Senior Executive Analyst - OEDCA (Finance Manager - Workforce and Talent Development)

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY), or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov.

The City Manager’s Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) has three integrated divisions:

1. Cultural Affairs: Arts, Sports, and Entertainment - Fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and creative city by advancing cultural expression, supporting artists and arts organizations through grants and technical assistance, promoting access to sports and entertainment, commissioning and preserving public art, producing/coordinating outdoor special events and destination marketing, and stewarding City-owned convention and cultural facility assets and partnerships.
2. Economic Growth and Business Development - Accelerating San José’s economic vitality by driving business retention, expansion, and attraction; supporting real estate and catalytic development; strengthening Downtown as a thriving urban center; and advancing commercial corridor revitalization and small business success across San José’s diverse neighborhoods.
3. Workforce and Talent Development - Building a resilient and inclusive workforce by connecting job seekers to training, education, and career pathways; delivering supportive services that reduce barriers to employment; and partnering with employers to design hiring initiatives that align with regional industry needs and economic opportunity.

OEDCA’s mission is to catalyze equitable job growth, investment, entrepreneurship, cultural vibrancy, and talent attraction and retention in San José while strengthening the City’s fiscal health. In support of its mission, OEDCA focuses on five key areas:

1. Retain/ grow jobs and revenue and promote innovation from large and medium-sized businesses in key sectors such as manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
2. Foster small business resilience and create thriving business districts.
3. Accelerate a thriving Downtown.
4. Activate San José as the South Bay's hub for sports, arts, and entertainment.
5. Prepare residents to participate in the local economy through training, education, and career support.

The classification for this role is Senior Executive Analyst with a working title of Finance Manager for the Workforce and Talent Development Division.

The Workforce and Talent Development Division of OEDCA is seeking a Finance Manager (Senior Executive Analyst) to manage its fiscal unit and work in coordination with division senior staff. The successful candidate will be responsible for the accounting, budgeting, and federal, state, local, grant management functions of the OEDCA Workforce and Talent Development Unit. This highly responsible management position, plans, organizes, directs, and reviews the work of a combination of professional, technical, and clerical accounting staff in accounts payable, accounts receivable, program costings, timekeeping, program audits, program budgets, state reporting, grant management and compliance, and general ledger functions. The Senior Executive Analyst (SEA) is responsible for formulating policies, and designing, planning, implementing, evaluating, and modifying the program as needed, including short- and long-term planning activities; budget preparation and implementation; analyzing programmatic practices and procedures; and developing and implementing recommendations for operational, policy, and procedural improvements, as well as for all state, federal, city and board financial reports. 
 
 The SEA will also have considerable contact with senior staff in City departments that require the support of Workforce and Talent Development Division. The SEA will also have considerable contact with the State of California. The position requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong decision making and strategic thinking abilities, a commitment to customer service, the ability to build and train a team, and the ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects and issues, due to the complexity and scope of authority involved, the SEA requires the ability to work both independently and interdependently to ensure work is completed in an accurate, and timely fashion. This position also requires presenting budget and reports to the management and other stakeholders' meetings. 
 
 The Workforce Development Division Fiscal Section serves as a business partner to internal and external customers, providing expert professional assistance regarding accounting, financial reporting, state and federal compliance audits, budgeting and forecasting, and other related matters.

Role Summary

This role is critical to work2future’s success, with a strong focus on fiscal oversight, expenditure tracking, and ensuring we consistently meet quarterly expenditure benchmarks and performance expectations tied to WIOA compliance. Maintaining alignment with expenditure goals is essential to sustaining compliance, maximizing available funding, and ensuring resources are deployed strategically and responsibly. The Finance Manager plays a key role in identifying issues early, monitoring trends in real time, and implementing corrective actions and fiscal strategies as needed to keep programs on track.

Working closely with internal program teams, special projects staff, and contracted service providers, this position ensures fiscal accountability, operational alignment, and strong coordination across all areas of work2future operations. This role is responsible for maintaining clear and proactive communication regarding expenditures, budgets, payments, reimbursements, forecasting, and compliance matters, while elevating concerns quickly and helping facilitate timely solutions.

