FINANCE MANAGER III

Under direction of the Department Head, plans, organizes, directs and implements all aspects of a department's financial activities including the preparation of complex budgets, accounting functions, fiscal management, financial reporting and internal auditing functions; assures the fiscal year-end closures of budgets; provides coordination and follow-up to outside audits; develops, coordinates and maintains fiscal, cost accounting, contract administration, billing and grant accounting systems and procedures to assure the quality and technical accuracy of all fiscal activities; is responsible for the departmental management information system; and performs other related work as required.

This class is assigned to departments having large budgets with complex funding, including grants, pass-through revenues, and billable fee-for-service revenues. Incumbents are responsible and accountable to the Department Head for the quality and technical accuracy of the department fiscal programs, including financial planning, budgeting, cost management, maximizing revenues, fiscal compliance, reporting and auditing.

Incumbents are responsible for the departmental management information system, ensuring that appropriate software is identified and available for all fiscal and management operations.

This classification is distinguished from the next lower classification of Finance Manager II in that the latter has responsibility for the fiscal management of a medium-size department or a division in the Auditor-Controller's office.

• Plans, develops, coordinates, implements and evaluates fiscal management policies, goals, objectives, procedures and standards.
• Exercises overall responsibility for budget preparation, monitoring and control to ensure that programs are conducted within allocated funds; develops timely management reports which insure that departmental managers are aware of budgets, expenditures and revenues and program fiscal performance; prepares periodic financial reports.
• Develops, implements, monitors and continually evaluates, departmental fiscal systems, financial controls and accounting operations including cost accounting, budgeting, program billings, contractor payments, financial reporting and internal auditing to insure proper controls, compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, local, state and federal policies, guidelines and requirements; assures the timely and accurate fiscal year end closure of department budgets and accounting activities.
• Analyzes, develops and implements systems to assure maximum reimbursement for services; ensures department divisions are efficiently maximizing revenues; recommends cost shift or accounting strategies to maximize reimbursement.
• Provides advice, assistance, and training to management, professional, technical and clerical staff on all financial and budgetary matters.
• Researches legislation to ensure department's fiscal compliance with laws, rules and regulations; analyzes and reports on potential fiscal impact of legislative proposals and recommends policy position for use in legislative lobbying.
• Assures that the Department's fiscal program adheres to standards to meet State and Federal Audit requirements; prepares complex responses to disputed State and federal audit requirements and prepares materials for appeals as appropriate; provides coordination and follow-up to external auditors engaged by the County to perform fiscal and compliance audits.
• Identifies computerized accounting, budgeting, billing, program management and other management information systems requirements and works with management team to design and implement the requirements.
• Designs and participates in quantitative analysis of systems and programs, analyzes data and projected trends and prepares complex technical and financial reports, rate studies and major project plans.
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with department management and staff, other county departments, outside agencies, vendors and external auditors.
• Selects, trains, assigns, and evaluates the work performance of subordinate staff.