City of Fort Collins, CO - Controller/Deputy Chief Financial Officer

The Controller/Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO) leads the Accounting and Financial Operations Department overseeing the operations of the Accounting Fiscal Recovery Finance Operations (Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable) Financial Information Systems and Payroll divisions. This role plays a critical part in the Citys financial planning cash management and investment strategies serving as a key advisor to the Chief Financial Officer and the broader leadership team in analyzing and improving the Citys financial performance.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer the Controller/Deputy performs advanced and specialized accounting assignments often handling complex and confidential data that informs executive-level decision-making. The Controller/Deputy CFO leads the development and maintenance of strong internal controls and daily accounting practices ensuring consistency and financial integrity across all City departments. This role is responsible for the accurate and timely preparation of financial statements including the coordination of the Citys Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) while ensuring compliance with the City Charter state and federal regulations Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements. The Controller/Deputy CFO also leads documents and manages the month-end and year-end financial close processes providing both operational oversight and strategic financial leadership.

The Controller/Deputy CFO develops and implements departmental goals policies priorities and operating procedures to ensure the financial health and efficiency of the organization. They safeguard the Citys assets through rigorous control systems regularly evaluating processes for improvement opportunities and driving enhancements that increase financial transparency efficiency and accuracy. The Controller/Deputy also ensures the Citys financial systems and reporting meet the standards required by external auditors and regulatory agencies. In addition to technical expertise the Controller/Deputy CFO provides leadership to a talented and dedicated team of 33 comprising five direct reports and fosters strong internal communication a supportive workplace culture and high staff engagement across all levels.

One to Three Year Priorities

• Influence team leadership and departmental culture. Following a recent reorganization ensure strategic alignment enhance decision-making and foster collaborative partnerships grounded in an understanding of departmental business processes. Further develop the sustainability of operations support and build bench strength through effective succession planning.
• Mature strategic financial management and oversight. Partner to deliver comprehensive financial reporting and contribute to the preparation of the Citys Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Ensure alignment with City Charter and Code compliance General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) state regulations and Federal and other regulatory grant requirements.
• Partner with the CFO to provide financial analysis and data-driven insights. Support the Citys financial performance and forecasting and contribute to the development and maintenance of internal controls and daily accounting procedures to enhance transparency efficiency and accuracy.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of capital financing. Utilize instruments such as revenue bonds and certificates of participation and manage debt issuance for major capital projects including the Halligan Reservoir West Elizabeth Corridor Southeast Community Center and Civic Center Master Plan.
• Develop a long-term capital planning and asset management approach. Work horizontally with departments to consolidate individual plans into a holistic long-term capital planning and asset management strategy optimize funding approaches and explore and propose debt management strategies.
• Oversee the digital transformation of key financial systems. Contribute to the implementation of the Customer Information Systems (CIS) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other financial system initiatives.
• Enhance the Citys capacity for grant development and compliance. Build and implement a centralized audit administration leveraging outside funding opportunities including Federal grant dollars and supporting the CFOs work in managing the compliance of the Citys SRPA SLFRF funds.
• Actively champion and build collaborative partnerships across the City. Provide financial tools to departments and the City Council that advance departmental and organizational priorities build trust with colleagues and City partners and ensure Fort Collins fosters an inclusive and equitable culture that represents all residents.
• Serve as Acting Chief Financial Officer in the absence of the CFO. Provide leadership and oversight of financial operations as needed.

The Successful Candidate

The Controller/Deputy Chief Financial Officer is excited by the opportunity to provide strategic leadership evolve accounting and financial operations and effectively collaborate to strengthen the organization to meet the needs of the Fort Collins community. Invested in building organizational resilience and capability the Controller/Deputy CFO is a trusted partner who combines operational know-how with the ability to work horizontally across the organization to shape and execute the Citys financial strategy. With a forward-looking approach to accounting and financial management the Controller/Deputy CFO is committed to long-term financial sustainability and operational excellence.

The successful candidate is an adaptable people-centered leader with the confidence and backbone to make tough thoughtful decisions while maintaining strong relationships across the organization. They strike a balance between innovation and appreciation for existing successes while enforcing financial policies with professionalism and fairness. With the ability to effectively navigate complex organizational structures the Controller/Deputy CFO is comfortable leading through change driving system and process improvements and managing complex projects with a collaborative and solution-oriented approach.

