Deputy Finance Director - Finance Department/Central ...

ABOUT THIS POSITION THE ORGANIZATION The City of Phoenix is a full-service municipality and the largest council-manager government in the U.S., employing over 14,000 staff across more than 40 departments, supported by seven employee unions and associations, and operating on a $7.8 billion annual budget. Led by a Mayor and eight council members who appoint the City Manager to oversee daily operations and financial management, Phoenix is recognized for innovation, best practice governance, and a forward-thinking commitment to exceptional public service. Guided by its vision to make Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit through a dynamic, sustainable environment, the City emphasizes being an employee friendly, inclusive, and progressive workplace that prioritizes competitive compensation, cultural respect, innovation, and customer service excellence. To learn more about the City of Phoenix, go to: . FINANCE DEPARTMENT The Finance Department's 234 employees ensure the City of Phoenix remains fiscally sound by adhering to legal requirements and established financial management principles while delivering key services such as debt and capital financing, payroll, accounting, procurement, treasury operations, risk and inventory management, tax and licensing, and real property management. Guided by stewardship, integrity, and innovation, the department manages city resources responsibly to support essential public services and long term financial stability. Through technology-driven solutions, transparent practices, and proactive planning, the Finance Department strengthens cost efficiency, promotes economic growth, upholds public trust, and helps maintain Phoenix as a resilient and well-managed organization. ABOUT THIS POSITION The Finance Department is seeking a Deputy Finance Director to provide strategic oversight and leadership for the Central Payroll Division, ensuring that payroll operations are accurate, compliant, efficient, and aligned with citywide goals. Reporting to the Assistant Finance Director and exercising significant independent judgment, this role evaluates and improves payroll policies, procedures, and programs while resolving complex financial and technical issues. The position plays a key role in advancing the Finance Department's Strategic Plan and implementing the City's first Time and Labor system, requiring strong expertise in governmental accounting, payroll administration, labor regulations, and tax compliance. As a key advisor, the Deputy Finance Director provides cross-departmental guidance and strategic support on payroll matters across the City. Key responsibilities include: Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Central Payroll Division (14 positions), ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing for all City employees and retirees, supported by strong internal controls and audit readiness. Develop, implement, and maintain citywide payroll policies and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including FLSA, IRS rules, garnishments, labor agreements, and related financial reporting requirements. Oversee all payroll-related financial reporting and tax obligations, including quarterly and annual filings, year-end reporting, reconciliation of payroll liabilities, and review of proposed state legislation for fiscal and operational impacts. Lead strategic planning, performance management, and continuous improvement of payroll operations by establishing KPIs, operational benchmarks, and cross-department coordination with HR, Retirement, and ERP teams. Provide strategic oversight of payroll systems, including system governance (eCHRIS/Peoplesoft), performance, maintenance, enhancements, and implementation of new modules such as the Time and Labor system. Advise executive leadership on payroll impacts of policy decisions and labor negotiations, serve as the City's payroll subject matter expert, and support workforce development through training, succession planning, and professional development initiatives. IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in complex payroll operations with exceptional leadership and communication skills. They are analytical, detail-oriented, and adept at interpreting regulations, managing large-scale systems, and guiding major implementations. Just as importantly, they excel at leading teams, collaborating across departments, communicating clearly, and exercising sound judgment. They demonstrate strategic thinking, political awareness, and a commitment to innovation, integrity, and continuous improvement. SALARY Pay Range: $136,489.60 - $192,234.00 annually. Hiring Range: $136,489.60 - $157,040.00 annually. Pay Range Explanation: Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification. Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity. The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $4,200/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance. Internal Only: Please understand that this is pay grade 848. If selected, your salary offer will be based on the applicable promotion or demotion worksheet in accordance with the City Pay Ordinance. Promotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade increase. Demotions occur when the last two digits of the pay grade decrease. Lateral transfers occur when there is no change to the last two digits of the pay grade. When there is a change in the first digit of the pay grade, there may also be a change to your classification or unit. Your job classification can be found in eCHRIS > Personal Details under your name, located in the top left section of the page. The pay grade and classification/unit of your current position may be found by looking up your job title on the job description page . BENEFITS A comprehensive Middle Manager benefits package is offered which includes: Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions, click here for more details: Pension Information 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually Dental, vision, and life insurance options Employer paid long-term disability Free Bus/light rail pass Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi For more details, visit: Middle Manager Benefits . MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in finance, public administration, and research. Two years of experience supervising professional-level staff. Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, public or business administration, economics, human resources, or a related field. Other combinations of experience and education which meet the minimum requirements may be substituted. All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position. For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions, click here . The City job description can be found here . PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS The minimum qualifications listed above, plus: Master's degree in business/public administration, finance, or a related field. Certified Payroll Professional. Five years of professional-level experience overseeing payroll for a large municipal government (5,000+ employees). Three years of experience overseeing at least 8 professional-level payroll staff. Three years of experience managing payroll in a unionized environment. Experience with the implementation of a Time and Labor System. RECRUITMENT DATES Recruitment closes March 23, 2026. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. on this date. This is a position-based recruitment and will not result in any ongoing eligibility list. This recruitment and any selection processes resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill other related vacancies within the organization now or in the near future. HOW TO APPLY Apply online by completing the required information and attaching, as one document, your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above. Only the highest qualified may be posted to the eligible to hire list. The results of the resume screening process will be sent to your primary email address. WE ARE HERE TO HELP Job interviews may be held by video or audio conference. If you are in need of computer resources, click here for free options. Arizona at Work has frequent classes to help with resume writing, interviewing skills, and general career guidance. Click here for more information. Explore other Employment Opportunities with the City of Phoenix . Subscribe to receive e-mail notifications about new employment opportunities. If you require assistance at any stage of the application process due to an accessibility issue, please contact the Human Resources Department by phone at (602) 495-5700 or by text at (800) 367-8939 . You may also fill out and submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form . REFERENCE Deputy Finance Director, JC:12270, ID# 60893, 03/04/2026, USM, PO, Benefits: MidMgr Building the Phoenix of tomorrow. #DoWorkThatMakesPhoenixWork City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.

Created: 2026-03-10