Capital Finance Manager

POSTING TYPE: Open Competitive
DEPARTMENT: Finance
HOURS: Full-time
SALARY RANGE: $92,218-$144,090 /year (Grade Level 110)
LOCATION: Hybrid - Hastings, MN and/or Apple Valley, MN
UNION: None
CLOSE DATE: 4:30 p.m. on November 12, 2026

Who we are Dakota County is Minnesota's third largest county and home to more than 400,000 residents. We strive every day to achieve excellence public service, with a focus on four values: Service, Integrity, People, and Innovation.

Dakota County aims to create an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and experiences. Our goal is to have a workforce that is reflective of the communities and individuals we serve. We promote an equitable and culturally aware work environment where everyone can be their authentic selves. What You'll Do

This is a high-impact role that performs complex financial management and budget functions across multiple departments and numerous revenue sources. The Capital Finance Manager evaluates financing options, models debt capacity and affordability, and gives County leadership and the County Board clear analysis to support sound multi-year capital investment decisions. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the County's CIP forecasting and long-term planning practice and build the tools, standards, and partnerships that support it.

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, public administration, business administration, economics, or a related field, and 3 years of experience in public finance, budgeting, or financial analysis. Of which:

• Three (3) or more years developing or managing capital budgets, capital improvement programs, or multi-year financial forecasts.
• Two (2) or more years supervising professional staff.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience to total 7 years, 2 years' experience must have been supervising professional staff

• Master's degree in business administration, public administration, finance, accounting, or related field.
• Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or similar professional credential.
• Four or more years of management experience in government finance, including managing large, complex, multi-year capital budgets.
• Experience with municipal debt issuance, debt capacity analysis, or rating agency presentations.
• Experience with transportation funding programs, such as MnDOT State Aid, federal-aid highway projects, or Metropolitan Council Regional Solicitation.
• Experience managing reimbursement-based federal or state grants and intergovernmental cost-share billing.
• Experience developing and managing operating budgets for public works, transportation, parks, or facilities operations.
• Experience building or redesigning capital budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning financial systems such as Oracle Fusion.
• Advanced financial modeling skills in Excel; experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI.
  

1. Partner with Physical Development Division staff on the development of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Capital Equipment Plan (CEP), leading the forecasting of revenue and resource availability. Manage, track, and monitor capital project budgets, expenditures, and encumbrances to ensure alignment with the County's long-term capital planning strategies and compliance with budget policies, grant requirements, and legal standards. Lead annual carryforward and rebudgeting of capital projects.
2. Perform multi-year revenue forecasts for all capital funding sources, including County State Aid Highway (CSAH) funds, transportation sales and use tax, wheelage tax, federal and state grants, city cost participation, bond proceeds, and property tax levy and other operating transfers to capital funds. Establish capital forecasting standards, maintain forecast documentation, and update forecasts at a regular cadence, coordinating with the Budget Manager so that CIP forecasts and the operating budget forecasts rely on consistent assumptions.
3. Assist in the development of the County's long-range capital financial management plan, including sources and uses by fund, debt capacity, fund balance targets, and operating cost impacts of capital projects. Model scenarios and provide fiscal analysis and decision support for County leadership and the County Board, including large-scale, multi-year capital investments and potential changes to County cost-share policies and strategic plans.
4. Evaluate and recommend financing strategies for capital projects, including debt issuance, grants, cost-share agreements, and other funding mechanisms. Support bond sales, rating agency presentations, and post-issuance compliance.
5. Partner with project managers and their staff throughout the lifecycle of capital projects to build detailed project-level expenditure forecasts, translating scope, schedule, and phase into monthly and quarterly cash-flow projections. Review project financial status regularly; reconcile forecasts to actuals, track forecast accuracy, and recommend corrective actions on trends, risks, or variances. Serve as a resource on funding availability, allowable expenditures, grant requirements, and County financial policies, translating complex financial information into clear, actionable guidance for project staff and County leadership.
6. Oversee all CIP-related claims and billings, including CSAH claims, grant reimbursement claims, and project partner billings. Ensure each is complete, accurate, supported by eligible expenditures, and submitted timely to accelerate cash recovery. Track outstanding claims and partner receivables with Accounts Receivable staff, resolve disallowed or delayed reimbursements, and reconcile collections to revenue forecasts.
7. Partner with the Contracts team on CIP-related grant agreements, joint powers agreements, and cost participation agreements, from review of financial terms, billing provisions, and reimbursement timing before execution through post-award financial management and compliance, including eligible costs, match requirements, reporting deadlines, and closeouts. Support preparation of the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and Single Audit testing of capital grant programs.
8. Oversee development and monitoring of the annual operating budgets for Physical Development Division departments, including Transportation, Parks, Facilities Management, Fleet Management, Environmental Resources, and Physical Development Administration, in coordination with department directors and the Budget Manager, consistent with countywide budget instructions. Ensure operating budgets capture the operating and maintenance cost impacts of capital projects; prepare monthly, quarterly, and year-end forecasts, analyze variances, and recommend corrective actions to department and division leadership.
9. Lead, coach, and develop a team of financial analysts; set priorities, assign work, and evaluate performance.

• Extensive knowledge of capital budgeting, long-range financial planning, and governmental accounting and reporting standards, including capital asset and construction-in-progress reporting.
• Knowledge of revenue and expenditure forecasting methods, including trend, driver-based, and scenario analysis.
• Knowledge of post-award grant administration, federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), MnDOT State Aid requirements, and Single Audit compliance for capital programs.
• Knowledge of municipal debt financing, debt capacity analysis, and post-issuance compliance.
• Knowledge of public sector operating budget development, monitoring, and year-end forecasting.
• Ability to manage complex projects, meet deadlines, and maintain high standards of accuracy and organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including critical analysis of financial information and budget justifications.
• Considerable knowledge of strategic planning, data collection, and analysis.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial modeling; ability to learn and use financial and reporting systems.
• Ability to present complex financial information to non-financial audiences, including project managers, County leadership, and the County Board. Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing and to adapt communication style to audience.
• Ability to resolve conflict effectively and to work both independently and collaboratively. Ability to interact professionally with the public, team members, and County staff, and to build effective working relationships across departments.
• Ability to use good judgement and make sound decisions.
• Ability to provide leadership, train and supervise staff, and evaluate performance.
• Ability to identify issues, develop solutions, and continuously improve financial processes.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work is primarily sedentary, although there is some walking, travel, and carrying of lightweight items such as briefcases, notebooks, and work papers. The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. May require occasional travel.

SELECTION PROCESS: The examination/selection process for this classification will consist of a rating of your training and experience from the application materials submitted. The top scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration. Finalists may be asked to complete a practical exercise, such as developing a multi-year cash-flow forecast from a sample project schedule and funding mix, as part of the selection process.