CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (DEPUTY DIRECTOR-PUBLIC WORKS (EXE LEV))

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (DEPUTY DIRECTOR-PUBLIC WORKS (EXE LEV))

Salary

$8,229.94 - $10,712.25 Biweekly

Location

Houston, TX

Job Type

Executive Level

Job Number

39677

Department

Houston Public Works

Opening Date

09/23/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

POSITION OVERVIEW

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FROM: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED

DIVISION: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES

REPORTING LOCATION: 611 WALKER

WORKDAYS & HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 8AM - 5PM*

• Subject to change

ABOUT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS

Houston Public Works (HPW) plays a vital role in building, maintaining, and enhancing the infrastructure that keeps Houston moving and supports the quality of life of its residents, businesses, and communities. As one of the City of Houston's largest departments, HPW is responsible for the planning, operation, maintenance, construction management, and technical engineering of the city's essential public infrastructure.

With a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees, HPW oversees a broad and complex portfolio of critical services and assets, including water and wastewater systems, roadways, bridges, traffic and mobility systems, stormwater drainage, permitting, solid waste, and other infrastructure and public services. HPW is at the forefront of Houston's continued growth and its efforts to build a more resilient, sustainable, and connected city. Through long-term planning, strategic investment, innovation, and responsible stewardship of public resources, the department works to ensure that Houston's infrastructure can meet the needs of a growing and dynamic community.

With a commitment to excellence, accountability, and service, Houston Public Works helps lay the foundation for Houston's future-delivering the infrastructure and essential services that enable the city to thrive today and for generations to come.

We are seeking an accomplished and forward-thinking financial leader to join the Houston Public Works Department as its next Chief Financial Officer - Deputy Director (EXE LEV) and help shape the financial strategy and long-term sustainability of one of the nation's largest and most dynamic public works organizations.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Chief Financial Officer serves as the principal financial executive and strategic financial advisor for Houston Public Works. Reporting directly to the Director, the CFO provides executive leadership over financial strategy, budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, treasury and debt management, capital financing, revenue planning, procurement, grants administration, enterprise risk management, and related financial support functions.

The CFO position provides financial oversight for an approximately $3.8 billion FY2027 departmental budget, a $12 billion five-year capital improvement program for FY2027-2031, and an approximately $11 billion debt portfolio. Oversight spans the Combined Utility System, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF), the Storm Water Fund, and other funds supporting water, wastewater, streets, bridges, traffic systems, stormwater drainage, permitting, infrastructure delivery, solid waste, emergency response, and other essential public services.

The CFO works closely with the City of Houston Finance Department, Legal Department, other City departments, governmental and regulatory agencies, rating agencies, investors, financial institutions, auditors, consultants, contractors, regional partners, and the public.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive and Strategic Financial Leadership

• Serve as the principal financial advisor to the Director and a senior member of the Houston Public Works executive leadership team.
• Advise the Director on fiscal strategy, financial policy, infrastructure investment, organizational risk, revenue requirements, affordability, and long-term sustainability.
• Participate in the development and execution of departmental strategies, priorities, policies, performance expectations, and major business decisions.
• Evaluate complex financial, operational, regulatory, contractual, and organizational matters and communicate well-supported recommendations through executive presentations, reports, memoranda, and briefings for executive leaders, elected officials, employees, external stakeholders, and the public.
• Act on behalf of the Director on financial, administrative, or departmental matters as assigned.

Budgeting and Long-Range Financial Planning

• Direct the development, submission, administration, and monitoring of Houston Public Works' annual operating and capital budgets.
• Establish financial planning processes that integrate operational requirements, staffing, capital investment, regulatory mandates, debt capacity, revenue projections, and departmental priorities.
• Lead short- and long-range financial forecasting, scenario analysis, cash-flow planning, financial modeling, and resource-allocation decisions, and monitor revenue expenditures, reserves, liquidity, debt-service requirements, and other key financial indicators
• Develop strategies to address revenue volatility, inflation, deferred maintenance, operational risks, infrastructure needs, and changes in federal, state, or local requirements.
• Maintain effective budget governance and performance-reporting processes that promote accountability, transparency, informed decision-making, and responsible prioritization of resources.

