The City of Napa is seeking our next Finance Director!
THE COMMUNITY
The City of Napa, covering 18 square miles, is located in the heart of the Napa Valley wine region. Widely known for its high-quality wines and picturesque vineyards, the region is home to about 475 wineries, ranging from small family-owned wineries to large well-known wine producers. Napa is also renowned for its culinary vibe with numerous Michelin-starred restaurants and farm-to-table eateries. The area has stunning views, numerous outdoor activities like bicycling, golfing, hiking, and hot air balloon rides, and a vibrant arts scene with galleries, theatres, and music venues.
With an average summer temperature of 83 degrees, the City of Napa is home to nearly 80,000 residents with a median age of 41.4 years old. Boasting more than 800 acres of park land, the city has 54 public parks, a low crime rate, and a high standard of living.
THE ORGANIZATION
The City of Napa is a full-service Charter City with eleven departments, including Utilities, Fire, and Police services. The City Council consists of five members, including one Mayor and four Councilmembers. The Mayor and each Councilmember are elected to four-year terms. The Mayor is elected at large, and the Councilmembers by district.
The City Council and the City Manager are dedicated to the highest standards of integrity, public service, and innovative approaches to governing. Importantly, the Finance Director is an integral part of the leadership in this organization.
The Adopted Budget for All Funds in FY25 is $309.6 million with approximately 518 FTEs, across the full-service agency’s eleven departments. To learn more about the City’s budget, click here.
In November of 2024, the residents of Napa passed a new 1% General Sales and Use Tax to support City operations and projects. The new Finance Director will play a critical role in leading the budgeting and accounting related to this new significant revenue source. The new tax is estimated to generate over $22 million annually and will be focused on improving street maintenance and traffic safety, improving parks and recreational facilities and ensuring excellent core services are provided. Initial revenue from this new tax measure has been incorporated into the proposed budget for FY 25/26.
COUNCIL FOCUS AREAS
The City Council has established six Council Focus Areas for FY 2025/2026 and FY 2026/2027: Climate Action, Roads & Traffic Safety, Economic Resilience, Parks & Community Spaces, Community Engagement, and Housing.
MISSION STATEMENT for the City of Napa
Rooted in public service, our mission is to grow a vibrant, sustainable community for all who live in, work in, and visit the City of Napa, through thoughtful leadership and dedication to excellence.
CORE VALUES for the City of Napa
- Integrity - Consistently demonstrating the highest level of ethical conduct with accountability and pride.
- Service - Engaging in meaningful work to care for our community through resourceful dedication and humble actions.
- Inclusion - Creating a sense of ease and belonging through respect, acceptance, and mindfulness of our collective diversity.
- Collaboration - Working together with a shared purpose while respectfully considering all voices to achieve common goals, solutions, and greater outcomes.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Purpose Statement: Provide exceptional and efficient customer service and information, with the upmost level of integrity; to be transparent, accountable, and compliant, protecting the city's assets and public's resources.
Our Finance Department consists of 25 full-time employees and a proposed annual department budget of $7,934,000 for FY25.
The Finance Department is composed of four divisions:
- Administration
- Accounting & Auditing
- Revenue
- Budget
We are responsible for safeguarding public financial resources, providing the City Council with thoughtful policy analysis and development of financially sound funding options, developing the City budget, utility billing, overseeing purchasing activities, and assisting city departments with implementing their programs through budget development and management, and reporting the city’s financial activity in a clear and understandable manner to the organization and the community.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The City of Napa seeks a finance professional with experience in public sector finance and leadership to serve as its next Finance Director. We are looking for a collaborative leader who is solution-oriented to join our dynamic team. Our next Finance Director will communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, and will have the ability to present complex financial information to a variety of audiences. An exceptional understanding of and background in budgeting, accounting, public sector auditing and knowledge of CalPERS reporting requirements is essential.
You will lead a professional Finance team who values a personable leader committed to building a cohesive group, is approachable and supportive of staff, and practices an open-door policy. An emphasis on mentorship and supporting the professional development of the Finance staff will be important. The new Finance Director will lead a department that is focused on professionalism, competence, and customer service. The selected candidate will be expected to quickly assimilate into a culture of collaboration, teamwork, and proactive communication within the City operations.
