Director of Finance at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority – Boston, Massachusetts

The Director of Finance provides strategic leadership and oversight of the MBTA’s financial planning, reporting, and budgeting functions. This role manages the development, implementation, and maintenance of the annual operating budget and long-range financial plans while ensuring compliance with fiscal policies and procedures. The Director is responsible for creating and maintaining financial metrics, dashboards, and cost-benefit analyses, as well as reviewing departmental budget proposals, forecasting future financial needs, and determining fund availability. In addition, the position leads in-depth financial analytics to support fact-based decision-making, including labor cost modeling, rate and volume analysis, cash flow projections, and advanced modeling techniques such as Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The Director also plays a key role in establishing and refining Authority-wide fiscal policies and procedures to ensure financial integrity and alignment with organizational goals.

• Develop and maintain new key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Lead projects and programs across the team including complex analytics, KPIs and other special projects through use of Tableau dashboards.
• Perform cost-benefit analyses and due diligence of key programs.
• Evaluate spending trends and advise departmental managers and senior staff of areas of concern and opportunities to ensure cost-effectiveness and identify ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies for the Authority.
• Review and approve departmental requests for procurement of materials and services.
• Ensure and verify that spending is in accordance with all city, state, and federal laws to avoid legal complications.
• Develop analyses, recommendations, and decisions regarding staffing levels, subcontracting, outsourcing, and purchasing including interpretation and impact of collective bargaining agreements.
• Ensure budgetary goals are met and that all work is performed in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Evaluate budget requests and supervise the review of individual departmental and line-item budgets for accuracy, consistency, and conformity with established policy.
• Oversee development of forecasting year-end results to aid in projecting the upcoming fiscal year budget.
• Support the development and maintenance of the annual five (5)-year pro-forma projections by working with the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and Operations teams forecasting future budget needs.
• Ensure that the necessary tools are provided to department heads and financial staff to assist in preparing, updating and completing requests (e.g., reports, historical spending, headcount).
• Provide recommendations to the Deputy CFO of Operations, Budget Director of Operations, and Budget Director of FP&A to ensure that the Authority's final budget submittal for approval to the Fiscal Management Control Board falls is balanced.
• Direct analyses of expenditures to ensure departments are operating within the limits of their approved budgets.
• Direct and supervise the investigation and analyses of major variances from budget, including financial data and analyses of labor such as headcount and salaries.
• Control spending and allow budget transfers/adjustments as needed by identifying issues, opportunities, and solutions.
• Direct ad hoc analyses and projects requested by the Budget Director of FP&A and the deputy CFO of Operations to be used for internal and external venues. Projects would include cost benefit analysis and budget versus actual labor data such as headcount and salaries.
• Prepare and distribute monthly overtime, quarterly projections, and executive summary reports.
• Review annual National Transit Database (NTD) reporting, and monthly/quarterly/year-end closing including accruals and reporting.
• Prepare forecast as needed providing risk and opportunities.
• Ensure that budget and financial spending reports are revised and edited for accuracy each fiscal year.
• Commit to working additional hours, including weekends, as needed during the budget development process. During the development of the budget, extra work hours are probable, and weekend work will be necessary.
• Participate in the establishment of the Authority-wide fiscal policies, procedures, and performance goals with other Authority management staff.
• Uphold the rights and interests of the Authority while building and maintaining an effective relationship with employees.
• Supervise budget staff and maintain responsibility for appraising performance, addressing conduct and performance matters, and making hiring decisions.
• Communicate effectively with customers, vendors, and employees.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Supervision

• Budget and Labor Analyst(s) and Interns.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field.
• Seven (7) years of experience in accounting and/or finance, including demonstrated expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and cost-benefit analysis.
• Five (5) years of supervisory, managerial, project and/or leadership experience.
• Ability to communicate with all levels within the organization.
• Advanced expertise in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Tableau.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience working with external auditors, internal controls and compliance-related issues.
• Ability to weigh and manage priorities.
• Advanced experience with or in financial reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to influence decision-making.
• Organizational skills and ability to multitask (work on several projects at once).
• Ability to progressively elaborate on high-level business processes to define and document supporting standards and procedures.
• Proven proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications, Excel, Work, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook and PeopleSoft ERP.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of FMIS including ability to run financial reports and queries
• Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and manage multiple priorities.

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An Associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A Master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

Preferred Experience

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Business and/or Public Administration.
• Ten (10) years of experience in finance or related field.
• Advanced specialized training in contract agreements.
• Additional years of supervisory experience.