Financial Planning Manager

Salary : $123,371.36 - $160,971.65 Annually

Location : Kirkland, WA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 202100549

Location: Finance & Admin. - Management Team

Opening Date: 01/02/2025

Closing Date: Continuous

FLSA: Exempt

Bargaining Unit: MAC

Job Summary

Note: The salary range listed reflects 2024 rates of pay. This position is subject to cost of living adjustment pursuant to collective bargaining.

The City of Kirkland's Finance & Administration Department is looking to hire a Financial Planning Manager!

Why Kirkland?

Ranked as one of the most livable cities in America, Kirkland is an attractive and inviting place to live, work, and visit. We have big city vision while maintaining a small-town, community feel. If you are a candidate with the desire to join an organization looking to innovate into the future, the City of Kirkland is the place for you!

If you ask our employees why they love where they work, they will tell you about the great people, work environment, supportive leadership and City Council, and fearless innovation.

We also invest in you!

Competitive Wages: We strive to maintain competitive compensation packages and work to provide wages that meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our employees.

Awesome benefits: The City offers benefits that are unmatched by most other employers. Please click on the benefits tab above to view more details.

Childcare Programs: To help address the challenge of finding reliable childcare, the City of Kirkland has reserved spots for City employees at local and regional providers, available at a discount. New employees gain access to Kirkland's reserved spots as soon as they start employment. Learn more!

Training and Career Development: The City of Kirkland believes in developing it's employees. You will have access to training opportunities designed for career development and advancement based on your position, skills, and interests.

Job SummaryManages the City's budgeting, capital improvement, long range financial planning, and financial analysis functions.

Principal Accountabilities

• Manages the day-to-day activities of the Financial Planning Division.
• Manages the City's budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) development. To ensure smooth functioning and meeting of deadlines.
• Monitors and prepares reports for the City Manager and City Council on the City's financial condition.
• Oversees preparation of labor contract costing models during negotiations.
• Supports the City's debt issuance and management activities.
• Manages a variety of fiscal studies.

Essential Functions

• Manages activities of the Financial Planning Division, including financial analysis, budget and CIP functions. Prioritizes and delegates work, determines work schedules and assignments. Hires, trains, evaluates, and disciplines division staff. Ensures delivery of high-quality customer service to internal and external customers.
• Recommends policies and develops procedures for preparation of the annual City budget in accordance with applicable governmental laws and standards. Oversees budget preparation training for City staff and coordinates budget activities for Finance and other departments' staff to ensure timely completion. Oversees development and maintenance of internal charge models. Analyzes department budgets for compliance with budget policies. Coordinates and attends budget review meetings between departments and the Finance Director and City Manager's Office and conducts follow-up as needed. Assures timely and accurate publication of City budget.
• Coordinates implementation of the annual budget. Processes budget adjustment requests and ensures that all funds are in balance according to the current appropriation. Monitors funds activity to assure maintenance of adequate fund balance. Manages the use of fund balance and cash accounts to evaluate current reserve and working capital balances.
• Recommends policies and develops procedures for preparation of the six-year Capital Improvement Program. Oversees CIP preparation training for City staff and coordinates the CIP development activities for Finance and other departments' staff to ensure timely completion.
• Maintains the City's financial forecasting model. Applies a wide variety of economic trends and organizational variables to the model to develop forecast scenarios for the City Council.
• Develops regular reporting mechanisms for the Finance Director, City Manager and City Council on the City's financial condition. Monitors and analyzes the economic environment and City's expenditures and revenues for compliance with annual budget. Evaluates trends and recommends budgetary strategies to address funding issues.
• Provide support for issuance of debt. Prepares supporting materials for rating presentations, works with bond counsel, underwriter and financial advisor to assure timely and accurate preparation of debt issuance documents.
• Coordinates and/or conducts fiscal analyses of City's labor agreements. Develops models and analyzes fiscal impacts of a variety of scenarios. Coordinates among the Human Resources Division, and the Finance Director and the Financial Operations Division to assure feasibility of implementation.
• Develops training materials and provides training to external and internal customers on a variety of financial management topics. Provides technical expertise and is a liaison to other departments for the resolution of complex budget or CIP issues. Trains department staff on budget and CIP policies, practices and systems.
• Provides technical assistance to the Finance staff, department staff, City Manager and City Council. Conducts and coordinates special fiscal analysis projects. Recommends policies and makes presentations to the City Manager and City Council.
• Prepares and monitors annual budget for Financial Planning Division.