We are looking for someone who possesses the following characteristics:
- Someone who is an effective collaborator and an open-minded problem solver
- A clear communicator who can translate technical terminology and educate others outside of finance
- A leader with a strong sense of integrity
- An individual who can maintain a balanced approach between compliance and customer orientation
- A relationship builder who supports teamwork and strengthening partnerships across the organization
- Someone with excellent Technical and Professional Knowledge & Skills and an extensive financial background
- A mentor who is passionate about staff development and champions their team
The Finance Director is responsible for the development and implementation of all finance services, including accounting, budgeting, collections, and purchasing. This position develops and administers various key programs, including the investment of City funds and financial recordkeeping and reporting, serving as the City’s primary authority on financial matters, including maintenance and audits, preparing and supervising the preparation of financial statements and reports including the operating and capital budgets, and supervising and supporting Finance staff. Reporting to the Assistant City Manager, the Finance Director is a critical member of the City’s Executive Team, serving as a strategic advisor to the City Manager and department directors.
QUALIFICATIONS
A typically qualifying combination of education and experience for this position includes a Bachelor’s degree with major work in Public or Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance and four (4) years of increasingly responsible administrative experience in governmental financial planning and administration, including considerable experience in a supervisory capacity. A related Master’s Degree is highly desirable.
For a full, detailed job description of Finance Director, please click here.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The salary range for this outstanding opportunity is very competitive at $190,909 –
$229,091. Placement within this range is dependent upon qualifications. Upcoming scheduled salary increases will take place in January 2026 (2%) and July 2026 (2%).
The City of Napa offers an excellent benefits package, which includes but is not limited to:
- CalPERS Retirement: 2.0% @ 60 formula for classic CalPERS members; 2% @ 62 formula for new CalPERS members (PEPRA).
- Deferred Compensation: The City participates in 457 & 401(a) Plans - the City makes a matching contribution.
- Medical Insurance: The City offers CalPERS Health benefits program and contributes eighty-five percent (85%) of the Kaiser rate.
- Dental Insurance: The City offers Delta Dental PPO and Delta Care HMO plan options.
- Vacation: 120 – 205 hours annual accrual based on prior years of service. Employees may elect to cash out a portion.
- Sick Leave: 12 days of sick leave per year.
- Holidays: 14 holidays and 8-hours of floating holiday leave is granted to employees.
- Management Leave: 120 hours of management leave per calendar year. Employees may elect to cash out up to 50% of eligible management leave every calendar year.
- Auto Allowance: $400 per month.
- Phone Stipend
- Life Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Long-Term Disability Insurance/State Disability Insurance
- PERS 1959 Indexed Survivor Benefit
- Retiree Health Coverage
- The City promotes work/life balance. Alternative work arrangements may be available.
For a full list of benefits, please visit our Employee Benefits webpage. You may also view the compensation and benefits for Finance Director by clicking here.
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS
The deadline for submitting applications is no later than 11:59 PM on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. To be considered for this opportunity, please submit a cover letter and resume via the City of Napa’s website by using the “Apply Now” feature.
Candidates deemed to be the best qualified will be invited to an in-person interview in Napa on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Finalists will be invited to an in-person interview with the City Manager and Assistant City Manager on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The City Manager anticipates making an appointment in mid-summer following background and reference checks.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact the City of Napa’s Human Resources Department via email or (707) 257-9505.
MISSION STATEMENT for the City of Napa
Rooted in public service, our mission is to grow a vibrant, sustainable community for all who live in, work in, and visit the City of Napa, through thoughtful leadership and dedication to excellence.
CORE VALUES for the City of Napa
Integrity - Consistently demonstrating the highest level of ethical conduct with accountability and pride.
Service - Engaging in meaningful work to care for our community through resourceful dedication and humble actions.
Inclusion - Creating a sense of ease and belonging through respect, acceptance, and mindfulness of our collective diversity.
Collaboration - Working together with a shared purpose while respectfully considering all voices to achieve common goals, solutions, and greater outcomes.
Language Equity
- If you need assistance with the recruitment and selection process in Spanish, contact us at 707-257-9505. These request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Si necesita ayuda con el proceso de reclutamiento y selección en español, contáctenos al 707-257-9505. Estas solicitudes se evaluarán caso por caso.
Reasonable Accommodations
The City of Napa Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the testing process must inform the HR Department in writing by the final filing date. A Reasonable Accommodation Request Form is available from HR and may be obtained by calling 707-257-9505, or dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service, offering free text-to-speech, speech-to-speech, and Spanish-language services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The City of Napa is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace will maximize our talents to benefit the residents we serve.
