Director of Finance

Full Job Description

Are you a high-level fiscal professional ready to drive financial excellence for the State of Utah?

The Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) is seeking a strategic and detail-oriented professional to lead our fiscal operations team as a Director of Finance.

This executive level position reports directly to the Managing Director of Operations of GOEO.

This role is pivotal in maintaining the financial integrity of all fiscal operations within the agency, serving as a bridge between complex data analysis and high-level policy implementation.

These fiscal duties include the formulation, oversight, and reporting of the office's budget.

This position will be responsible for making budget recommendations and proposing solutions to fiscal issues that may arise.

You will be responsible for defending budget recommendations, ensuring fiscal compliance, and leading a dedicated team to achieve operational excellence.

While we are looking for a leader who can navigate the complexities of public-sector finance, we value diverse perspectives and encourage highly qualified candidates from both the public and private sectors to apply.

Key Responsibilities & Qualifications -

Financial Stewardship & Fiscal Strategy

• Budgetary Leadership: Manage all accounting and budget activities, overseeing the development of fiscal forms, reports, and standardized routines.

• Strategic Budget Defense: Prepare and defend budget recommendations, proposals, and projections before key stakeholders and governing bodies.

• Fiscal Reporting & Interpretation: Develop and interpret complex fiscal statements and reports to provide actionable financial intelligence. Including training on policy and procedure for staff in areas of finance, travel, and general separation of duties.

• Legislative Analysis: Review proposed legislation to determine fiscal impacts on the agency/state and provide expert recommendations for implementation.

• Legislative Liaison: Serve as a point of contact for inquiries and requests from legislators, committees, and subcommittees.

Operational Integrity & Compliance

• Systems Auditing: Conduct rigorous audits and reviews of systems and practices to ensure total compliance with procedures, regulations, and industry standards.

• Quality Control: Review fiscal operations to safeguard the integrity, accuracy, and internal control of all organizational data.

• Policy Development: Lead the creation and modification of rules, policies, and procedural standards to optimize organizational efficiency.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Analyze and summarize complex data sets to report findings, interpret results, and provide high-level strategic recommendations.

Contract Management & Procurement

• Contract Lifecycle Management: Coordinate, and review grants, contracts, and legal agreements to protect organizational interests.

• Performance Monitoring: Evaluate contractor performance to ensure strict compliance with terms and proactively recommend actions to correct any deficiencies.

• Procurement Excellence: Oversee sourcing, bidding, and award procedures to ensure a transparent and competitive purchasing process.

Leadership & Personnel Management

• Full-Cycle Supervision: Lead subordinate personnel by managing workload distribution, delegating assignments, and overseeing the hiring process.

• Talent Development: Foster a culture of excellence through proactive training, continuous performance evaluation, and the implementation of corrective or disciplinary actions when necessary.

• Advanced Communication: Distill intricate financial and regulatory information into clear, persuasive written and oral presentations for diverse audiences.

Candidate Preferences -

• Preferred Background: While all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, preference may be given to applicants with a previous background in government finance, state accounting systems, or public-sector procurement.

• External Candidates: We highly value transferable skills from the private sector—such as sophisticated market modeling, advanced logic-based data analysis, and large-scale project management—and will consider external applicants who demonstrate an ability to adapt these skills to a public-service mission.

Why You Should Join Our Team

GOEO is a fast-­paced, dynamic office staffed with a hard-working, passionate team with diverse experiences and expertise. We strive to match your interests and strengths with our office needs.

Working in this office will give you direct, hands-­on experience. This job will grow your professional skills and capabilities. The State of Utah offers a highly competitive benefits package.

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The Agency

The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) champions Gov. Cox’s commitment to providing economic opportunity for all Utahns. The office supports Utah entrepreneurs and businesses.

We work to retain and recruit companies and bring more high-paying jobs to Utah.

In addition, we work with industries, Utah regions, communities, and nonprofits to implement strategic economic development plans and reinforce Utah’s already diverse, prosperous economy.

We utilize federal and state resources and private sector contracts to cultivate economic prosperity for all Utahns.