and confidence. * Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; to deal with several abstract and concrete variables. * Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions.  Must be able to use and interpret various legal and government accounting terminology and language. * Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and divide; to determine percentages and decimals; to utilize basic systems of algebra; and to utilize statistical theories and inference. * Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape. * Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under moderate to high levels of stress. * Ability to maintain standard accounting and control measures for City government. * Ability to plan, direct and coordinate the work of other employees. * Ability to prepare clear and concise reports and to compile and analyze financial statements and reports. * Ability to operate standard office machines and popular computer driven word processing, spreadsheet and file maintenance programs. * Ability to express ideas clearly orally and in writing. * Ability to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative in planning and directing an extensive fiscal control system. * Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.