Business and Finance Officer III (Sheriff's Office)

Full Job Description

WHO MAY APPLY: This Civil Service position is open internally to King County employees. We are not accepting external applications at this time.
For more information regarding King County Civil Service Rules you can access these rules here.

The responsibilities of this position include performing highly complex and technically specialized financial and business analyses for the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO). Incumbents are considered management technical experts performing analyses that contribute to King County’s management and policy decisions. This position will also supervise four professional staff.

WHO ARE WE:
KCSO employs 1200 employees and serves the needs of over half million people in unincorporated areas and twelve contract cities. KCSO also provides police departments for the Muckleshoot Tribe, Metro and Sound Transit and the King County International Airport. Our regional services (like Air Support and Bomb Disposal) are available to the county's 2.2 million residents. We also have Specialized and Elite Units that include TAC-30 (SWAT), Marine and Dive, and a Theraputic Response Unit.

To learn more about the King County Sheriff's Office, please visit: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/sheriff

Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate a background that provides the knowledge, skills, and ability to:

•Provide authoritative technical and analytical advice on the specialized areas of Procurement, Budget, and Cost-allocation: Examples may include projects to integrate expenditure data into the cost-allocation model.
•Supervise procurement section including one (1) Budget and Finance Officer and three (3) Fiscal Specialists.
•Determine staff workload and priorities, provide training and development, monitor and evaluate work (including written evaluations of staff) and serve as mentor.
• Employee management which includes hiring, training, and implementing corrective action or reprimands to maintain performance standards.
•Provide regular insight, analysis, and recommendations on finances and business processes to support leadership in decision-making and maintaining the financial health of the Sheriff’s Office.
•Assist CFO and Business and Finance Officer IV with optimum resource management including developing data for analysis of financial operations and changes.
•Represent the Sheriff’s Office as needed at meetings with central King County Finance and central Procurement.
•Serve as a strategic partner to management by analyzing financial data, budgeting, forecasting, and evaluating program performance to drive informed decision-making
•Lead implementation and/or facilitate implementation of new or existing procedures, policies, work plans and/or strategies for King County and Sheriff’s Office financial compliance.
•Provide regular insight, analysis, and recommendations for financial, operational and policy decisions related to procurement, travel, or P-Cards as well as for internal control improvements that limit risk of fraud.
•Implement and/or facilitate implementation of procedures, policies, work plans and strategies for regulatory compliance.
• Provide data related to billings for processing by the accountants.
•Serve as a key contact for external compliance audits including state, council, and executive audits as well as other federal, state and local audits as needed.
•Provide CFO and BFOIV details regarding Budget, Grants, and Cost-allocations including analyzing expenditure trends affecting the department. Recommend changes in internal financial policies and procedures and/or recommend changes in division or unit budgets to meet emergent needs.

Qualifications

•Five (5) years of professional experience with three (3) years of progressively responsible budget and fiscal management experience or any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the work.
• Three (3) years in a supervisor or lead role.
•General understanding of project and financial accounting concepts and principles, including generally accepted accounting principles and indirect cost accounting.
•Knowledge of governmental accounting.
•Knowledge of and skill in the use of enterprise financial information systems, and ability to design business processes that work effectively in tandem with financial information systems.
•Knowledge of and experience with enterprise finance systems, analytical and reporting tools - such as Oracle EBS, OBIEE (BI Insights), or PeopleSoft.
•Skill in assessing the financial impact of alternative decisions.
•Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
•Strong interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and delegation skills.
•Ability to prioritize and work on assignments, often with conflicting priorities, and multiple tasks simultaneously and accurately with attention to detail in a high pressure/short deadline environment.
•Ability to grasp issues quickly and manage changing priorities in a fast-paced work environment.
•Demonstrated skill in evaluating and recommending internal controls.
•Experience maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of individuals representing diverse cultures and backgrounds.
•Demonstrated knowledge and experience in using Microsoft Excel including, creating functions and formulas, and use of pivot tables to develop financial models and analysis.
•Understand legal contract language to be able to review, comment, change contracts as needed.

DESIRED QUALIFICAITONS:
•Experience with Oracle EBS, BI, Smart View, and/or Concur
•Experience working in a large public safety organization with employees represented by multiple labor contracts
•Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) or a Master degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting

Supplemental Information

WORK SCHEDULE:
This team currently works in a hybrid model that includes three to four days in the office with remaining work remotely. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change.
Typical schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with some evening, night, and weekend work as necessary. This position is exempt from the provisions of the FLSA and is not overtime eligible.

UNION MEMBERSHIP: This position is represented by the Public Safety Employees Union (PSEU)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The candidate selected for this position will be required to pass a comprehensive background investigation to include fingerprinting and a polygraph examination.

TO APPLY:
Applications submitted without the following required application materials will be deemed incomplete and be removed from consideration:
1. King County application
2. Completed supplemental questions
3. Cover letters and/or resumes are encouraged but not required

SELECTION PROCESS: Applications packets will be checked for required materials. Your application must provide clear and detailed information on your relevant education, training, work experience and history. Your application materials must validate your answers to the supplemental questions. If your answers cannot be validated, you will not proceed to the next steps of the selection process.

The most competitive candidates will move forward in the process

TIMELINE:
• Late April 2026: Oral Board Exam (scored interview), in-person (Seattle or Renton)

Candidates who pass the Oral Board Exam will be placed on the Civil Service Eligibility List in rank order. A final Command Staff interview for the top ranked candidates will be scheduled by the King County Sheriff’s Office.

WORK LOCATION: The position’s primary work location will be at the King County Courthouse, 516 – 3rd Ave. Seattle. County employees must reside in Washington and within a reasonable distance to the King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

RECRUITER: If you have questions regarding this job announcement, please contact Michelle Kobuki at michelle.kobuki@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-4740