Director of Financial Operations

The City of Spruce Grove is a dynamic and growing municipality committed to building a fiscally responsible community that serves its residents, attracts visitors, and promotes future growth. Our organization is guided by a set of core values, including accountability, communication, leadership, integrity, and respect, which we strive to uphold in all our endeavors.

Position Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director of Finance to lead and ensure effective financial management and governance for the City of Spruce Grove. The successful candidate will be responsible for steering financial operations, championing fiscal responsibility, and driving strategic financial planning.

1. Strategic Management

• Provide long-term strategic, financial advice and analysis on revenue and expenditure strategies for the City of Spruce Grove for both capital and operational budget considerations.
• Provide expertise in evaluation and impact of long-term planning, introduction of new programs and initiatives, and regulatory actions from a financial strategy perspective.
• Lead and coordinate the development and compilation of the annual Corporate Plan and monitor the variance and reporting.
• Provide foundational revenue and expenditure analysis expertise and strategic revenue and expenditure insights to leadership.
• Provide financial insights to leadership in the development of departmental budgets for programs and projects and on best financial management practices.
• Lead the capital planning process for the organization for both new and asset management capital needs.
• Partner with Asset Management team to ensure effective and accurate financial planning is incorporated into asset management lifecycle plans and budgets.
• Partner with key program Directors to ensure effective analysis and considerations are brought forward to address optimal financial planning in capital investments.
• Lead the development of revenue strategies and scenarios for the City, considering different options and levers to support critical programs and capital investments over time.
• Facilitate and influence strategic and business objectives, including mitigating financial risks, minimizing liabilities, and stewarding assets to ensure short- and long-term implications, opportunities, and risks are fully considered, in alignment with financial strategy, environmental, and public interests.
• Identify major financial issues, opportunities, policies, or programs that require review and/or enhancement.
• Develop and implement strong fiscal policy for the City through administration and Council.
• Stay current on effective municipal fiscal strategies and practices.
• Explore innovative revenue options and funding strategies.

• Oversee a combined annual operating and capital budget exceeding $100 million.
• Monitor financial performance, analyze results, initiate corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Provide leadership in the development and finalization of annual and quarterly financial analysis, ensuring a robust process is utilized to provide accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce financial policies and procedures for the City by way of systems that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness.
• Plan, measure, implement, manage, and control all municipal financial-related functions.
• Maximize returns on investments and maintain relationships with the investment community.
• Manage debt, including timing of debt draws, debt limit calculations, and determination of available debt limit room.
• Ensure cash flows are completed on a timely basis to have cash available to meet ongoing obligations, and excess cash is invested to earn a return on investment.
• Develop, implement, and review finance policies, procedures, and processes to optimize the financial performance of the organization.
• Act as a business partner supporting the organization in implementing, developing, and providing financial analysis on decision-making and strategic priority setting.
• Optimize appropriate strategies to affect the organization's cash and investment positions.
• Ensure a robust and responsible annual audit and reporting process.

• Lead the Finance team in all facets of financial management and best practices.
• Provide clarity of desired outcomes and objectives to finance leadership team.
• Ensure the alignment of goals, objectives, and initiatives with the City's strategic and corporate plans as well as values and guiding principles.
• Provide a high level of coaching, training, and mentoring to team members in the achievement of their goals and projects on an ongoing basis as well as through the performance management process.
• Manage the daily operations of the Finance team, setting goals and expectations for the team, making decisions regarding staffing matters, stressing the importance of teamwork, ensuring the overall efficiency of the services provided by the team.
• Provide the leadership to ensure the efficient and effective ongoing operation of the enterprise-wide programs and services provided by Finance, enhance as necessary.
• Receive and address complaints or concerns related to the delivery of financial services and ensure appropriate information is provided or appropriate actions are taken.
• Model strategies with team members to ensure responses to customer concerns and complaints are addressed using tact and understanding.

• As key department director, lead out by example in the various leadership groups and settings by modeling the strategic thinking and analysis required to create conditions for continuous growth in strategic fiscal leadership.
• Champion continual improvement of the financial budgeting process through education of Department leadership teams on financial matters impacting their budgets.
• Communicate proactively by ensuring effective briefings, presentations, reporting, and interpretation of financial information are provided to internal and external stakeholders, including City Council, management, staff, residents, and business community.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, position statements, and information sessions for staff, client groups, and Council to facilitate discussion of policies and initiatives, solicit feedback on proposed options and initiatives.
• Provide reference and complex research services to the public, administration, and elected officials regarding policies, resolutions, and other Council records.
• Represent the City on inter-governmental and professional organizations.

• Provide back-up for General Manager of Corporate Services and CFO.
• Understand and adhere to City policies, procedures, and standards, whether written or implied, as amended from time to time.
• Contribute to a positive safety culture by acting in a safe manner at all times and complying with City safety policies for staff and contractors.
• Provide leadership for Health and Safety by making every reasonable effort to ensure the health and safety of staff within the section.
• Act as a steward of the City's Corporate Culture through empowerment and support to staff.
• Perform Finance support functions for the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) when the City Disaster Response Plan is activated.
• Perform other related duties and functions as requested.

• Oversee a team of twenty-two (22) full-time permanent employees.
• Oversee the development and management of a $100 million City budget.
• Manage a Finance department budget of approximately $70 million of revenue and $8 million of expense.
• This position is strategic in that it leads the development of the City budget and corporate plan, as well as supporting other division and departments in their budget development. It is operational in nature in that it provides support and administration of a program across departments.

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Business, Public or Business Administration or related disciplines with additional relevant courses and training.
• Possess a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years of related experience.
• Minimum five (5) years mid to senior-level leadership.
• Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Experience with preparing and/or reviewing comprehensive reports, contract documents, and department operation budgets.
• Strong experience in leading and building capacity to conduct analysis of operational work processes at the team level and effect continuous improvement to improve the workflow and service delivery provided by the Finance team.
• Demonstrated leadership techniques that illustrate alignment with the City's Strategic and Corporate plans as well as the organization values.
• Strong experience in providing coaching, training, and mentoring of staff in the achievement of their goals and projects.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of internal and external clients.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, conflict management, and performance management skills.
• Ability to plan and organize with multiple deadlines and changing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence strategic and business objectives, including mitigating financial risks, minimizing liabilities, and stewarding assets to ensure short- and long-term implications, opportunities, and risks are fully considered, in alignment with financial strategy, environmental, and public interest.
• Possess the proven ability to handle public inquiries, public consultation processes, and community and client liaison.
• Proven ability to prepare and manage a budget.
• Ability to prioritize and delegate.

• Leadership Development Program Certificate or equivalent.
• CPA Public Sector Financial Reporting and Accounting course or equivalent.
• Five (5) years or more progressive experience in municipal accounting (management and financial).
• Considerable knowledge of municipal finance (i.e., property tax calculation and collection, tax sales, utility fees and charges, offsite levy rate setting, restricted reserves, provincial legislation, and regulations such as the Municipal Government Act).

• Criminal Record Check Clearance.