City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

Financial Consultant

1. Provides managers with planning and control information by assembling and analyzing financial data; identifying trends; providing forecasts; explaining processes and techniques.
2. Provides assistance with department performance measures, goals, and objectives by monitoring, business planning and performance measures, develop measures and create measurement reports.
3. Develops the budget for the department and performs budget analysis by implementing the organization's budget process system, providing guidance and recommendations to management in the development and completion of their budgets; finalizing the organizations budget; and monitoring the budget by preparing or reviewing current year estimates and budget variance reports, reporting on budget variances; reviewing budget forecasts; and reviewing current and historical budget information and data.
4. Prepares or reviews financial reports by preparing or reviewing complex periodic internal and external financial documents, supporting schedules and financial reports to ensure accuracy; researching, compiling, monitoring, and summarizing current and historical financial and budget information and data; and reporting on financial and budget condition and trends.
5. Analyzes, monitors, and reviews,, current and historical financial and budget information, prepares financial forecasts and summaries, and analyzes trends to keep management abreast of the financial condition of the organization.
6. Performs financial project management by managing project schedule, ensuring compliance with City of Austin initiatives and other regulatory agency requirements, monitoring contracts and project manager to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations, and serve as liaison with consultants, regulatory agencies and city departments.
7. Reviews accounting ledgers and documents and verifies accounts by reviewing and/or approving the posting of accounting transactions and reconciling statements and transactions; reviewing financial transactions to ensure that transactions are processed in accordance with City policy, applicable laws and regulations, and sound business practices.
8. Develops and maintains computer spreadsheet models and databases by designing and maintaining complex spreadsheets and databases to support project data analysis, analyzing data to discover patterns or discrepancies, make recommendations based on data and presenting information for specific projects.
9. Performs debt administration by performing debt impact analysis and monitoring debt service schedules.
10. Develops operating procedures by advising management on alternative solutions to business problems based on interpreting complex requirements from the users, research and performing financial analysis, and ensures that these procedures include appropriate internal controls.

• May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, training, and guidance to others

• Knowledge of the processes and theories used for public budgetary and financial policies.
• Knowledge of accounting/practices and concepts.
• Knowledge of internal control systems.
• Knowledge of preferred business practices.
• Knowledge of manual and automated financial systems.
• Knowledge of financial reporting.
• Skill in designing and maintaining complex spreadsheet and database models and utilizing word processing and presentation software.
• Skill in effective oral and written communications.
• Skill in analyzing and interpreting financial records.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining good working relationship with other City employees and the public.
• Skill in determining need, gathering, analyzing and presenting data to provide accurate information for management's use.
• Ability to resolve problems or situations that requires the exercising of good judgment.
• Ability to prepare accurate and complex financial reports.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with other City employees and the public.

• Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in a field related to Finance, Accounting, or Economics plus three (3) years experience in a field related to reviewing or analyzing finance or accounting records.
• A Masters degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business or Public Administration or other relevant field may be substituted for one year of experience