Utility Finance, Revenue Strategy, and Rate Planning

• Provide executive financial oversight of the Combined Utility System and other enterprise, special-revenue, capital, and restricted funds administered by Houston Public Works.
• Direct water and wastewater revenue planning, cost-of-service studies, rate analyses, revenue-sufficiency evaluations, affordability considerations, and related financial policies.

Transportation, Drainage, and Dedicated Infrastructure Funds

• Provide executive financial oversight of Transportation and Drainage Operations, the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund, the Storm Water Fund, and related operating and capital funding.
• Direct financial planning and resource allocation for street, bridge, traffic, mobility, stormwater, and drainage maintenance, rehabilitation, and capital programs, balancing service levels, state-of-good-repair needs, flood-risk reduction, public safety, and long-term infrastructure investment.
• Monitor and forecast dedicated revenues, including drainage utility charges, ad valorem tax allocations, METRO mobility payments, intergovernmental revenues, grants, and reimbursements, and ensure their use complies with the City Charter, ordinances, legal commitments, fund restrictions, the adopted budget, and financial policies.

Capital Planning, Debt, and Infrastructure Financing

• Direct the development of financing strategies for Houston Public Works' multibillion-dollar capital improvement program.
• Oversee the department's debt portfolio, including revenue bonds, commercial paper, refundings, federal credit programs, state revolving-fund loans, and other financing instruments.
• Coordinate bond issuances, debt restructurings, investor disclosures, financial feasibility analyses, debt-service projections, and post-issuance compliance.
• Lead or support funding strategies for major drinking water, wastewater, street, bridge, traffic, stormwater, drainage, facility, and regulatory capital programs.
• Oversee applications, negotiations, closings, reimbursements, compliance, and reporting associated with federal and state financing programs, including programs administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Water Development Board.

Accounting, Financial Reporting, Audit, and Internal Controls

• Provide executive oversight of departmental accounting, fiscal operations, accounts payable, revenue accounting, capital accounting, fund accounting, reconciliations, and financial close processes.
• Ensure the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and transparency of financial information maintained in the City's enterprise systems and supporting applications.
• Oversee preparation of the Combined Utility System Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other internal and external financial reports, including fund-level reporting supporting DDSRF, the Storm Water Fund, and departmental capital programs.
• Ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, Governmental Accounting Standards Board requirements, City policies, grant requirements, bond covenants, contractual obligations, and applicable laws and regulations while coordinating external financial audits, the City's annual audit, single audits, regulatory audits, internal reviews, Controller inquiries, and other oversight activities.
• Establish and maintain effective internal controls, financial policies, standard operating procedures, documentation requirements, and corrective-action processes.

Grants, Risk, and Financial Support Services

• Oversee grants strategy, grant accounting, reimbursement, compliance, reporting, audit support, and coordination with federal, state, and local funding partners.
• Direct financial support for disaster recovery, emergency response, insurance recovery, federal reimbursement, and continuity-of-operations activities.
• Oversee enterprise risk-management processes, including the identification, evaluation, communication, mitigation, and monitoring of major financial and organizational risks.

Organizational and People Leadership

• Lead and develop a large multidisciplinary organization of financial, accounting, procurement, grants, risk, administrative professionals, Assistant Directors, Deputy Assistant Directors, managers and other senior leaders
• Establish clear responsibilities, service expectations, performance measures, accountability structures, succession plans, and professional-development priorities.
• Recruit, retain, mentor, and develop a high-performing workforce while establishing accountability, succession planning, and performance expectations.
• Promote a collaborative and service-oriented culture characterized by integrity, accountability, transparency, respect, continuous improvement, and sound financial stewardship.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, management oversight, spans of control, succession coverage, and organizational capacity.

Governance, Communication, and External Relations

• Prepare and present budget proposals, financial plans, rate recommendations, capital-funding strategies, policy recommendations, audit responses, and other matters to City Council, the Mayor's Office, executive leadership, oversight bodies, and public audiences, as assigned.
• Represent Houston Public Works in discussions and negotiations involving governmental agencies, regulators, financial institutions, regional partners, contractors, consultants, community organizations, and other external parties, as assigned.
• As directed, respond to inquiries from elected officials, governmental agencies, auditors, investors, rating agencies, media representatives, and members of the public.
• Ensure financial communications are accurate, timely, understandable, transparent, and consistent with legal and disclosure requirements.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, economic, accounting, financial-market, and industry developments that may affect Houston Public Works.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• The Deputy Director and CFO exercises executive-level supervision over multiple financial and administrative functions.
• The position establishes objectives and priorities for subordinate executives and managers and is accountable for the performance, internal controls, customer service, and professional standards of the Financial Management Services division of Houston Public Works.

