Job Description

Finance Director (CFO) | Holland Board of Public Works

About Us

Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW)  is the municipal utility of the City of Holland, located on the desirable shores of West Michigan. HBPW is forward-thinking and strengthens the community as a local provider of reliable, efficient, and essential utility services. We are committed to being a sustainable organization that considers the holistic impact of our actions. We place strong emphasis on anticipating change and strategic planning. We commit to systematic processes to ensure that our efforts are on track to achieve desired outcomes that help our community thrive.

Our utility services include –

Electric

• 30,855 Total Customers
• $115 Million Revenue (85% from Commercial & Industrial Customers)
• 6 generators at two locations with a total capacity of 282 Megawatts

Water

• 18,205 Total Customers
• Retail water customers in City of Holland, Laketown Township, Fillmore Township, Park Township, and part of Holland Township.
• The City of Zeeland is a wholesale water customer, representing 40% of the Water Treatment Plant output.
• Maximum capacity of the Water Treatment plant is 38.5 million gallons a day.

Wastewater

• 13,172 Total Customers
• Retail service area: City of Holland, Laketown Township, Fillmore Township, and parts of Holland Charter and Park
• Average daily treatment capacity of the Water Reclamation plant is 12 million gallons.
• 46.5% of influent is wholesale - from parts of Holland Township and Park Township.

Broadband

• 1,042 Total Customers
• HBPW offers four types of broadband services: dark fiber, active ethernet, shared-gig, and Holland BPW Fiber.
• Holland BPW Fiber is the service offered as a result of the August 2, 2022, City of Holland election where residents voted to make an investment in community-owned broadband.

About the Role

Our Finance Director is responsible for the overall management of the Finance Department and corporate financial planning, including development of financial strategy, participating in executive team financial and operational strategy, and ongoing development and monitoring of internal control systems. Principal accountabilities are accounting, purchasing, cash management and investments, budgeting, and risk management. 

Essential Duties

• Lead the Accounting and Finance team and manage the HBPW’s overall financial operations.
• Provide overall management of the annual fiscal budget process, including review and analysis with the General Manager. Continuously monitor the operating budget to ensure revenues and expenditures are within the limitations of the operating budget.
• Evaluate financial trends, financial market conditions and investment opportunities to ensure funds are invested in the most effective manner to maximize return, in compliance with Michigan Statute Act 20 and within risk tolerance guidelines.
• Oversee federal and state grants and the accurate disbursement, recording and reporting of grant monies when received.
• Evaluate and manage insurable risk.
• Procure and maintain insurance coverage necessary to manage insurable risk and limit the liabilities of the organization.
• Manage the rate making process including cost of service analysis and evaluation of sales and use patterns for rate making purposes, and recommend appropriate rate structures to reflect cost of service.
• Develop long term planning for the capital financing needs of the utilities.
• Report financial results, proposed annual budget results, rate development proposals, and other financial trends to the Board of Directors and City Council.
• Maintain working relationships with rating agencies; facilitate the issuance of bonds and ensure compliance with continuing disclosure requirements.
• Ensure the organization’s adherence to legally required and generally accepted accounting principles and procedures and compliance with other regulations applicable to the department’s responsibilities.
• Develop and monitor internal control systems to assure the preservation of company assets and accurate financial reporting.
• Responsible for the annual financial audit with independent external auditors.
• Maintain relations with external auditors and investigate their findings and recommendations.
• As a member of the organization’s executive team, responsible for setting management policy and creating an effective corporate culture that promotes teamwork and employee fulfillment. Participate in the development of fiscal and operational strategy to accomplish the organization’s long term and short term goals.
• Perform related tasks as necessary.

  Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or other appropriate field from an accredited college or university.
• Extensive working knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration as it applies to the management of municipal accounting and auditing functions; along with financial planning, risk management and cash management.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible management experience in financial management, administration, and technology implementation.
• Experience in partnering with an executive team and interacting using well-developed communication skills.
• Leadership skills necessary to formulate plans, provide strategic direction and obtain results through effective interaction across the organization.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to professionally represent HBPW, manage the activities of a diverse team of employees and work productively with all levels of organization personnel.
• Ability to work independently, establish priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work with financial accounting and reporting systems.
• Ability to recommend, implement, and champion process and technology improvements.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, and the ability to perform complex analyses.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, and Teams suite of products.

 Preferred Qualifications

• Active professional certification (CPA, CMA, CFA, or CGMA).
• Master’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Finance.
• Prior experience in a utility environment with exposure to and knowledge of the utility regulatory process and rate setting/analysis.
• Effective workplace skills as demonstrated through WorkKeys assessments (Workplace Documents – 5, Applied Math – 5, Graphic Literacy – 5).

  Compensation, Benefits & Relocation

The HBPW provides competitive compensation and benefits, in addition to relocation assistance. The anticipated salary range for this role is between $155,000 and $185,000 depending on qualifications and experience. This role is also eligible annually for up to an additional 10% of salary through the HBPW’s performance-based compensation program which is based on individual and organizational performance.

Timeline & Onboarding

This opportunity is available due to the impending retirement of HBPW’s current experienced and successful Finance Director. Ideally, our next Finance Director will join HBPW no later than mid-2025 to allow for a smooth transition period, including detailed and effective knowledge transfer during the utility’s FY25 financial audit and FY26 budget preparation.

To Learn More about HBPW

Additional HBPW information is available at 

Discover more about the incredible Holland community at 

To Apply

For additional information, please contact Jon Hofman, Human Resources Manager, at 616-355-1574, jhofman@hollandbpw.com, or send a resume and cover letter directly to hrdepartment@hollandbpw.com by  April 28, 2025 for consideration. Early responses are welcome.

HBPW is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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