CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (DEPUTY DIRECTOR-PUBLIC WORKS (EXE LEV))
3 days ago
Houston
Houston Public Works (HPW) plays a vital role in building, maintaining, and enhancing the infrastructure that keeps Houston moving and supports the quality of life of its residents, businesses, and communities. As one of the City of Houston's largest departments, HPW is responsible for the planning, operation, maintenance, construction management, and technical engineering of the city's essential public infrastructure. With a commitment to excellence, accountability, and service, Houston Public Works helps lay the foundation for Houston's futuredelivering the infrastructure and essential services that enable the city to thrive today and for generations to come. We are seeking an accomplished and forward-thinking financial leader to join the Houston Public Works Department as its next Chief Financial Officer - Deputy Director (EXE LEV) and help shape the financial strategy and long-term sustainability of one of the nation's largest and most dynamic public works organizations. The Chief Financial Officer serves as the principal financial executive and strategic financial advisor for Houston Public Works. Reporting directly to the Director, the CFO provides executive leadership over financial strategy, budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, treasury and debt management, capital financing, revenue planning, procurement, grants administration, enterprise risk management, and related financial support functions. The CFO position provides financial oversight for an approximately $3.8 billion FY2027 departmental budget, a $12 billion five-year capital improvement program for FY20272031, and an approximately $11 billion debt portfolio. Oversight spans the Combined Utility System, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF), the Storm Water Fund, and other funds supporting water, wastewater, streets, bridges, traffic systems, stormwater drainage, permitting, infrastructure delivery, solid waste, emergency response, and other essential public services. The CFO works closely with the City of Houston Finance Department, Legal Department, other City departments, governmental and regulatory agencies, rating agencies, investors, financial institutions, auditors, consultants, contractors, regional partners, and the public. Key Responsibilities: • Executive and Strategic Financial Leadership, • Serve as the principal financial advisor to the Director and a senior member of the Houston Public Works executive leadership team., • Advise the Director on fiscal strategy, financial policy, infrastructure investment, organizational risk, revenue requirements, affordability, and long-term sustainability., • Participate in the development and execution of departmental strategies, priorities, policies, performance expectations, and major business decisions., • Evaluate complex financial, operational, regulatory, contractual, and organizational matters and communicate well-supported recommendations through executive presentations, reports, memoranda, and briefings for executive leaders, elected officials, employees, external stakeholders, and the public., • Act on behalf of the Director on financial, administrative, or departmental matters as assigned., • Budgeting and Long-Range Financial Planning, • Direct the development, submission, administration, and monitoring of Houston Public Works' annual operating and capital budgets., • Establish financial planning processes that integrate operational requirements, staffing, capital investment, regulatory mandates, debt capacity, revenue projections, and departmental priorities., • Lead short- and long-range financial forecasting, scenario analysis, cash-flow planning, financial modeling, and resource-allocation decisions, and monitor revenue expenditures, reserves, liquidity, debt-service requirements, and other key financial indicators, • Develop strategies to address revenue volatility, inflation, deferred maintenance, operational risks, infrastructure needs, and changes in federal, state, or local requirements., • Maintain effective budget governance and performance-reporting processes that promote accountability, transparency, informed decision-making, and responsible prioritization of resources., • Utility Finance, Revenue Strategy, and Rate Planning, • Provide executive financial oversight of the Combined Utility System and other enterprise, special-revenue, capital, and restricted funds administered by Houston Public Works., • Direct water and wastewater revenue planning, cost-of-service studies, rate analyses, revenue-sufficiency evaluations, affordability considerations, and related financial policies., • Transportation, Drainage, and Dedicated Infrastructure Funds, • Provide executive financial oversight of Transportation and Drainage Operations, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund, the Storm Water Fund, and related operating and capital funding., • Direct financial planning and resource allocation for street, bridge, traffic, mobility, stormwater, and drainage maintenance, rehabilitation, and capital programs, balancing service levels, state-of-good-repair needs, flood-risk reduction, public safety, and long-term infrastructure investment., • Monitor and forecast dedicated revenues, including drainage utility charges, ad valorem tax allocations, METRO mobility payments, intergovernmental revenues, grants, and reimbursements, and ensure their use complies with the City Charter, ordinances, legal commitments, fund restrictions, the adopted budget, and financial policies., • Capital Planning, Debt, and Infrastructure Financing, • Direct the development of financing strategies for Houston Public Works' multibillion-dollar capital improvement program., • Oversee the department's debt portfolio, including revenue bonds, commercial paper, refundings, federal credit programs, state revolving-fund loans, and other financing instruments., • Coordinate bond issuances, debt restructurings, investor disclosures, financial feasibility analyses, debt-service projections, and post-issuance compliance., • Lead or support funding strategies for major drinking water, wastewater, street, bridge, traffic, stormwater, drainage, facility, and regulatory capital programs., • Oversee applications, negotiations, closings, reimbursements, compliance, and reporting associated with federal and state financing programs, including programs administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Water Development Board., • Accounting, Financial Reporting, Audit, and Internal Controls, • Provide executive oversight of departmental accounting, fiscal operations, accounts payable, revenue accounting, capital accounting, fund accounting, reconciliations, and financial close processes., • Ensure the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and transparency of financial information maintained in the City's enterprise systems and supporting applications., • Oversee preparation of the Combined Utility System Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other internal and external financial reports, including fund-level reporting supporting DDSRF, the Storm Water Fund, and departmental capital programs., • Ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, Governmental Accounting Standards Board requirements, City policies, grant requirements, bond covenants, contractual obligations, and applicable laws and regulations while coordinating external financial audits, the City's annual audit, single audits, regulatory audits, internal reviews, Controller inquiries, and other oversight activities., • Establish and maintain effective internal controls, financial policies, standard operating procedures, documentation requirements, and corrective-action processes., • Grants, Risk, and Financial Support Services, • Oversee grants strategy, grant accounting, reimbursement, compliance, reporting, audit support, and coordination with federal, state, and local funding partners., • Direct financial support for disaster recovery, emergency response, insurance recovery, federal reimbursement, and continuity-of-operations activities., • Oversee enterprise risk-management processes, including the identification, evaluation, communication, mitigation, and monitoring of major financial and organizational risks., • Organizational and People Leadership, • Lead and develop a large multidisciplinary organization of financial, accounting, procurement, grants, risk, administrative professionals, Assistant Directors, Deputy Assistant Directors, managers and other senior leaders, • Establish clear responsibilities, service expectations, performance measures, accountability structures, succession plans, and professional-development priorities., • Recruit, retain, mentor, and develop a high-performing workforce while establishing accountability, succession planning, and performance expectations., • Promote a collaborative and service-oriented culture characterized by integrity, accountability, transparency, respect, continuous improvement, and sound financial stewardship., • Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, management oversight, spans of control, succession coverage, and organizational capacity., • Governance, Communication, and External Relations, • Prepare and present budget proposals, financial plans, rate recommendations, capital-funding strategies, policy recommendations, audit responses, and other matters to City Council, the Mayor's Office, executive leadership, oversight bodies, and public audiences, as assigned., • Represent Houston Public Works in discussions and negotiations involving governmental agencies, regulators, financial institutions, regional partners, contractors, consultants, community organizations, and other external parties, as assigned., • As directed, respond to inquiries from elected officials, governmental agencies, auditors, investors, rating agencies, media representatives, and members of the public., • Ensure financial communications are accurate, timely, understandable, transparent