The Controller/Deputy CFO is committed to ethical stewardship data-driven decision-making and setting clear expectations to achieve results. They are skilled in navigating a hybrid financial model that incorporates both centralized and decentralized functions and understand the nuances of both budget expansion and budget reductions. The Controller/Deputy CFO brings significant experience in both the private and public sectors with a focus on municipal finance including municipal debt financing bond issuance and budget management. Deep expertise in accounting standards such as GASB and GAAP is essential to the Controller/Deputy CFOs success.

The Controller/Deputy CFO effectively collaborates with the CFO to articulate the vision and clearly communicates where the organization is headed. They are collaborative approachable and actively solicit input fostering an environment of shared problem-solving and creative thinking. A supportive coach and motivator the successful candidate builds trust drives staff retention and encourages teams to think differently while ensuring accountability and a high standard of integrity. With a focus on team alignment the Controller/Deputy CFO is a collaborative and customer-focused leader who fosters a strong service-oriented work environment and effectively partners with their team to deliver solutions.

Fort Collins Leadership Competencies

• Self-Awareness: Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into leadership strengths and development opportunities.
• Ensure Accountability: Fostering a strong feeling of accountability across the organization ensuring people at all levels meet commitments.
• Manage Complexity: Making sense of complex high quantity and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Decision Quality: Making good timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Cultivate Innovation: Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Value Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Build Effective Teams: Cultivating and developing strong teams that possess the skills required to establish and achieve strategic goals and objectives.
• Growth Mindset: Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
• Drive Results: Consistently achieving results even under tough circumstances.

Financial Services Service Area

Financial Services employees are innovative leaders and partners in fiscal stewardship. Led by the CFO the Service Area has a budget of $16.7 Million and is comprised of six departments including Accounting and Financial Operations Budget and Financial Planning City Give Purchasing Sales Tax and Revenue and Utility Finance. The service area recently completed a reorganization meant to positively impact City and service area culture shape the efficiency and effectiveness of our infrastructure and support our goals of innovative strategies propelling us into the future.

Accounting and Financial Operations Department

Led by the Controller/Deputy CFO Accounting and Financial Operations oversees financial planning cash management investment of City funds fiscal recovery grants accounts payable/receivable and payroll. The department leads the development and maintenance of robust internal controls and daily accounting procedures to comply with City Charter provisions state regulations federal grant requirements and GAAP/GASB standards. Additionally the department is responsible for producing timely and accurate financial statements and reports including the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report. The department is also responsible for all aspects of the Citys government grant activity including the application and award process for state and federal grants. The department ensures the City adheres to all audit and compliance standards and is responsible for overseeing and approving the Citys indirect cost recovery rate with the designated agency.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge and honor the lands situated within the City of Fort Collins as the original homelands of the Hinonoeiteen (Arapaho) Tstsehsthese (Cheyenne) Numunuu (Comanche) Kiowa (Caiugu) Cariks i Cariks (Pawnee) Sosonih (Shoshone) Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) and Nuchiu (Ute) Peoples. This area is an important site of trade gathering and healing for these Native Nations. These lands are home to a diverse urban Native community representing multiple Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples. Despite forced removal and land dispossession they continue to thrive as resilient members of our community. We are grateful for Native community members and honor the rich cultural heritage they bring to our collective community. We further recognize and value their social intellectual economic and cultural contributions. The City of Fort Collins is committed to supporting partnering and working with the Native and Indigenous community.

The Community

The City of Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the Cache La Poudre Riverbanks. At 5000 feet in elevation residents enjoy a moderate four-season climate with an average of three hundred days of sunshine per year. With 174800 residents Fort Collins is Colorados fourth-largest city and spans 57 square miles. With the 20-year growth projection the City of Fort Collins is expected to reach 255000 residents.

The first people who hunted in this region arrived approximately 11000 years ago and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of many Tribal Nations including the Arapaho Cheyenne and Ute. Today Fort Collins has a vibrant Native American community that represents numerous Tribal affiliations. European American trappers and traders arrived by the early 1800s but rarely established permanent settlements. Gold and silver discoveries in the Colorado mountains in the mid-1800s and the prospect of land for farming and ranching attracted people from eastern cities and across the globe to the Colorado Territory including what would become the town of Fort Collins: an agricultural colony that emerged from its founding days as a military camp. The expansion brought new residents whose descendants still live here today including Mexican American families from Southern Colorado New Mexico and Northern Mexico Germans from Russia and other immigrant families who settled here in the 1800s.

