Listing Summary

Sumter Local Government Consulting is pleased to assist the City of Winder, GA, in recruiting a Finance Director. The Finance Director reports to the City Administrator and is a critical member of the city’s executive leadership team.

Founded in 1893, Winder—originally known as Jug Tavern—is the county seat of Barrow County. The city was renamed in honor of John Winder, a pioneering railroad builder, reflecting its deep historical roots in transportation and commerce.

The City of Winder is a vibrant, full-service municipality led by a dedicated team of elected officials committed to ensuring a high quality of life for residents and businesses. Central to its leadership are elected Mayor and six City Council members, four of whom represent designated Wards, while two serve at-large. This structure promotes balanced representation and responsive governance. To foster continuity and stability, the Mayor and Council Members serve overlapping four-year terms, facilitating long-term planning and effective decision-making.

The City of Winder is actively seeking a skilled and dedicated professional to serve as its next Finance Director. This key leadership role within the City’s executive management team offers a unique opportunity to shape and safeguard the financial future of a dynamic and growing municipality.

As Finance Director, the selected candidate will play a central role in overseeing the City’s financial operations and long-range fiscal planning. For Fiscal Year 2025, the City operates with a general fund budget of $22,083,832 and an overall budget totaling $112,344,035, which includes a diverse range of enterprise funds such as water and sewer, stormwater, gas, solid waste, special facilities, and a municipal golf course. Managing this broad and complex portfolio requires a strategic thinker who is also detail-oriented and able to guide the organization through routine and high-level financial decisions.

The Finance Director is responsible for developing and implementing the operating and capital budgets to align with the City’s strategic objectives and community priorities. This includes working closely with department heads to ensure budget decisions effectively support essential services, infrastructure projects, and long-term financial sustainability. The position calls for someone who understands the importance of resource allocation as a tool for driving meaningful outcomes for the residents of Winder.

Leading a dedicated team within the Finance Department, the Finance Director ensures that the City maintains sound fiscal practices and adheres to all relevant local, state, and federal regulations. The department has key responsibilities such as financial reporting, expenditure and revenue forecasting, internal controls, and regulatory compliance. The Director is expected to foster a culture of integrity, transparency, and service excellence within the team.

Beyond internal management, the Finance Director also serves as a trusted advisor to the City Administrator, Mayor, and City Council. In this advisory capacity, the Director provides critical insight into fiscal policy, economic conditions, and financial risk. The role requires frequent presentations of financial data and analysis and well-informed recommendations that support effective decision-making at the highest levels of city leadership.

In sum, the City of Winder's finance director is more than a financial manager—this individual is a strategic partner, a steward of public resources, and a leader dedicated to supporting a thriving and well-managed community.

The ideal candidate for this position is a dynamic and forward-thinking leader with a strong background in municipal finance, exceptional analytical skills, and a commitment to transparency and ethical governance. This role requires a strategic mindset, a collaborative approach, and the ability to drive financial innovation to support Winder's continued growth and prosperity.

The position requires the successful candidate to meet the following qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in public administration, accounting, finance, or a related field is required; a CGFO, CPA, or master’s degree is preferred. 
• A minimum of five years of experience is required in municipal financial management, with increasingly responsible supervisory experience.
• Must be proficient in governmental finance theory and concepts, including but not limited to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) statements/pronouncements, and applicable municipal laws and regulations.
• Must be team-oriented, with the ability to instill a sense of customer service and responsiveness in subordinates.
• Knowledge of the fiscal functions and practices of municipalities is required.
• Municipal supervisory experience in accounting, cash and investments, debt management, property tax, purchasing, municipal court, and water customer services (utility billing and meter reading) is preferred.

The hiring range for this position is $130,000 - $150,000.

Application Process

For more information on this position, including supplementary documents and resources, visit the recruitment webpage at the link below.

The first review of resumes will take place on April 18, 2025.

Please refrain from communicating with the City of Winder staff or elected officials. Instead, please direct inquiries to Sumter Consulting.

Please contact the Executive Recruiter with any questions or concerns:

Billy Grogan

Email: billy@sumterconsulting.com

Phone: 770-403-8086

Website: www.sumterlocalgovconsulting.com