Sonoma Water Finance Manager

Position Information

Bring your financial planning and budgeting experience to the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) and become a Sonoma Water Finance Manager (Administrative Services Officer II).

• Prepare complex budgets, long‑range financial plans, and support fiscal functions for over 60 unique funds.
• Prepare utility usage rates, supporting data, and develop financial narratives for publicly viewed documentation.
• Assist the Financial Services Division Manager with strategic plan implementation, approving vouchers and purchase requisitions, and researching recommendations for general programs and operations.
• Review consulting and grant agreements to verify scope, schedule, and budget compliance with funding requirements.
• Develop the water transmission system budget and rates, sanitation rates, Proposition 218 notices, sanitation ordinances and resolutions, and rate study amendments for eight sanitation districts and zones.
• Ensure adherence to financial laws, regulations, county policies, bond covenants, and terms of loans, letters of credit, and other financial instruments.
• Review and develop financial data for grants, including fiscal narratives for agreements and agenda items.
• Design and prepare financial reports for management.
• Improve budget tools, forms, communications, workflow processes, and reports in coordination with other division managers.
• Implement the Sanitation Rate Relief Program for residential rate payers and assist in developing financial incentive programs for customers.
• Supervise up to four direct reports, including recruitment, mentoring, training, performance management, and review/oversight of work; provide back‑up supervision in the Division Manager’s absence.

• Experience issuing water and sewer revenue bonds and securing letters of credit and other financial instruments.
• Expertise in financial and cost accounting theory, principles, and practices, including long‑term financial planning, debt capacity, and complex spreadsheets.
• Experience with state and federal grants, bond financing, loans, utility budgets, finances, and rate setting.
• Significant budget experience and general program, administrative, and operational analysis skills, including managing quantitative financial data, charts, reports, tables, budgets, and financial plans.
• Ability to interpret complex financial models from credit rating agencies, run intricate financial models, develop scenarios, summarize results, and present to the Division Manager, upper management, the Board, and external entities.
• Experience writing and editing technical reports, and creating and analyzing relational databases and spreadsheets.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Enterprise Financial System (EFS), and business technology skills to efficiently work with large amounts of data.

Sonoma Water is a special district formed by the California State Legislature in 1949, responsible for providing a safe and reliable water supply to customers in Sonoma and Marin counties. It maintains 75 miles of flood control channels and provides sanitation services. The organization employs ~250 employees across four divisions:
Engineering & Resource Planning;
Environmental Resources;
Business Services & External Affairs; and Water/Wastewater Operations & Maintenance. Sonoma Water supports environmental sustainability, renewable power, and water‑use efficiency.

• Hybrid Telework options, depending on assignment.
• Salary advancement after 1,040 hours (6 months) and annual increases for good performance.
• Competitive paid time off: vacation, sick leave, 12 paid holidays, and 8 floating holidays per year.
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay: up to $2,000 annually plus training opportunities.
• County‑paid health premium contributions: 100% for employee‑only and employee‑plus plans.
• Post‑retirement health reimbursement arrangement and retirement pension integrated with Social Security.
• Incentive retirement savings plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation.
• Paid parental leave up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of employment.
• Student loan debt relief: potential eligibility for Public Service…