Director of Financial Operations

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

About the Department of Child Services (DCS):

Join a group of passionate, dedicated public servants to support one of Indiana’s most critical missions!

The Department of Child Services helps children who are victims of abuse or neglect and strengthens families through services that focus on family support and preservation. We pursue permanency for children and families through reunification, guardianship, and adoption. Our services also encompass foster care, child support, and transitional support for those adjusting to adulthood. Our culture is built upon our MVP foundation:

Mission: Champion Indiana’s future by protecting children and strengthening families with compassion and determination.
Vision: Every child in Indiana thrives in a safe, loving, forever home.
Purpose: Ignite hope. Cultivate joy.

Role Overview:

The Director of Financial Operations currently manages three Division Directors who cover agency budgeting, accounts payable, and travel services. You will manage key financal functions and strengthen financial operations, organizational structure, and fiscal accountability across the agency. You will establish strategic oversight, transparency, and efficiency to DCS financial processes, ensuring that financial practices support the agency’s mission, comply with state requirements, and enable leaders to make informed, data‑driven decisions. DCS has over 4,000 employees that serve thousands of families and children. Expenditures over $1.4 billion.

Key outcomes for this role are:

• Oversee multiple critical financial units, including: Reporting, Vendor Management and Payment Processing (Accounts Payable, KidTraks Invoicing), Payroll, Asset Management, and Travel and Expense Reimbursement.
• Lead efforts to modernize workflows, improve internal controls, and enhance communication between DCS and the State Budget Agency and State Personnel Department.
• Oversee operational improvements in vendor management and payment processing, including substantial increases in daily invoice processing capacity.
• Collaborate with DCS Staff Development to co-lead the agency’s Strategic Hiring Committee, which reviews and approves or denies requests for requisitions.
• Lead department projects, process improvements, and organizational transformation initiatives.
• Serve as the department point of contact for legislative analysis and fiscal impacts.
• Serve as the depoartment point of contact for regulatory analysis asscoiated with rule promulgations.
• Lead the effort to develop and report department KPIs on a monthly basis.
• Manage the agency’s efforts on employee tuition reimbursement.

Salary:

This position traditionally starts at an annual salary of $102,024 but may be commensurate with education and job experience.

Use our Compensation Calculator to view the total compensation package.

Responsibilities include:

• Review and evaluate organizational effectiveness, goal determination, and strategic planning, etc., makes recommendations for improvement.
• Develop and coordinate plans and policies, resources, and mission as well as goals, vision and expectations of agency or program.
• Provide guidance to agencies and the public regarding applicable laws and rules.
• Supervise subordinate personnel including hiring, determining workload, and delegating assignments, training, monitoring, and evaluating performance, and initiating corrective or disciplinary action.
• Monitor agency or program budget including revenues, expenditures, and budget projections.
• Communicate with news and other media, responds to media questions or requests in an appropriate public relations manner.
• Coordinate with other government officials on planning issues (i.e. federal and/or state agency directors, etc.).
• Coordinate, review, and evaluate the use of appropriate controls and standards for the agency.
• Recruit, select, onboard, and train employees to ensure role responsibilities and expectations are clearly understood while providing opportunities to continue professional development.
• Set expectations, measure progress, provide ongoing feedback, and evaluate the performance of employees. Ensure work adheres to quality standards, deadlines, and proper procedures.

The job profile is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.

This position is exempt from overtime compensation for additional work hours that may be required to complete essential functions or other assigned work. Exempt employees may work more than 75 hours in a pay period without additional compensation and must report a minimum of 75 hours per pay period of work hours and/or paid leave taken to receive their base biweekly salary.

Individuals in this role should minimally be able to articulate or demonstrate the following:

• Advanced education in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or another related financial field in addition to practical experience in the tradecraft.
• Substantial demonstrated experience leading projects or transformation initiatives within a large enterprise.
• Exemplary communication skills, including the ability to communicate executive directives to divisions and rank-and-file audiences and the ability to distill complex guidance into language that is practical and understandable.
• Demonstrated experience leading one or more divisions of employees across different business lines or functions, with emphasis on leadership in finance/budget enterprises.
• Demonstrated experience with identifying, developing, and implementing change management in one or more divisions or departments with differing business lines or functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading executive-level change initiatives impacting one or more divisions or departments.
• Experience developing, documenting, understanding, and analyzing very specialized and complex technical materials related to financial policy, budgets, payroll, accounts payable, and other matters of business administration.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to work closely and directly with executive-level leadership.
• Ability to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

A degree is not required.

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees that includes:

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
• Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
  • 150 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
  • Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
  • Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
  • 12 paid holidays, 14 in election years
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Group life insurance
• Referral Bonus program
• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Free Parking for most positions
• Free LinkedIn Learning access

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.