The City of Statesville, NC – just north of Charlotte, is seeking a finance executive with significant governmental accounting experience to serve as its next Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The Council seeks an approachable leader who holds him/herself and others to high standards of excellence and can create and maintain a culture of high morale and accountability within the department. The next CFO is known for their effective communication skills and is successful in articulating financial information, issues, policies, etc. to various stakeholders including Council, City leadership, staff, and peer directors. Valuing and exhibiting high integrity, the next CFO is a fair and trusted leader who will ensure equitable practices across the department and ethical stewardship of public funds.

The Statesville CFO can effectively balance daily operational matters with annual tasks and strategic planning. This executive should have experience modernizing finance departments with demonstrable success in implementing new policies and procedures to increase efficiency and productivity. The ideal candidate is a strong collaborator and visionary – a big picture thinker yet also attentive to detail. The successful CFO will establish and nurture a culture within the department that embraces collaboration where staff input is valued and integrated.

About the Organization, Department and Position: The City of Statesville, which operates under the Council-Manager form of government manages electric, water and sewer and airport services in addition to traditional general fund operations. In fact, Statesville was the first municipality in the State of North Carolina to provide electric service to its community members. As the result of this historical accomplishment, Statesville has been recognized as the first Public Power Community in North Carolina. Statesville’s City Council is made up of the mayor, six (6) ward seats, and two (2) at-large seats. The City, which employs 484 benefitted staff (full and part-time) across 13 departments, is currently in the process of finalizing its strategic plan which will address future growth and the importance of preserving the culture and history of Statesville.

Reporting to the City Manager, the CFO is responsible for oversight and coordination of the entire finance function, which includes Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing, Utility Billing, Collections, and Information Technology. The CFO must ensure the accounts of the City are compliant with generally accepted accounting principles and disburse all funds in strict compliance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. The CFO is also responsible for efficiently procuring goods and services to support City activities, preparing statements of financial condition, supervising the receipt, deposit, and investment of City funds and maintaining records concerning bonded debt and other obligations of the City.

The CFO will assist in development and monitoring of the City’s budget. The recently adopted FY 22-23 budget of $144M, which is supported by a tax rate of $.5478 per $100 of assessed tax value, includes:
• General Fund: $52.3M
• Electric: $67.2M
• Water & Sewer Fund: $18.4M

The CFO oversees 14 staff including four direct reports: Assistant Finance Director, Customer Service Manager/Revenue Officer, Grants Manager, and Purchasing Agent. The next CFO will join a nationally recognized municipality. For more than 20 consecutive years, the City of Statesville has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). Statesville is proud to have also been awarded the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation award for its annual budget for the 9th consecutive year.

Following the adoption of a new capital plan and considerations for the use of debt to finance more infrastructure, the next CFO will effectively guide staff and Council through implementing a new approach and processes. Additionally, the CFO will collaborate frequently with key stakeholders including but not limited to City leadership, Council, financial advisors, Bond Attorneys and community members especially in regards to the City’s first upcoming bond rating process and the computation and explanation of revenue neutral tax calculations.

The ideal candidate will have experience working for municipalities who manage their own utilities. Statesville’s electric utility uses Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) accounting. The new CFO needs to either have knowledge of or the capacity to learn the differences between a FERC chart of accounts and traditional government enterprise accounting in order to assess the pros and cons of changing the accounting methods for the electric utility.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field. CPA and/or MBA preferred. Five years of progressive leadership experience in governmental finance or organization-wide financial management, including two years of supervisory experience. An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. North Carolina Local Government Finance Officers Certification is required within one year of hire, contingent upon the availability of the courses. Must have the ability to be bonded and possess a valid driver’s license in the State of North Carolina.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range is $97,000 to $160,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience. The City of Statesville offers an excellent benefits package including a matching 401K with a 2.5% employer match.

To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief Financial Officer – City of Statesville, NC title. To learn more about the selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select “Client Openings” and scroll down to “Important Information for Applicants.” All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal – NOT the City Employment Application portal, nor any other external website; it is not sufficient to send only a resume. Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. Applicants should apply by April 9, 2023. Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation on May 9 -10, 2023. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. The City of Statesville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.