Peripheral Responsibilities

• Serves as department representative on a variety of citywide committees and task forces.
• Responds to external requests for financial information.
• Assists in preparation of annual financial statements as needed (e.g. preparing Management Discussion and Analysis).
• Performs functions as assigned in the City's emergency response plan in the event of an emergency.
• May serve as acting Finance Director.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of municipal budgeting, capital budgeting and financing mechanism, financial management practices and financial forecasting techniques
• Knowledge of governmental accounting practices, principles, procedures, regulations and techniques, with the ability to interpret and explain these rules, legal requirements and policies and develop effective internal practices.
• Knowledge of and ability to use and administer automated financial management systems and advanced proficiency in the use of personal computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, database, report writing and presentation graphics programs..
• Knowledge of strategic planning and outcome measurement principles and practices.
• Supervisory skills and the ability to attract, retain, and motivate competent and professional staff.
• Advanced organizational, public relations, problem solving, and communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of internal and external customers.
• Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to staff, City Council or citizen groups.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, or related field plus five years increasingly responsible experience in budgeting and finance, preferably in a public sector setting, including two years supervisory experience. Equivalent professional experience may substitute for educational requirement.
Other

Working Conditions
Work is conducted in a typical office setting. Position typically requires extended periods of sitting while performing keyboard operations. Availability for attendance at after hours meetings required.

Selection Process

Position requires a resume and cover letter for consideration of application. Please note how you meet minimum qualifications within the cover letter. Applicants who are selected for next steps in the hiring process will be invited by phone or e-mail. Candidates are encouraged to apply at the earliest possible date as screening, interviewing, and hiring decisions will be made through the recruitment period, until such time as the vacancy is filled.

The City of Kirkland is a welcoming community where every person can thrive and grow. We value diversity, inclusion, belonging, and work together to support our community. We do this by solving problems, focusing on the customer, and respecting all people who come into the City whether to visit, live, or work. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to creating a workforce that does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, color, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. We encourage qualified applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply to our job postings. Persons with a disability who need reasonable accommodations in the application or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call [redacted] or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf 711.

This position includes a health insurance benefit package with 100% City-paid premiums for 1.0 FTE (medical/dental/vision for employee and dependents). Premium is prorated for less than 1.0 FTE positions with cost shared between City and the employee.

Participation in the Public Employees Retirement System is mandatary for all eligible positions.

Other employment benefits include:

• 401b Municipal Employee Benefits Trust (MEBT) with 6% City matching contribution
• Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation plan
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) VEBA dollars with City contribution (City contribution depending on employee elected medical plan)
• Voluntary Flexible Spending Account for Healthcare and Childcare
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• City paid Life Insurance
• City paid Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Free ORCA Card for public transit
• On-site work out facility
• On-site bicycle storage
• Free employee parking
• Paid vacation (starts with 13 days first year may be prorated for part-time positions)
• Annual 12 paid holidays, including one floating holiday
• Paid sick leave accruals (benefit may vary based on applicable bargaining unit)
• Paid Management Leave for select leadership positions

For further review of City Benefits please visit

01

Describe your experience developing, implementing, and monitoring public sector budgets (government) and capital improvement programs. Explain how this experience gives you practical knowledge of budgeting and financial management principles and analytical techniques.

02

What are some of the management practices you have used to guide your employees to perform more effectively?

Required Question