Other Duties

This description identifies the primary responsibilities and qualifications of the position and is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of all duties. The Director of Houston Public Works may assign other executive, financial, operational, or administrative responsibilities consistent with the position's authority and organizational needs.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES

The position is primarily performed in a professional office environment but requires occasional attendance at City Council meetings, public hearings, executive meetings, financial presentations, project or operational locations, and meetings with external stakeholders.

The position may require work outside normal business hours and is designated as an essential or Tier I emergency-management position. The employee may be required to report during declared emergencies, severe-weather events, infrastructure failures, or other incidents affecting continuity of City services.

This is a Department of Houston Public Works Emergency Management position at the Tier I Level.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline would normally be obtained through a formal four-year degree from a college or university or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

More than ten years of experience are required in progressively responsible professional work directly related to Public Works operations, with at least four years in a management capacity.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Valid drivers license and compliance with the City of Houston driving policy (A.P. 2-2).

PREFERENCES

Preference will be given to candidates who possess:

• Certified Public Accountant license.
• Master's degree in business administration, public administration, accounting, finance, or a related discipline.
• Executive financial leadership experience in a large municipal government, public utility, infrastructure organization, regulated enterprise, or similarly complex public-facing organization.
• Experience overseeing multibillion-dollar operating budgets, capital programs, debt portfolios, or enterprise funds.
• Experience with municipal revenue bonds, commercial paper, credit ratings, investor relations, debt restructuring, federal credit programs, state revolving funds, or other public-finance instruments.
• Experience with utility cost-of-service studies, rate design, revenue requirements, affordability programs, financial forecasting, and bond-covenant compliance.
• Experience managing dedicated or restricted infrastructure funds, drainage utility revenues, street and drainage financing, or transportation capital programs.
• Experience securing and administering federal or state grants and infrastructure financing.
• Experience leading procurement, grants, enterprise risk management, disaster recovery finance, or other multidisciplinary support functions.
• Experience presenting complex financial matters to elected officials, governing bodies, executive teams, rating agencies, investors, regulators, and the public.
• Experience leading organizational transformation, process improvement, financial-system modernization, or development of high-performing teams.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of governmental accounting, enterprise-fund accounting, GASB standards, financial reporting, auditing, internal controls, and public-sector budgeting.
• Comprehensive knowledge of financial management, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, treasury, debt management, capital planning, dedicated and restricted infrastructure funds, audit, internal controls, risk management, and financial reporting.

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional integrity, judgment, discretion, and commitment to public service.
• Ability to evaluate issues involving financial, legal, operational, engineering, political, regulatory, and community considerations.
• Ability to make sound decisions in situations involving incomplete information, significant financial exposure, competing priorities, and high public visibility.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, analytical, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to explain complex financial matters clearly to financial and nonfinancial audiences.
• Ability to establish credibility and productive working relationships with elected officials, executives, employees, regulators, investors, auditors, contractors, community stakeholders, and the public.
• Ability to lead through organizational change, emergencies, financial constraints, and operational challenges.
• Ability to develop leaders, build cohesive teams, delegate effectively, establish accountability, and foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Proficiency with enterprise financial systems, financial modeling, data analysis, and management-reporting tools.

Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SELECTION / SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED

Department may administer skills assessment test.

SAFETY IMPACT POSITION Yes

If yes, this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment drug test.

SALARY INFORMATION

Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidates qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

PAY GRADE 36

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.

To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm or call (832-393-0453).

If you need special services or accommodations, call (832-393-0453). (TTY 7-1-1)

If you need login assistance or technical support call 855-524-5627.

Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to advance in our recruitment process.

All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of information provided.

EOE Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individuals sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The city offers a competitive benefits program, including competitively priced health coverage and a defined contribution pension plan. Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Wellness
• Supplemental Insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability
• Retirement pension
• 457 deferred compensation plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• 10 days of vacation each year
• 13 city holidays, plus one floating holiday
• Compensable Sick Leave
• Personal Leave
• Flexible schedules
• Hybrid-Telework for eligible positions
• Professional development opportunities
• Transportation/parking plan
• Section 125 pretax deductions
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
• Paid Prenatal, Parental and Infant Wellness Leaves
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account

For plan details, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/benefits.html

01

Are you a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces (United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) for more than 90 consecutive days and received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions?

