Principal Financial Analyst - Supervisor

Salary range: $47.03 - $71.12 per hour.

About the role

Waukesha County is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and process-focused Principal Financial Analyst to help design and implement a centralized finance service model that supports County departments with consistent, high-quality financial services. This position will work closely with departments to fully understand their current financial procedures, reporting needs, pain points, and operational requirements. Using that knowledge, the Principal Financial Analyst will recommend improvements to financial processing, reporting, and service delivery while helping build a scalable model that allows additional departments to transition into centralized financial support with limited disruption.

A strong accounting background is essential for this role, with CPA certification considered a plus. This position will ensure account balances are properly understood, monitored, and reconciled, including balance sheet activity that may have operational or budgetary impacts. The successful candidate should be comfortable interpreting financial statements, identifying reconciliation issues, and analyzing the financial and operational impacts of business decisions. This may include evaluating the financial viability of County programs or of vendors, contractors, or other entities when the County is considering long-term contracts or service arrangements.

A major focus of this role will be managing department financial dashboards so that key budget drivers, trends, account activity, and performance indicators are presented in a clear and easily digestible manner. The position will also help implement and maintain automation tools used to streamline Accounts Payable and other financial processes. This role may also lead or coordinate the work of staff providing centralized financial services to County departments. The approved classification includes responsibility for planning, assigning, reviewing, evaluating, and coordinating the work of other department personnel, as well as providing necessary training.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a centralized finance service model for County departments.
• Analyze current financial procedures, reporting needs, and operational requirements of departments.
• Recommend improvements to financial processing, reporting, and service delivery.
• Ensure account balances are properly understood, monitored, and reconciled, including balance sheet activity.
• Interpret financial statements and identify reconciliation issues.
• Analyze financial and operational impacts of business decisions, including evaluating the financial viability of County programs, vendors, contractors, or other entities.
• Manage department financial dashboards to present key budget drivers, trends, account activity, and performance indicators clearly.
• Implement and maintain automation tools to streamline financial processes, such as Accounts Payable.
• Lead or coordinate the work of staff providing centralized financial services to County departments.
• Plan, assign, review, evaluate, and coordinate the work of other department personnel.
• Provide necessary training to staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, accounting, finance, or a closely related field from a recognized college or university.
• Three (3) years of responsible professional work experience in accounting, budget preparation, maintaining expense/revenue/general ledgers, or computerized accounting systems.
• A master’s degree in a related field may substitute for one (1) year of the work experience requirement.
• Strong accounting background; CPA certification is a plus.
• Comfort with interpreting financial statements and analyzing financial/operational impacts.
• Experience with financial dashboards and automation tools.
• Ability to lead, coordinate, and train staff.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Generous paid time off (vacation, 10 holidays, 3 floating holidays, and ample accrued sick time that rolls over each year).
• Exceptional pension plan with employer match and lifetime retirement payment.
• Optional tax-advantaged 457 retirement savings plan.
• Pay-for-performance system with merit increases and non-base performance awards.
• Employee wellness program, including an on-site health & wellness clinic.
• On-site fitness center and free parking.
• Professional development opportunities and encouragement to learn continuous improvement and LEAN principles.

About Us

Waukesha County operates in a business-like manner and is recognized as a leader in delivering high-quality services with competence and skill. With a vision of "Leading the Way," the County values teamwork, collaboration, ethics, diversity, communication, efficiency, innovation, and the well-being of staff and citizens. The County is located in the City of Waukesha, offering a blend of urban and rural living with easy access to interstate highways, nearby Milwaukee attractions, parks, beaches, public markets, performing arts, music festivals, and sports teams.