As a strategic fiscal partner to executive leadership, the Finance Manager supports financial planning, develops and structures budgets, analyzes funding scenarios, and assesses the fiscal implications of operational and strategic decisions. Ultimately, this role ensures that fiscal operations are not only compliant and accurate but strategically aligned with organizational priorities and workforce system outcomes, serving as a critical connector between financial strategy, program implementation, and performance accountability.

Education: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration, or a closely related field and;
Experience: At least four (4) years of professional level analytic and/or administrative experience.  A Master's Degree in public administration, business administration or related field is preferred, and can be substituted for one year of the required four years of experience.  A CPA certification is also preferred.
 
 A successful candidate must possess strong technical and functional knowledge as well as highly-developed management, leadership, and communication skills. This position requires that the incumbent work effectively with a range of the City, State, regional partners, including workforce boards and service providers’ executive staff, work2future Board members, and other staff members.
 
 

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies and attributes, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. 

 DESIRABLE COMPETENCIES:

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting and auditing principles and practices, including governmental accounting as established by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Government Accounting Standards Board.
• Knowledge of the application and principles of data processing and Electronic Data Processing (EDP) accounting systems.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Fiscal Management - Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Collaboration - Develops networks and builds alliances; engages in cross-functional activities.

Leadership - Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational supports and direction.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to translate complex financial data into actionable operational guidance and proactive problem-solving.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong cross-functional collaboration across programs, leadership, and external partners.
• Accountability: High level of ownership with consistent follow-through on fiscal deadlines and detail-oriented reporting.
• Adaptability: Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with a growth mindset and willingness to improve systems.
• Strategic Resource Management: Ability to align fiscal strategies with organizational goals, ensuring that funding is not only tracked but optimized to support service delivery and long-term sustainability.
• Data Integrity & Compliance Mindset: Commitment to accuracy and transparency, ensuring that all financial records are audit-ready and reflect a culture of rigorous internal control. 

Technical Expertise

Fiscal Operations, Accounting & Audit Readiness

• Governmental Accounting & General Ledger Management: Oversee daily fiscal operations and maintain the integrity of the general ledger, ensuring the accurate classification and recording of all governmental expenditures and revenues.
• Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Oversight: Manage the full cycle of accounts payable and accounts receivable within a public framework to ensure timely vendor payments and grant reimbursements.
• Purchasing & Procurement: Direct all purchasing activities and workflows, ensuring compliance with federal procurement standards, competitive bidding requirements, and local policies.
• Budgeting, Forecasting, & Cash Management: Lead the development of complex budgets and financial models, performing variance analysis and long-term expenditure projections to ensure organizational sustainability. Monitor cash flow to ensure the availability of funds for operational needs and timely grant drawdowns.
• Audit Mastery & Compliance: Maintain clean audit outcomes by leading the preparation for citywide internal and external audits, state monitoring, and single audits (2 CFR 200). Ensure all processes align with WIOA fiscal regulations and federal cost principles.
• Monitoring & Risk Mitigation: Improve fiscal monitoring systems to ensure transparency and accountability, and continuously strengthen internal controls to mitigate risk and improve operational efficiency.

Grants Management

• Prospect Evaluation: Monitor emerging grant opportunities and evaluate the feasibility, sustainability, and strategic value of prospective funding in partnership with leadership.
• Strategic Feasibility: Evaluate the feasibility, sustainability, and strategic value of prospective funding opportunities in partnership with leadership to ensure alignment between proposed activities, staffing structures, service delivery models, and fiscal capacity.
• Proposal Development: Assist in developing competitive grant proposals, including detailed program budgets, narratives, expenditure projections, and fiscal justifications.
• Financial Modeling: Develop models and funding projections tied to grant implementation, performance outcomes, and sustainability.
• Grant Compliance: Ensure all grant submissions meet fiscal compliance, reporting, and audit requirements prior to submission.
• Post-Award Implementation: Support fiscal setup for new awards, including:
  • Budget setup and allocation structures.
  • Expenditure tracking systems and controls.
  • Accounts payable and accounts receivable reimbursement processes.
  • Compliance monitoring and reporting frameworks.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process.  Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews, one of which may include a practical exercise.

If you have questions about the duties of this position, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Baljinder Jhalle at Baljinder.jhalle@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility:  Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.  Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application.  If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided.  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. 

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility:  Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.  

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application.  If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided.  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. 

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.