Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA), plays a pivotal role in managing the financial health and sustainability of the organization. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CFO oversees all financial aspects, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, managing multi-million-dollar budgets, and providing strategic financial guidance to support TARTA's vision to be the leader in quality and innovative mobility options that better our community.

This executive leadership position also serves as the Secretary/Treasurer to the TARTA Board of Trustees. These duties require the Chief Financial Officer to make regular presentations to the Board and to act as liaison to the Board and its Committees on all financial matters, while maintaining a high level of visibility and accessibility to the Board Trustees.

The role of the Chief Financial Officer will focus on leading accounting, grant management, compliance, and finance operations within TARTA. TARTA has recently embarked on a transformational journey with the passage of Issue 12 in 2021. This local sales tax levy has significantly increased the local investment into the transit authority and has also expanded its service area to all of Lucas County and the City of Rossford in Wood County. In response to the local community’s renewed focus and support of TARTA, the Board adopted TARTA Next, a ten-year plan to increase services, invest in capital assets such as new mobility hubs and a zero-emissions bus fleet, and to improve the customer experience through investments in technology, bus shelters and signage, and customer outreach. This transformation is well underway and powered by a dedicated team of professionals in each department from the leadership team to every front-line) team member.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Display and represent TARTA’s cultural values of integrity, respect, communications, inclusion, and safety.
• Uphold and play a lead role in TARTA’s performance management program, which includes achieving the following success outcomes of Employee Ownership, Quality of Customer Experience, Financial Health and Community Betterment.
• Manage all aspects of the Authority’s financial condition, including cash flow, grants management, revenue sources, and contract-to-asset management.
• Oversee operating and capital budget planning, modification, reporting, and analysis, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Manage large-scale capital project investments in infrastructure, equipment, or other assets by ensuring sound financial decision-making and alignment with the agency’s strategic objectives.
• Present monthly to the TARTA Board of Trustees and in the role of Board Secretary/Treasurer review all Board resolutions and meeting minutes. Serve as staff lead for the monthly Board Finance Committee which includes working closely with the Finance Committee Chair and setting the meeting agenda.
• Supervise Finance Department operations, including General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Asset Management functions.
• Coordinate procurement and purchasing activities, ensuring timely planning and best value for agency contracts.
• Ensure compliance with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and State of Ohio financial management and grant administration requirements.
• In the area of compliance, serve in a lead role with the completion of the annual National Transit Database report and the FTA Triennial Review.
• Provide general oversight of all contractual agreements, collaborating with legal counsel and insurance brokers.
• Coordinate Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) activities, including goal setting and outreach efforts.
• Supervise and coordinate internal and external audits, ensuring accurate preparation of financial statements.
• Provide ongoing staff development and training to foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and accountability.
• Serve as an active member of the executive leadership team, offering financial and operational advice and recommendations.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with board members, staff, state and federal funding partners, vendors, auditors, banking representatives and other stakeholders.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises and manages 8-9 staff members.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets and ensuring compliance with GAAP and GASB requirements.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, and management skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Ability to identify and implement innovative solutions to increase productivity and achieve cost savings.
• Experience working with financial management software and Excel spreadsheets.
• Familiarity with public transit regulations and accounting practices preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

• A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• Minimum of 10 years of related experience, including 5 years in a high-level finance role.
• Preferred qualifications include experience with Sage MAS500 Accounting Software, Procurement software including OpenGov, and ADP WorkforceNow.

Special Conditions

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be satisfied by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. TARTA provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Shifts may vary and may include weekends (both days). Will be required to work at and travel between multiple TARTA locations.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job including close exposure to computer monitors and video screens. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Primarily works in an office setting, providing support via phone, email, and remote desktop tools. The office environment is typically well-lit, temperature-controlled, and equipped with ergonomic workstations to ensure comfort during extended periods of computer use.

Physical Effort Required

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit (at a desk or table), talk, and/or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to operate a telephone or other telecommunications device. Extensive use of a computer, mouse and keyboard and viewing of the computer screen is required. Specific vision abilities required of this job include vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Must be a forward thinker and able to seek and implement innovative ways to increase productivity with an eye toward achieving cost savings, cost avoidance and revenue generation; ability to identify and implement cutting edge solutions to industry problems; ability to think creatively and solve problems while applying analytical skills; and experience in policy initiation and implementation; experience working in a complex organization with government contracts; ability to deal with multiple legal entities and demonstrated experience working with multiple departments and multiple entities.