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Deputy Director of Finance Page 1 I 3 Jurisdiction: Cortland County Jurisdictional Class: Competitive Adopted: 10/2/2023 Amended: 10/2/23 DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The Deputy Director of Finance is responsible for coordinating all of the various accounting activities of a municipal finance department. The work involves developing, implementing and overseeing the account-keeping activities of the office, supervising staff responsible, and independently performing some of the more challenging public sector account- keeping tasks. The work involves responsibility for insuring that all account-keeping act ivies are carried out in accordance with all applicable Federal, State and local laws, regulations and policies governing local governments. The incumbent must be willing to learn new software, and develop and adapt to new account-keeping systems and methods. The work is performed the general direction of the Director of Finance and is not usually subject to more than the directors general administrative controls. The Deputy Director of Finance has the power and authority to act for and in place of the Director in his/her absence. The incumbent will perform all related duties as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES (Illustrative only) Provides direct supervision to staff of the Finance Department; Provides departments with information regarding the proper municipal accounting procedures; Provides information and reports relative to the proper utilization of Finance Department records; Develops, or assists the Director with developing, administrative policies of the Legislature; Learns new or existing software packages and implements new accounting procedures designed to ensure compliance with the latest municipal accounting practices and procedures; Supervises and trains staff on appropriate policies and procedures; Oversees the various types of input and output of the department, which includes but is not limited to payroll entry, time card entry, accounts payable/receivable et.; Maintain various forms, vouchers, payroll reports, audit reports, trial balances, financial reports and various other departmental reports; Prepares original written correspondence, annual statements, various governmental surveys, reports to various County departments regarding status of State advances; Assists in the preparation of the department’s annual budget; Assists County Administrator in obtaining data for preparation of the larger County budget; Oversees journal entries to the general ledger made from board resolutions which include budget transfers and budget adjustments, claims made against Federal, State, and local governments and agencies and other adjustments; Oversees accounting for some general ledger accounts involving State and Federal reimbursements; Develop and/or implements new accounting procedures necessary to deal with unusual accounting demands that arise in order to assure compliance with the requirements and regulations of various local and State agencies; Recommends hiring, firing, promotion, discipline of subordinates on the Finance Department staff; ---PAGE BREAK--- Deputy Director of Finance Page 2 I 3 Assists in annual sale (auction) of property acquired from foreclosure on delinquent property taxes; Assists the Director of Finance in serving as Public Administrator over estates of deceased people; Coordinates upcoming debt issuances and the work involved with bond sales; Acts for and in place of the Director of Finance in his/her absence. FULL PERFORMANCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITES, AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of modern public sector finance, including internal auditing, accounting and fiscal management; Thorough knowledge of modern account-keeping practices and terminology; Thorough knowledge of the terminology, practices and procedures of electronic accounting systems; Good knowledge of the principles and practices of supervision; Good knowledge of office terminology, procedures and equipment; Good knowledge of business English, grammar usage and punctuations; Good knowledge Federal, State and local laws and regulations that affect the accounting practices of local government; Excellent communications skills; Familiarity with spreadsheets Microsoft Excel) and word processing software Microsoft Word); Ability to develop, effectively implement and maintain accounting systems and procedures in conformance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations; Ability to comprehend, analyze and develop procedures to deal with unusual or complex accounting problems; Ability to comprehend and analyze problems in the input and output of computer information; Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions; Ability to prepare accurate correspondence and reports; Ability to plan, assign, and supervise the work of others; Honest, integrity, initiative, resourcefulness, accuracy, good judgement, tact and courtesy are all required personal characteristics; The employee’s physical and mental condition shall be commensurate with the demands of the position, either with or without reasonable accommodations. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree or higher in Accounting, Business or Public Administration, Finance or closely related field, supplemented by at least twelve (12) credit hours in accounting or possession of a NYS CPA certification, and two years of full-time paid, or its part-time equivalent, experience* in the preparation and maintenance of financial accounts and records; OR Possession of Associate’s degree or higher in one of the above fields, supplemented by at least twelve (12) credit hours in accounting or possession of a NYS CPA certification, and four years of full-time paid experience, or its part-time equivalent, in the preparation and maintenance of financial accounts and records; OR ---PAGE BREAK--- Deputy Director of Finance Page 3 I 3 Any equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of and above. *Municipal and/or CPA experience preferred NOTE: Degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If the degree was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, applicant must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/cfm. Applicants must pay the required evaluation fee.