Director of Finance & Administration - City of Somerville

Statement of Duties

The employee is responsible for all administrative, financial, and customer service functions of the business office in the Water and Sewer Department. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Directs, coordinates, and supervises administrative, financial, and customer service functions of office.
• Develops the annual operating budgets for the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds.
• With the Department of Infrastructure and Asset Management, develops the 10 Year Capital Investment Plan for the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds.
• Provides long and short-range revenue forecasting.
• Oversees accounting, billing, budgeting and payroll activities, including six (6) person administrative division.
• Performs revenue analysis and assists with setting yearly rates in cooperation with the Water & Sewer Director.
• Manages customer service staff responsible for providing centralized reception, billing inquiries, and service requests.
• Coordinates with internal and external agencies to administer Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
• Oversees the Billing Manager in ensuring smooth operations of utility billing software and automated meter infrastructure technology.
• Oversee water and sewer billing, including district billing, fee collection, and transfers to property tax.
• Researches, investigates, and applies for all current grant and loan programs including those offered by the EPA, MWRA, MassDEP, and Clean Water Trust Fund.
• Oversees the financial aspects of MWRA grant and loan programs, including required financial reporting.
• In conjunction with City Treasurer, ensures on-schedule payment of debt service payments.
• Performs cost/benefit analysis and ‘make/buy’ analysis of proposed vendor contracts.
• Monitors departmental spending and makes recommendations for budget adjustments.
• Manages procurement process, including development of proposed scope of services and/or supply descriptions, and ensures contracts are renewed in a timely manner at the best value to the City.
• Reviews revenue receipts and entries for proper posting in accounting system.
• Reviews and improves existing administrative and operational controls to record and monitor departmental activities (i.e., attendance, overtime, project costs).
• Participates in developing and implementing departmental policies and procedures.
• Responds to all requests for public information.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, finance, accounting, public administration, or related discipline and seven (7) years’ experience in a finance related position; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Financial experience with utilities preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of governmental budgeting and accounting; knowledge of enterprise fund accounting. Microsoft office and MUNIS experience preferred.

Abilities: Ability to interact with diverse groups and individuals. Ability to complete multiple tasks in a timely, detailed, and organized manner. Requires excellent oral and written communication ability.

Skill: Analytical skills required. Proficient data processing skills, including spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel. Experience with word processing, database management, and financial accounting software.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing, and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $97,418.89 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLMA: Exempt
Date Posted: April 18th, 2024

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completition of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation (for non-union positions) union positions vary by contract
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.

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