Sonoma Water Finance Manager

Overview

Position Information

Bring your financial planning and budgeting experience to the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) and become a Sonoma Water Finance Manager!

Responsibilities

At Sonoma Water, this Finance Manager is an integral lead member of a collaborative team who prepares complex budgets, long-range financial plans, performs fiscal functions for over 60 unique funds, prepares utility usage rates and supporting data, and develops and reviews financial data and narratives for publicly viewed documentation. This position also assists the Financial Services Division Manager in fiscal-related projects such as strategic plan implementation, approving vouchers and purchase requisitions, and researching and providing recommendations for general programs and operations.

As a Sonoma Water Finance Manager, you will also review consulting and grant agreements to verify that the scope of work, schedule, and budget align and are compliant with funding requirements.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Developing the water transmission system budget and rates, sanitation rates, Proposition 218 Notices, Sanitation Ordinances and Resolutions, and amendments to rate studies for eight sanitation districts and zones
• Ensuring adherence to financial laws, regulations, county policies, bond covenants, and the terms of loans, letters of credit, and other financial instruments.
• Reviewing and developing financial data for grants, including fiscal narratives for agreements and agenda items
• Designing and preparing financial reports for management
• Developing improvements to budget tools, forms, communications, workflow processes, and reports, including close coordination with managers from other divisions
• Implementing the Sanitation Rate Relief Program for residential rate payers and assisting the Division Manager in developing creative financial incentive programs to assist customers
• Supervising up to four direct reports (including recruitments, mentoring, training, performance management, and reviewing/oversight of work) and providing back-up supervision in the Division manager's absence

Skills

The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational and communication skills, work well in a collaborative, high-functioning team environment, and possess many of the following:

• 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, and loans, as well as 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
• The ability to interpret complex financial models from credit rating agencies, and also run intricate financial models, develop and input financial scenarios, summarize financial modeling results, and present to the Division Manager, upper management, the Board, and outside entities
• Experience writing and editing technical reports, along with creating and analyzing relational databases and spreadsheets
• The ability to develop more than a dozen presentations annually and support the Division Manager in delivering presentations to the Board, city and town councils, water boards, public agencies, and various advisory boards and committees
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Enterprise Financial System (EFS), and business technology skills to efficiently work with large amounts of data to create complex reports

About Sonoma Water

Sonoma Water is a special district formed by the California State Legislature in 1949 and is responsible for providing a safe and reliable water supply to its customers in Sonoma and Marin counties. Sonoma Water also maintains 75 miles of flood control channels and provides sanitation services. Employing approximately 250 employees, Sonoma Water consists of four divisions, including Engineering & Resource Planning, Environmental Resources, Business Services & External Affairs, and Water/Wastewater Operations & Maintenance.

Sonoma Water supports the concept of environmental sustainability, focusing on renewable power sources, and strives to be a leader in its water use efficiency and fishery restoration programs.

Employees of Sonoma Water are employees of a special district and are not subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Ordinance of the County of Sonoma.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you re working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits
* including:

• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the…