Chief Financial Officer

Come join one of the nation’s highest ranked housing agencies. Be a part of an innovative and creative team of individuals committed to serving the community by providing affordable, quality housing.

 

The St. Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) has been serving the community for over 45 years. St. Paul PHA is an independent agency that owns and operates affordable rental housing for low-income families and individuals throughout the City, with subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The PHA provides approximately 4,273 affordable rental units in hi-rise buildings, townhomes, and scattered site single family and duplex homes. The PHA administers 5,242 Housing Choice Vouchers, paying over 45 million annually in federal rent subsidies to private owners who rent units to eligible families and individuals with very low incomes.

 

Mission Statement:

The PHA helps families and individuals with low incomes achieve greater stability and self-reliance by providing safe, affordable, quality housing and links to community services.

 

Employment Benefits:

The PHA offers a generous employee benefits package. The standard package includes paid vacation and sick leave; eleven paid designated holidays and two paid floating holidays; health and dental insurance coverage; and an employer pension contribution equal to 7% of employee's salary (employee contributes 5%). Additional benefits vary by contract or Supervisory and Confidential (S&C) policies.

 

Class Summary: Incumbent is responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing all of the Agency’s fiscal activities, including overseeing the activities of the Finance Department, coordinating and preparing the Agency’s operating budgets and related expenditures, and the preparation of the annual financial reports. 

Distinguishing Characteristics: The Chief Financial Officer is a standalone classification that is distinguished from other classes by its responsibility for planning, directing, and coordinating all the Agency’s financial activities.

Position Summary: Same as above.

 

Duties:

Oversees the preparation of the Agency’s annual operating budgets and related revenues and expenditures; monitors the Agency’s fiscal activity through the year and oversees preparation of regular financial reports and updates for the Board and Agency leadership.

Direct and coordinate the compilation of financial information for Agency programs sufficient to accurately prepare and submit required financial reports; ensure Agency compliance with internal and external reporting requirements; ensure that financial and compliance audits do not result in any major findings.

Establishes, directs, and monitors the Agency’s daily cash management activities, including supervision of multi-million dollar investment portfolio.

Directs the Agency’s internal financial control systems for ensuring compliance with HUD and GAAP standards, federal, state and local laws; determines the appropriateness of transactions relative to funding sources; and, establishes, implements and enforces financial policies, procedures and standards.

Supervise department staff to achieve Agency and department goals; optimize day-to-day operations of the Finance Department, including prioritizing, assigning, and monitoring the work of staff; providing direction and guidance; evaluating performance; implementation of training programs; and making hiring, staffing, and pay recommendations.

Consult and coordinate with the Executive Director, and other Agency department directors on issues of long-term financial strategy and planning. Provide analysis of Agency policy decisions with fiscal impacts; perform cost-benefit analyses; make recommendations on Agency policy decisions.

Prepares and administers the Finance department’s operating budget including determining allocations and monitoring all revenue and expenditures to ensure adherence to the budget.

Interpret current and newly-issued HUD rules; develop, revise, and implement department policies and procedures to ensure compliance with HUD requirements.

Works with the Purchasing Manager and legal counsel to regularly review and update the Agency’s procurement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal procurement laws and regulations. Works with department directors to ensure that the Agency’s procurement policies align with operational needs.

Oversees ongoing process improvements and efficiencies within the department. Identifies opportunities for change, growth, and improvement in the department’s operational practices.

Must abide by all Board approved policies, policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment, executive communications, administrative procedures, and safety procedures established by the PHA.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Knowledge (position requirements at entry):

Knowledge of:

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and auditing practices;

Supervisory principles including interviewing, training and performance management techniques;

Accounting, budgeting, and financial management theories and principles;

State and federal financial reporting requirements and regulations;

Financial management and reporting practices;

Investment management principles, banking regulations and operations;

Process improvement best practices;

Legal systems, rules and procedures, housing laws and regulations, labor law;

Federal housing policies and programs;

Government structure and operations, legislative process including federal budget and policy-making process;

State and local housing policies and programs;

Issues and concerns affecting other housing authorities in the industry.

Skills (position requirements at entry):

Skill in:

Providing leadership and direction;

Supervising and monitoring the work of staff;

Preparing and administering budgets;

Preparing financial statements and reports;

Investing funds;

Projecting and forecasting financial performance; performing long-term and strategic financial planning;

Making policy recommendations based upon financial data;

Making recommendations based upon financial data and information;

Managing several programs simultaneously;

Providing customer service;

Writing and verbal communications, including preparing and making presentations to groups;

Personal computer applications - word processing, spreadsheets; and office equipment;

Negotiation, mediation, persuasion;

Research and analysis of complex factual, numerical/statistical, operational, political and public policy issues;

Interpersonal relations;

Public relations and political sensibility;

Problem-solving;

Managing change;

Organization, prioritizing, project management.

 

Required Qualifications

Education: BA degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field.

Experience: 5 years of professional experience at the C Band level or above such as budgeting, forecasting, financial controls, accounting, business administration, public sector finance, or related experience. Additional relevant experience can substitute for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Supervisory: 1 year required

 

Preferred Qualifications

Experience: Demonstrated experience working with ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse populations.

Education: Graduate degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.

Supervisory: Additional supervisory experience

 

Licensing Requirements (position requirements at entry):

Must have a valid Driver’s License and Vehicle

 

Physical Requirements

Light Work (Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated light work: [1] when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or [2] when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing or pulling of arm or leg controls; or [3] when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible.) (For complete physical requirements see “Physical Demands Job Analyst” on file.)