Finance Director jobs in Palatine, IL

Opportunity at a Glance

The Village of Orland Park, a dynamic, progressive, growing community seeks a public finance professional to oversee all financial functions of the Village, as well as to provide leadership for the day-to-day operations of the Finance Department.  The Finance Director is an integral member of the village’s executive leadership team and will propose, implement, and maintain all policies affecting the finances of the Village.

Finance Director Brochure

The Community

Orland Park is a premier community located 30 miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop with a residential population of nearly 60,000 (full build-out expected to peak at 75,000) and is the commercial and retail hub of the Chicago south suburban region. Orland Park continues its wave of growth and prosperity from a historic, rural community to a dynamic corporate and commercial center.

Orland Park has a unique blend of residential and business communities in the midst of more than 700 acres of parks and open lands. In 2014 and 2022, Orland Park was named one of Chicago Magazine’s “Best Places to Live.” Important factors for this recognition include Orland Park’s low crime rate, exceptional amenities, and access to downtown Chicago.  The Village Comprehensive Plan, located on the Village’s website (www.orlandpark.org) provides an overview of the Orland Park community, economic development, culture, and more. 

The Village of Orland Park operates under the Council-Manager form of government, with legislative oversight provided by an elected Mayor and Board of Trustees. The corporate authorities include the Village President (Mayor), the Village Clerk and six (6) Village Trustees, each of whom is elected at-large to a four-year term.

The Village of Orland Park is a full-service community employing approximately 279 full-time employees, as well as 650 part-time and seasonal employees. Departments include Information Technology, Development Services, Finance, Human Resources, Public Works, Mayor’s Office, Recreation & Parks, Police, Communications & Marketing, Engineering Programs & Services, and the Village Manager’s Office. The organization’s strategic plan goals include economic development, downtown development, quality of life, fostering an environment that focuses on customer service, continuous delivery improvements, and efficiency enhancements.     

The Village is a home rule community with a very stable financial standing. The Village of Orland Park has excellent bond ratings of AA from Standard and Poor’s.  The Village’s current GO Debt to EAV ratio is 3.93% and the Village’s property tax levy has remained flat for the past thirteen (13) years. 

The overall expenditure budget is just over $233 million, and the general fund budget is approximately $54 million. Additional information, including the Village’s annual budget documents, ACFRs and PAFRs, can be found on the Village’s website at www.orlandpark.org.

Key Responsibilities

The Finance Director serves as the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer of the Village and the Treasurer of the Orland Park Police Pension Fund.  This position formulates and administers policies, procedures and regulations affecting the financial management of the Village, and forecasts the long-term financial strategy of the Village, facilitates capital planning, and provides financial analysis of economic development projects.

The Finance Director directs complex accounting and financial matters including but not limited to cash, investment and debt management, the annual budget process, long term financial planning, financial analysis and reporting, auditing, payroll, purchasing, revenue collection and utility billing.   The Village is a recipient of the GFOA ACFR, Budget and PAFR awards.  This position supervises a department of twelve (12) full-time and two (2) part-time employees. 

The Finance Director attends Village Board meetings and Orland Park Pension Board meetings.  This position works collaboratively with the Village Manager, the department directors and their staff.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

The Village seeks a confident, proactive, open-minded and collaborative professional with several years of progressive experience managing a similar organization who will partner with existing staff to achieve our goals.   As such, he/she will have the following:

• A passion for excellence. The successful candidate will be someone who does not settle for the status quo and is always looking for ways to transform results from ordinary to extraordinary.
• Excellent communication skills. The Finance Director will present ideas, information, and concepts to elected officials, management, staff, and the community.  As such, the successful candidate must be able to speak and write with excellence.  He/she will be able to explain his or her vision for their department and the Village as a whole with both precision and clarity, while inspiring others.
• Financial savvy. Orland Park is in a strong financial position because it manages its money wisely. The Village seeks a director who can distinguish between what is necessary and prudent, and what is not. In other words, the Village wants maximum yield on its investment, and the Village expects the successful candidate to manage the budget with diligence and care. 

A successful candidate for this position will have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field.  A master’s degree in accounting, public administration or business is preferred along with a CPA designation.  The position also requires a minimum of at least ten (10) years of experience, preferably in a community of comparable complexity, and strong knowledge of municipal finance practices, including GASB principles and accounting practices.  Experience must include significant fund accounting, investment, cash management, budget and pension fund experience.  The ability to prepare and present informative financial statements, reports, and analysis along with a high degree of computer literacy and strong analytical skills are required.  Familiarity with enterprise financial management systems is a must and extremely strong Microsoft Excel skills are required. 

The ideal candidate will have high standards of performance, productivity, and initiative, and will take a strategic approach to innovation and process evaluation, as well as consistently embrace the philosophy of continuous improvement.  The ideal candidate will also have leadership, management, and interpersonal skills that promote team spirit and enhance the department’s service delivery. 

The selected candidate will share a dedication and commitment to the Village of Orland Park’s employee values which include integrity, communication, teamwork, professionalism and quality of life.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $128,505 - $179,906 depending on qualifications.  The Village of Orland Park offers a comprehensive employee benefits program which includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and an employee wellness program. Retirement benefits through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) are provided along with the option to voluntarily participate in a 457(b) plan through Nationwide.  The Village of Orland Park also provides for paid vacation, personal, sick days, and holidays.

The recruitment for this position will remain open until the position is filled, with the initial review of submitted applications scheduled to begin in mid-April 2024.