Chief Financial Officer - Office of Court Management

Position Summary

The Massachusetts Trial Court is re-engineering many of its programs, driven by a commitment to improve access to justice by improving technology. The Trial Court’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for budgetary and fiscal oversight for all Trial Court operations and all required internal and external financial reporting; analyzes budget issues and prepares budgetary plans to meet statutory and strategic needs on a variety of complex financial matters; contingency planning for future budget scenarios, supports workforce development and technology investment within available resources; internal audit activities including increasing capabilities for enterprise risk management and for process improvement; and manages the procurement process to ensure the fair, timely and cost effective acquisition of necessary goods and services. This position requires adaptive leadership skills, a commitment to continuous improvement, a keen understanding of state budgets and the budget process, the ability to manage the 70-person fiscal staff, and the ability to foster the professional development of the team of skilled financial administrators. Project tracking and meeting strategic benchmarks is expected, as is evaluating fiscal operations and making recommendations for automating processes and increasing work efficiency. The CFO must be an effective communicator and collaborator with executive leadership. The CFO serves as a key member of the Trial Court’s executive leadership team.

Major Duties

• Strategic, Planning and Management
  • Affords and evaluates the financial performance of the organization with regard to long-term operational goals, budgets and forecasts; provides insight and recommendations to both short-term and long-term strategic plan of organization; identifies, acquires and implements workflow systems and software to provide critical financial and operational information; creates and establishes yearly budget and multi-year budget models and alternatives that align with the organization’s strategic goals; recruits, interviews and hires budget, audit, procurement, accounting, grants, and payroll fiscal managers and other departmental staff; mentors and develops a team of senior managers, managing work allocation, systems training, performance evaluations, and the building of an effective and efficient team dynamic; participates in pivotal decisions as they relate to strategic initiatives and operational models; develops an Enterprise Risk Management approach to manage internal and external risks; implements policies, procedures and processes as deemed appropriate by the executive leadership team;
• Financial Analysis, Budgeting and Forecasting
  • Prepares and presents regular financial reports relating to forecasts and projections; identifies, develops and executes analysis of business initiatives and/or new service offerings; develops and maintains annual operating budget; manages all financial planning and analysis staff; supervises creation of reports, software implementation and tools for budgeting and forecasting;
• Accounting, General Ledger, Administration and Operations
  • Supervises the accounting department to ensure the proper functioning of all systems, databases and financial software; provides regular maintenance and backup of all accounting systems and supervises company financial staff; reviews and ensures the application of appropriate internal controls financial procedures; ensures timeliness and accuracy of financial and management reporting; oversees the preparation and communication of weekly, monthly and annual financial statements; reviews all month-end closing activities including general ledger accounts, balance sheet accounts and overhead cost allocation; enhances and implements financial and accounting systems, processes, tools and control systems; serves as a key point of contact for external auditors; oversees the preparation and support of all internal audits; utilizes forward-looking models and activity-based analyses to provide financial insight into the organization’s plans and operating budgets; develops and administers systems for monitoring expenditures and fiscal operations within the various Departments, Divisions and Administrative Offices of the Trial Court and establishes uniform standards and procedures for developing and reviewing the Trial Court’s budget; prepares and coordinates system-wide data collection and prepares related financial reports; gathers financial data and analyzes complex issues related to the budget, and makes appropriate recommendations; maintains accurate records; prepares automated spreadsheets for internal use and/or for use by courts and offices; prepares and distributes financial reports with operating results (consolidated and departmental level) and provides quantitative and qualitative analysis of key variances and trends, highlighting both risks and opportunities; leads special projects; and performs related duties as required.

Job Competencies

• Ethics and Values
  • Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Fiscal Affairs Department and the Trial Court.
• Mission
  • Understands, upholds, and communicates the Trial Court and Fiscal Affairs Department missions.
• Applied Knowledge
  • Demonstrates advanced accounting, auditing, and investigative knowledge with an ability to responsibly and effectively administer all fiscal protocols.
• Team Building
  • Fosters a sense of shared goals and accountabilities through the development of positive relationships among staff and colleagues in order to promote a healthy work environment.
• Performance Measurement
  • Understands the value and importance of performance measures as a basis for both individual and departmental assessments.
• Strategic Thinking and Planning
  • Utilizes the best available information to successfully plan and achieve positive future goals and objectives on an organizational and local level.
• Commitment to Diversity
  • Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
• Continuous Learning
  • Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving himself or herself through professional development.

Minimum Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in business, accounting or public administration or related field
  • or an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered by satisfying the minimum requirements.
• Graduate degree preferred
  • Considerable knowledge of budget forecasting, modelling, and budget contingency planning, and related analysis; Comprehensive knowledge and experience with the budget procedures followed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is very strongly preferred, but experience in a similarly complex environment will earn consideration; Demonstrated experience with financial planning and analysis; Excellent knowledge of accounting and financial processes; Experience in developing, analyzing and monitoring financial reporting tools in the context of financial modeling. Demonstrated knowledge of statistics, data collection, and data processing techniques; Advanced working knowledge of and ability to use personal computers and related business software, including Microsoft Office; highly proficient with Excel, including pivot tables; Ability to conduct detailed fiscal analysis concerning the budget and to convey the fiscal implications of different courses of action; Ability to organize and present factual and fiscal data in a clear and understandable format; Ability to train, supervise, and coordinate the activities of professional and support staff; Ability to defend budget positions, challenging budget requests and representing the Office of Court Management’s position on Fiscal Affairs matters; Ability to establish work priorities and to work independently; Ability to analyze and solve problems within overall policies and resource limitations; Ability to maintain accurate records with an attention to detail; Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally with persons at all levels, including judges, and to maintain effective working relationships; Ability to handle sensitive matters on a confidential basis; Ability to work independently and as part of a team; Ability to travel to as necessary throughout the Commonwealth; and Ability to supervise the work of subordinate staff.