Santa Barbara County

Description

Are you a strategic thinker with a sharp eye for numbers and a passion for community impact? The Behavioral Wellness Department is seeking an experienced and motivated Fiscal Team Lead for Community-Based Contracts to join our dynamic Fiscal Division. We are looking to fill one full-time vacancy based in Santa Barbara, CA. The position does allow for hybrid flexibility.

This is a key leadership role where financial expertise meets meaningful public service. As the Fiscal Team Lead, you’ll serve as the department’s primary point of contact for all fiscal matters related to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Reporting directly to the Associate Director of Finance, you will lead a team that manages contract payables, oversee the development and fiscal provisions of mental health service contracts, and ensure compliance through diligent contract monitoring and accounting.

In this role, you’ll also spearhead financial processes for mental health-related RFPs and the out-of-county youth placements. With your supervisory experience and collaborative spirit, you’ll work closely with both internal teams and external CBO partners to maintain fiscal accuracy, accountability, and innovation.

BENEFITS: For more information on County benefits, please visit here. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the third (advanced journey) level in the Management Professional job family. This class is distinguished from subordinate classes within the series by the greater level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, and by the nature, impact, and scope of the public contact. Incumbents in this job class perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series. Incumbents at this level are required to be fully trained in all policies, procedures, and operations related to assigned areas of responsibility.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Reports to a higher-level manager or may report to an executive. Oversees the work of a team or teams of individual contributors through subordinate managers. May exercise direct and indirect supervision over assigned management, professional, technical, and administrative staff.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

Founded in 1962, it is the mission of the Department of Behavioral Wellness to promote the prevention of and recovery from mental illness and addiction among individuals, families and communities, by providing effective leadership and delivering state-of-the-art, culturally competent services. The Department provides treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to 10,000 clients with mental illness and substance use disorders annually through its professional staff of over 400, in addition to its many contracted Community-Based Organization (CBO) providers.

For more information, please visit: www.countyofsb.org/behavioral-wellness.

The Ideal Candidate possesses:

• Certified Public Accountant license
• Ability to lead and/or supervise others
• Experience with government accounting
• Ability to quickly evaluate competing priorities and adjust workflows to meet deadlines
• Prior experience with or demonstrated ability to quickly learn technology used by the Fiscal Division such as Smartsheet, ServiceNow, and SmartCare
• Demonstrated track record of effectively collaborating with multiple process partners and stakeholders
• Project management experience with demonstrated ability to meet deliverables and deadlines
• Solid writing skills to prepare and write clear and concise documents (e.g., memoranda, correspondence, contracts and supporting documentation)
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite products (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Great organizational skills and highly detail oriented

Examples of Duties

These examples are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job and not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.

1. Serves as fiscal lead for contract development including RFP development, CalAIM implementation, contract changes and amendments, drafting fiscal contract provisions.
2. Provide accounting and budget assistance for contractor accounts including financial forecasts, budget development and monitoring, and fiscal year end accounting.
3. Primary fiscal oversight of mental health subcontractors including payments, monitoring, resolution of payment and financial issues, rate development, cost report submission and review, settlements.
4. Extract service and cost data from databases to monitor efficiency and effectiveness of provider programs and perform related duties.
5. Oversees, coordinates, and participates in special projects and programs and serves as the subject matter expert; develops implementation strategies to payment tracking databases and monitors the status of assigned programs and projects; provides leadership and direction to interdepartmental team members; prepares reports, correspondence, and memoranda, and makes presentations that include recommended action to various levels of leadership in the organization.
6. Maintains and updates expertise in designated specialty areas; monitors current events and changes to laws, standards, rules, and regulations and analyzes the effect on the County's operations and services; prepares reports with updates, analyses, and recommendations; represents the County's interests.
7. Provides direct supervision over professional, technical, and clerical staff including assigning, directing, training, and evaluating subordinates.
8. Performs other related duties as required.

Employment Standards

Education and Experience

The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be acquired through various types of training, education, and experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:

• Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in accounting, business administration, business economics and,
• Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience involving planning, analysis, coordination, and evaluation in financial contract administration.

Additional Requirements:

For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California driver’s license and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs as a condition of continued employment.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Standard and accepted methods of writing requests for proposals, selecting consultants and negotiating contracts.
• Principles and practices of public administration and principles of organization, management, and staffing.
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, guidelines, regulations, and statutes.
• Principles and practices of public finance, budgeting, and fiscal control.
• Principles and practices of public human resources.
• Principles and techniques to plan, develop and coordinate comprehensive local government public relations, communications, and media relations programs.
• Standard research techniques, including the use of surveys and questionnaires.
• Principles and techniques of administrative analysis, including workload measurement, workflow and layout, work simplification and systems and procedure analysis.
• Principles and practices of local government, including county administration, organization, programs, and functions.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.
• Computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications.
• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Ability to:

• Read, analyze, evaluate, and summarize written materials and statistical data including reports, financial reports, and budgets.
• Compose, coordinate, and edit a variety of educational, informational, and promotional materials for dissemination and use by the County, other agencies, news media, and the general public.
• Apply the principles and practices of motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Obtain information through interview process; successfully accomplish multiple assignments; deal firmly and courteously with the public.
• Determine effective method of research; compile data and present it in a form most likely to enhance understanding.
• Prepare reports, statistical data, forms, questionnaires, and surveys.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Interpret and apply pertinent local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, apply appropriate elements of decision making and determine the proper course of action.
• Effectively deal with high levels of ambiguity and possess the ability to navigate through the ambiguity.
• Exercise initiative, sound independent judgment, tact, sensitivity, and discretion and maintain confidentiality within established guidelines.
• Collaborate with various community groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Make effective presentations to the community and the media.
• Understand, interpret, explain, and apply complex rules and procedures.
• Analyze systems and administrative and management practices and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, including but not limited to coworkers, subordinate staff, supervisors, other managers, professional agencies, and the general public.

Additional Information

May be required to work a varied schedule of hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Completion of a background investigation to the satisfaction of the County may be required for some assignments.

Supplemental Information

Application & Selection Process

• Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
• Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Candidates’ response to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates’ final score and rank on the employment list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the supplemental questionnaire to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule 6. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the examination, rank on the employment list, and duration of the employment list.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Recruiters will communicate with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

CONDITIONAL JOB OFFER:

• Live Scan and Background Check: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the selected candidate's appointment is contingent upon successful completion of a Live Scan and background check which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. A Live Scan is electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice. Further instructions about when and how to complete the Live Scan will be included in the offer letter. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination.
• The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Statement of Commitment

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 4:59 p.m. PST, postmarks not accepted. You can view job postings and apply online 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.

Leza Patatanian, Talent Acquisition Analyst, lpatatanian@countyofsb.org

Retirement Plans

• Generous County Defined Benefit Plan
• Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
• Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans
• For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: https://www.sbcers.org/ and http://www.santabarbara457.com

Health Benefits

• Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members
• Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits
• Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more!
• For more information on our health benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4012/Health-Benefits

Paid Time Off

• Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment
• Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement
• Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below)
• Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting
• For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)

Miscellaneous Benefits

• County Paid Term Life Insurance
• County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance
• Childcare and Employee Discounts
• Relocation Assistance may apply
• Flexible work schedule may apply
• For more information on all of these benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4013/24636/WorkLife-Benefits

Compensation Summary

• To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/3096/Managers---Unrepresented
• This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.

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