Since 1879 Fort Collins has been the home of the states land grant institution Colorado State University which currently enrolls 34000 students. Along with the University the Citys major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and the world. The City is known for its unique innovative entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit that brings together the public and private sectors and the Colorado State University community. Fort Collins is the home of the Colorado State University Energy Institute whose mission is to deliver real-world energy and climate solutions that address societys most pressing global challenges and Innosphere Ventures a science and technology incubator that accelerates the business success of startups and emerging growth companies.

Our adaptability openness to failure risk-taking the overarching character of collaboration and strong ties between leaders from the University city government and local businesses and a sense of community led to Fort Collins being chosen by Smithsonian Institute curators as one of the countrys most innovative places for the exhibit Places of Invention. People can make a difference here and have contributed to the Citys reputation for breakthrough inventions in clean energy and socially responsible innovation.

We have exceptional medical systems strong public and private K-12 schools and a lot of recreational offerings for families. We like to think every age can live work and play in our community and with three hundred days of annual sunshine mild temperatures and record snowfalls it is always an enjoyable time to come to Colorado.

The communitys overall social diversity continues to grow and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities are available to the many residents who enjoy healthy lifestyles. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway. Thanks to voter support of sales tax ballot measures the City conserves valued lands and provides recreation and educational access to our community treasures.

There are 53 natural areas and over 100 miles of trail encompassing more than 38000 acres. Fort Collins has a strong appreciation for arts culture and entertainment and is known as the cultural hub of Northern Colorado. There are numerous outstanding performance theaters museums and art galleries to visit. The Downtown district offers a variety of options for live music shopping dining and nightlife. Fort Collins is widely regarded as the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. Several national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation. As a result many people are drawn to the City and want to build their lives here.

The Organization

The City of Fort Collins aspires to provide exceptional services to the community while cultivating an outstanding organizational culture for its employees. To achieve its vision both internal and external services are data-informed and implemented according to organizational values.

The City develops resiliency and sustainability through organization-wide systems and processes that ensure consistent employee work practices and alignment across service areas. The City highly values public input and strives to include community members as fellow problem-solvers whenever possible. Residents can expect to receive high-quality service engage with decision-makers provide input regarding the allocation of City resources and access government information promptly and transparently.

The City of Fort Collins recognizes and honors the legacy inherited from the decisions relationships and thoughtful planning of those who care deeply about our community. We also realize we are a more robust and better community when we welcome everyone to participate in shaping our future. The 2019 City Plan serves as our long-range vision and development framework and the 2024 Strategic Plan shapes decision-making and funding priorities to implement the future the community desires. Whether building a more inclusive and equitable community supporting entrepreneurship and innovation addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change or creating additional transportation and housing options we are committed to partnering to make Fort Collins an even better place for future generations. We know this means keeping our current infrastructure updated and maintained while thinking ahead.

The City is a dynamic and continually evolving organization. However the Citys vision mission and core values remain a constant that helps all employees focus on the primary goal: service to our community members. This commitment is one that the over 2500 City employees take seriously. From exceptional snowplow drivers and emergency dispatchers utility crews and recreation officials IT specialists vehicle mechanics and police services the Citys workforce provides high-quality municipal services around the clock employing their wide variety of talents.

Fort Collins is a community with a strong sense of place. It has gained accolades as one of the best places for job seekers in Colorado one of the best towns in America and among the healthiest most livable and bicycle-friendly.

