ABOUT GEFA
Founded in 1985, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) directs programs that improve Georgia’s environment, protect natural resources, and promote economic development. GEFA serves Georgia’s communities by providing below market loans for water, wastewater, natural gas, and solid waste infrastructure. GEFA also serves as Georgia’s State Energy Office, managing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; and monitoring state-owned fuel storage tanks. In the last five years, GEFA has executed over $2 billion in water infrastructure loans and grants to communities throughout Georgia.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) has an exciting opportunity for an experienced and driven individual to lead its Financial Services Division (FSD). This recruitment initiative focuses on finding a dynamic and team-oriented leader to join us as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As CFO, you will use your skills and knowledge to make a difference in the lives of the people throughout the state of Georgia.
GEFA’s next CFO will coordinate closely with GEFA leadership to develop and implement a financial strategy to leverage state and federal funding streams to fund affordable infrastructure loans for Georgia’s communities. Doing so will require the CFO to lead the financial services division as it performs extensivefund management, policy development, budget development, data analysis, and expenditure control activities. The CFO will oversee the establishment and implementation of departmental policies and procedures in accordance with statutory and professionally accepted standards, including internal controls over all financial systems of the Authority that affect official financial records. This includes an effective internal control program for all funds of the Authority, including the management of external compliance over administration of grants received. The CFO will be expected to monitor accounting and finance trends and innovations which may affect the practices of the Agency and will be responsible for overseeing the financial review and analysis of all new loans, loan processing, loan compliance, and loan servicing. The CFO will oversee an annual review of all outstanding loans and will communicate as needed with borrowers and the GEFA Board. The CFO will create and present an annual formal financial report to the GEFA Board and will serve as an information resource to agency administrators and staff, auditors and external partners of the Authority. Major responsibilities for this position include:
Leadership and Team Management
- Provide strategic leadership for Financial Services Division based on professional experience and strong personal character.
- Create and maintain a high-performance work environment characterized servant leadership and a positive team orientation.
- Communicate clearly, assign workloads, provide technical guidance, and conduct performance evaluations for a team of professional accountants, financial analysts, and a compliance auditor.
- Coordinates training and professional development opportunities to support team growth and effectiveness.
Financial Services Division, Cash Management Operation, and Reporting
- Coordinate the accounting operation for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio, leveraging budgetary, administrative support and programmatic functions to support the organization's mission.
- Represent accounting-related interactions/negotiations with external parties including borrowers, the GEFA Board, banks, vendors, auditors, and management staff of other state and federal entities.
- Coordinate and oversee loan approval and loan execution processes, ensuring excellent customer service, clear communication, policy and regulatory compliance, and smooth intra-agency coordination.
- Oversee GEFA’s loan application and approval process (including loan covenants and clients’ compliance with same), annual review and loan monitoring process, systems data integrity, monthly financial reporting, client relationship management, and various other organization improvement projects.
- Coordinate the preparation of statutory, regulatory and/or GAAP financial reports in both standard and specialized formats to detail and certify the fiscal state of the agency.
- Review and approve financial report formats developed by staff for conformity with General Purpose Financial Statements (GPFS) and Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) standards.
- Develop Key Performance Indicators for the Authority based on GEFA’s financial strategy.
- Perform financial modeling for the Authority to predict future financial positions and respond strategically in response to said predictions.
Outreach
- Respond to inquiries for solutions of difficult accounting problems or for information or interpretation from external parties such as banks, auditors, vendors and governmental entities.
- Ensure excellent coordination with partner local, state, federal agencies, and relevant trade associations.
- May participate as a member of internal and external committees and task forces to assess policies, procedures and programs.
GEFA values our employees. We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, flexible hybrid work schedules, complementary on-site gym membership, and opportunities for career development.
Minimum Qualifications (Position Specific)
Bachelor's degree in accounting and six (6) years of professional accounting job-related experience, which includes four (4) years in a managerial or supervisory role; or One (1) year of experience at the lower-level Senior Manager 2. Accounting or Senior Manager, Financial Reporting, or equivalent position.
Preferred Qualifications (Position Specific)
Preference will be given to applicants who, in addition to the minimum qualifications, possess one or more of the following:
- Advanced business degree with a concentration in finance or accounting and a business undergraduate with a background in finance or accounting.
- Seven to ten-year minimum business experience with 3-5 years in a managerial or senior leadership position.
- Familiarity with governmental accounting and procurement processes.
- Three to five years’ experience in strategic planning, policy analysis, project management, annual budgeting and/or reporting.
- Advanced-level competency in MS Excel, Power Point and Word.
SALARY: Commensurate with Experience
Please Note: All qualified, prospective candidates will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Due to the large volume of resumes received in this office, we are unable to provide information on your resume status over the telephone. No notifications will be sent to prospective candidates except those who are selected for interviews. HR reserves the right to amend the recruitment dates on any job posting if we receive an overwhelming number of resumes.
THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS
An Equal Opportunity Employer. This agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment.