• Yes
• No

02

Which best describes your highest level of education?

• High School Diploma / GED
• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree or higher
• None of the Above

03

If you answered that you have a college degree what was your field of study?

• Business Administration
• Public Administration
• Accounting
• Finance
• Other related field of study not included
• Non-related field of study
• I do not have a degree

04

Which best describes your years of experience that relates to the duties of this position?

• I have no experience that directly relates to the duties of this position.
• Less than 8 years
• 8 - 9 years
• 10 - 11 years
• 12 - 13 years
• 14 years or more

05

Please describe your related experience. If none use N/A. (See resume is not an acceptable answer.)

06

How many years of experience in a managerial capacity do you have?

• I have no managerial experience
• Less than 3 years
• 3 - 4 years
• 5 years or more

07

How many years of experience do you have in a senior financial management or executive financial leadership capacity?

• Less than 4 years
• 4 - 6 years
• 7 - 9 years
• 10 years or more

08

What is the largest annual operating and/or capital budget for which you have had direct executive-level financial responsibility?

• Less than $100 million
• $100 million-$499 million
• $500 million-$999 million
• $1 billion-$2.9 billion
• $3 billion-$4.9 billion
• $5 billion or more

09

What is the largest debt portfolio for which you have had direct financial management or executive oversight responsibility?

• No significant debt portfolio experience
• Less than $500 million
• $500 million-$999 million
• $1 billion-$4.9 billion
• $5 billion-$9.9 billion
• $10 billion or more

10

Which best describes your experience working in a large, complex organization involving significant infrastructure, utility, financial, regulatory, or public-sector operations?

• Less than 3 years
• 3 - 5 years
• 6 - 9 years
• 10 - 14 years
• 15 years or more

11

Which best describes your experience developing and using financial and operational metrics or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure organizational performance and accountability?

• Limited or no experience
• Used established financial or operational metrics to monitor performance
• Developed KPIs for a financial function or program
• Developed and implemented KPIs across multiple functions or an organization
• Developed enterprise-level performance measures that were used to drive accountability, resource allocation, and executive decision-making

12

Which best describes your experience with capital planning, and infrastructure financing?

• Limited or no experience
• Supported capital planning or financing activities
• Managed capital planning or financing activities
• Led significant capital planning or infrastructure financing strategies
• Provided executive oversight of major or multibillion-dollar capital programs portfolios and financing strategies

13

Which best describes your experience improving or changing established budgeting or financial management practices?

• Primarily maintained existing financial processes and practices
• Improved existing processes within my area of responsibility
• Implemented new tools, processes, or analytical methods within my organization
• Led significant changes to budgeting or financial management practices across multiple functions
• Led transformational changes that substantially changed how an organization plans, allocates, manages, or measures financial resources

14

Which best describes your experience leading a large financial or administrative organization and establishing accountability for performance?

• Limited experience leading financial or administrative staff
• Led a financial team, program, or function
• Led multiple financial functions or teams
• Led a large financial or administrative organization with multiple management levels
• Led a large, complex financial or administrative organization with senior leaders and established organization-wide performance and accountability expectations

15

Which best describes your experience communicating complex financial matters to elected officials, governing bodies, executive leadership, investors, rating agencies, regulators, auditors, or the public?

• Limited experience
• Primarily communicated financial information to internal management
• Regularly presented to senior executives or organizational leadership
• Regularly presented to governing bodies, elected officials, boards, or external stakeholders
• Extensive executive-level communication involving complex, high-visibility financial matters and competing stakeholder interests

16

Please describe your experience leading a financial organization or function with significant responsibility for financial management. Include the approximate number of employees led, functions overseen, size of the organization, and largest budget or financial portfolio for which you were responsible. Describe the scope of your responsibility for areas such as budgeting, forecasting, accounting, capital planning, debt, revenue, grants, risk management, or financial reporting. If none, enter N/A. (See resume is not an acceptable answer.)

Required Question

Employer City of Houston

Address 901 Bagby St

Houston, Texas, 77002

Website https://www.houstontx.gov/