Finance Director - Enterprise Services Division

About the role

The Finance Director provides leadership and comprehensive operational oversight for the finance teams responsible for Budget Management, Accounts Payables, Accounts Receivables, Settlements, Journal Entries / General Ledger, and Investment Decisions. Reporting directly to the COO, this position manages a highly visible, mission-critical team responsible for ensuring that all departmental functions, procedures, and workflows are executed with efficiency, accuracy, and full compliance with County policies, state and federal regulations, and established financial standards. The Director plays a central role in driving continuous process improvement, strengthening internal controls, and enhancing service delivery. This includes developing budget forecasts, guiding responsible long-term financial planning, and ensuring stewardship of all public resources, including general funds, grant restricted funds, and additional special funds. This role fosters strong collaboration with OMB and other County departments to promote data-driven decision-making and strategic planning.

Responsibilities

• Ensure alignment with departmental goals, regulatory requirements, and operational best practices; set clear performance expectations, monitor workload distribution, and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee and guide the annual operating and capital budget development process, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and adherence to County requirements; provide direction to the Budget Manager while ensuring effective budget monitoring, variance analysis, and mid-year adjustments.
• Review and validate revenue forecasts, expenditure trends, and departmental budget submissions to support sound financial planning and resource allocation.
• Lead multi-year financial planning and forecasting efforts to support organizational strategy; develop frameworks, standards, and best practices that strengthen internal controls, improve financial accuracy, and enhance transparency.
• Drive department-wide initiatives that improve financial processes, data integrity, and report quality across all finance functions.
• Direct high-level financial analysis to support executive decision-making, including cost-benefit assessments, program evaluations, and operational efficiency studies; oversee the development of dashboards, financial models, and executive-level reports.
• Ensure accuracy, clarity, and timeliness of financial information provided to internal leadership, elected officials, and external agencies.
• Support capital improvement planning and execution by coordinating with Engineering, Facilities, and external partners to validate project costs and long-term financial feasibility; oversee the financial review and analysis of investment memos, major initiatives, and cross-department proposals.
• Confirm that project proposals, cost estimates, and funding strategies align with long-term financial plans.
• Collaborate with internal teams and executive leadership to ensure financial components of policies, court submissions, and organizational initiatives are accurate, compliant, and aligned with County requirements; review and validate financial content for Commissioners Court items, investment memos, and other strategic submissions.
• Maintain a structured partnership with Human Resources to stay informed of staffing changes, position actions, compensation adjustments, and workforce trends; hold regular meetings with HR to ensure accurate personnel forecasting, alignment with budget assumptions, and proactive identification of financial impacts related to staffing decisions.
• Respond to audit inquiries, oversee walkthroughs, and ensure documentation meets County legislative and regulatory standards; implement corrective actions and strengthen controls based on audit findings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of seven to ten years of comprehensive financial management experience overseeing accounting, investments, debt, grants, and financial reporting for large scale operations.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary finance teams and advising elected officials or senior executives on policy, strategy, and compliance issues.
• Demonstrated ability to develop long-range financial forecasts and guide fiscal policy.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of government accounting principles, including GASB standards, fund accounting, and financial reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of investment strategies, liquidity management, and Harris County cash flow operations.
• Understanding of public budgeting and fiscal policy, including multi-year forecasting, capital planning, and statutory budget constraints.
• Familiarity with debt management, including bonds, credit ratings, and long-term financing strategies.
• Understanding of internal controls, including purchasing laws, audit standards, and risk mitigation.
• Knowledge of grant compliance, including federal/state grant rules, reporting, and allowable costs.
• Awareness of how elected officials, public expectations, and statutory requirements shape financial decisions.
• Proficiency in accounting software and investment analytics tools; advanced Excel skills.

Preferred

• Related Master’s degree.