Awards and Memberships over the past few years include:

• Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting: Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) December 2022
• Certified Healthy Workplace Award: Healthy Links 2023
• No. 23 Top 150 Best Places to Live: U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025
• American Public Works Association (APWA) Operations/Maintenance Large Community Award for the Harmony Road Overlay Project 2024
• Top 100 Best Places to Live: Livability April 2024
• Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award: Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center 2024
• Cities A List Climate Action Leader: CDP November 2023
• No. 1 Best Place to Live in Colorado: Forbes October 2022
• Best Places to Work in Local Government: Engaging Local Government Leaders July 2021
• What Works Certified City: Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021
• Municipal Equality Index 100 November 2022
• No. 3 Most Dog-friendly City in the U.S.: Rocket Homes February 2022
• No. 5 2021 Top 10 Remote-Ready Cities in the U.S.: Livability January 2021
• No. 8 Colorado City Ranked Among Most Relaxed in Country: Out There Colorado April 2021
• No. 4 25 Best Cities in the U.S. to Own an Electric Car: 24/7 Wall St April 2021
• No. 8 Most Fitness Friendly Places for 2021: Smart Asset December 2020
• No. 2 Best Tasting Drinking Water in North America: American Water Works June 2021
• No. 42 2021 Top 100 Places to Live: October 2021
• No. 6 Safest Cities for Cyclists: Your Local Security May 2021
• No. 18 20 Safest Cities in Colorado: SafeWise April 2020
• Clean Air Champion: RAQC December 2020
  

We believe these awards are possible due to our employees volunteers community members partnerships in the City and region and strong leadership from City Council.

The City of Fort Collins is involved in Bloomberg Philanthropies and has received funding and consulting for several key projects. This philanthropic organization focuses its resources on five areas: the environment public health the arts government innovation and education. Councilmembers and City leaders are engaged nationally and internationally in issues facing our community.

Fort Collins was selected as one of 30 U.S. cities to participate in the City Budgeting for Equity & Recovery program from Bloomberg Philanthropies through What Works Cities. This new effort will help cities confront budget crises while strengthening their commitment to equity in the wake of COVID-19. The program was designed to help cities develop and implement plans to drive financial recovery and ensure their budget crises do not disproportionately harm low-income residents and communities of color. From the Citys 2021 application we acknowledged The City of Fort Collins has a strong desire to invest in long-term meaningful equity advancement and yet in the absence of the requisite models knowledge and abilities this is uncharted territory for our organization.

The German Marshall Fund of the United States is a nonpartisan American public policy think tank and grant-making institution dedicated to promoting cooperation and understanding between North America and Europe. Fort Collins was chosen as one of 12 cities to participate in Cities Fortifying Democracy a first-of-its-kind cohort of American and European cities come together in teams to collaborate on what cities are and can be doing to strengthen their resilience and the foundation of democracy from the ground up.

Total Compensation

The City of Fort Collins offers a competitive comprehensive benefits package including a market salary commensurate with education and experience. The annual salary range is $123000 $206000 and the anticipated hiring range is $155000 $175000; salaries are paid biweekly. Benefits include medical dental vision life and short- and long-term disability insurance. Additionally the City of Fort Collins offers additional benefits including 401(a) and a 457 deferred compensation plan with an employer contribution an optional Health Savings Account Flexible Spending Accounts a significant Wellness Program and relocation assistance for the successful out-of-area finalist.

Education and Experience

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. The City may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge skills education and experience to meet minimum qualifications.

At least twelve (12) years of management experience with the analysis and preparation of financial statements including balance sheet income statement and monthly management reporting is required. Advanced expertise in financial reporting internal controls and federal grant compliance with a thorough understanding of accounting standards is essential. A diverse background that includes government accounting is ideal. Excellent public speaking skills coupled with the ability to communicate complex financial information and present confidently to diverse stakeholder groups are required.

A bachelors degree in finance accounting or related field is required with a masters degree preferred. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is preferred. An equivalent combination of experience and education that enables success as the Controller/Deputy Chief Financial Officer will be considered.

Residency

The Controller/Deputy Chief Financial Officer is subject to residency requirements under the Citys Charter (Article IV Section 3) which requires the incumbent to reside at the time of appointment and throughout employment in this classification within five (5) miles of the City limits as measured by a straight line connecting the parcel of property upon which the residence is situated to the nearest boundary line of the City. City limits and the Urban Growth Area /Growth Management Area can be found on
FCMaps.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis at . Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. For full consideration please apply by Monday August 11 2025.

Questions

Please direct questions to Heather Gantz at or .

RECRUITMENT BROCHURE

The City of Fort Collins is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal history credit and drivers license check prior to the interview. Under the Colorado Open Records Act information from your application or resume may be subject to public disclosure.