The City of Ellsworth, Maine, is seeking a seasoned, strategic, and public service driven leader to serve as its next Finance Director / Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – a pivotal executive role at the center of one of Maine’s fastest-growing cities.
This is a rare opportunity to lead a modern municipal finance operation during a period of rapid growth, organizational transformation, and once in a generation major capital investments in the city. The CFO will be a trusted partner to the City Manager, City Council, department heads, and the public – helping ensure that Ellsworth’s financial systems are transparent, resilient, data-driven, and aligned with long-term community priorities.
While the ideal candidate would bring a long history of high levels of municipal experience- ideally with a master’s degree in accounting and/or is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – we are also encouraging financial professionals across the private and non-profit sectors who have executive levels of financial, accounting, auditing, and systems management to apply. Extraordinary attention to detail, a belief in the power of sound financial practices being the backbone of all great organizations, a strong work ethic, and being reinvigorated by our public service mission to be good public stewards of citizen tax dollars, are of most importance to the role regardless of municipal background.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Financial Leadership
- Serve as the City’s chief financial strategist and steward of public resources.
- Advise the City Manager and City Council on fiscal policy, long-range planning, financial risks, and opportunities.
- Translate complex financial information into clear, actionable insights for elected officials, staff, and the public.
- Help shape a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across the organization.
Budgeting, Capital Planning & Financial Strategy
- Lead development and execution of the City’s annual operating budget and multi-year financial forecasts.
- Play a central role in Ellsworth’s 10-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), aligning capital investments with growth, infrastructure needs, and the Comprehensive Plan.
- Oversee debt management, bonding, reserve policies, and long-term fiscal sustainability strategies.
- Support Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, Credit Enhancement Agreements (CEAs), and other economic development tools.
Accounting, Controls & Compliance
- Oversee all accounting, treasury, cash management, payroll, and financial reporting functions.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP, Maine municipal law, internal policies, and audit requirements.
- Serve as primary liaison with external auditors and regulatory agencies.
- Strengthen internal controls, financial procedures, and documentation to reduce risk and improve consistency.
Digital & Systems Modernization
- Lead continued modernization of financial systems, including budgeting, procurement, grants management, and reporting platforms.
- Champion data-driven decision-making through dashboards, performance metrics, and accessible public reporting.
- Partner with departments to streamline workflows and improve financial literacy across the organization.
Procurement, Grants, Revenue & Growth Management
- Support the City’s expanding grant portfolio, ensuring strong financial oversight, compliance, and reporting.
- Assist departments in identifying sustainable funding strategies and aligning new revenues with service demands.
- Help manage the fiscal impacts of population growth, development pressures, and increased service expectations.
- Oversee implementation of the city’s new procurement and contracts management digital system
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Finance Department team with a focus on professionalism, collaboration, and service as well as guidance on professional and educational opportunities.
- Build systems that support cross-departmental alignment rather than silos.
- Contribute to citywide management culture grounded in merit, accountability, and shared purpose.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Significant leadership experience in municipal finance, public administration, business/non-profit financial management, accounting, or a related field.
- Bachelor’s or higher in finance, accounting, public administration, business, or a related discipline strongly preferred; advanced degree or CPA a plus but not required.
- Candidates with non-traditional career paths managing complex financial systems and strong demonstrated results are encouraged to apply.
- Experience working with municipal budgets, capital planning, audits, and public boards is highly desirable.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to balance long-term planning and day-to-day operations.
- Deep understanding of internal controls, and financial transparency.
- Excellent communication skills – able to explain complex financial concepts clearly and calmly.
- Comfort operating in a fast-moving, growth-oriented environment where systems are evolving.
- High ethical standards and a strong sense of stewardship for public funds.
Job Environment
- Full-time, senior executive position reporting directly to the City Manager.
- Highly collaborative environment working closely with department heads, elected officials, and external partners.
- Typical office hours with periodic evening meetings tied to Council, committees, and budget cycles.
Compensation and Benefits
- Starting salary range: $95,000–$150,000 (depending on experience and qualifications).
- Generous fringe benefit package including health insurance (with 90% of premiums covered by the City), retirement plan, and paid time off (up to 7 weeks per year).
- Participation in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MPERS) or the city’s defined benefit contribution plan.
- Professional development and training support
How to Apply
- Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and references to Lorina Look, HR Specialist, at llook@ellsworthmaine.gov. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to early submissions.
- Timeline to onboard will be negotiable. The city is looking for the right candidate to lead the department for multiple years, not the candidate who has the soonest availability. Though candidates who are looking to onboard immediately may also have that opportunity as the city is currently about to engage in budget season which is an excellent time to get to know the organization.
- The City of Ellsworth is an equal opportunity employer
About the Ellsworth Finance Department
In recent years, the Finance Department has undergone a significant turnaround. Core financial processes were rebuilt, reconciliation work across all accounts nearly completed, audits brought back on track, and the annual budget process transformed into a coordinated, disciplined, and transparent system capable of supporting a roughly $60 million municipal operation. Department culture has also stabilized, shifting from high turnover and uncertainty to a cohesive team with an average tenure approaching three years.
Recent accomplishments include:
- Restoration of timely, monthly departmental financial reporting
- Implementation of digital warrants and digital signature capabilities
- Leadership through multiple bond issuances
- Completion of two full budget cycles and preparation of a third under modernized processes
- Laying the foundation for long-term reconciliation and strengthened internal controls
- Revitalization of Finance Committee agendas and reporting practices
About Ellsworth City Government
Ellsworth City Government is in the midst of a deliberate and disciplined transformation – from a period defined by instability and reactive decision-making to one grounded in professional civil service, modern systems, and predictable execution.
In 2025, the City focused on rebuilding its ability to deliver and invested in foundational capacity to build strong human systems, financial controls, and operational discipline in order to ensure that plans translate into results.
That work produced meaningful change across the organization:
- Financial governance was stabilized, with predictable budget cycles restored, modern tools implemented, and transparency rebuilt to support a roughly $60 million municipal operation.
- Infrastructure execution credibility was restored, advancing more than $20 million in state road projects alongside millions more in significant city-funded improvements and data-driven asset management.
- The Comprehensive Plan moved from vision to action, aligning planning, zoning, capital investment, housing policy, and economic development into an operational framework.
- Digital transformation began in earnest, shifting the organization away from fragmented, paper-based systems toward tools that improve transparency, productivity, and decision-making.
- Parks and Recreation was prioritized, with a dew department created, a new department head onboarded, a citywide needs assessment completed, and long-deferred maintenance and asset stewardship restored across key facilities.
- Community institutions expanded, including a growing role for the Library as a civic hub and planning for a major future expansion.
Taken together, 2025 rebuilt the human, financial, and operational backbone of city government – creating the conditions for sustained success.
Because of that foundation, Ellsworth entered 2026 operating from a planned, sequenced portfolio of work, rather than one crisis at a time. Projects are now organized by urgency, readiness, and impact, previewed with the City Council and community through workshops before formal decisions are made, and governed with clear ownership, timelines, and accountability.
