Job Summary:

Working under the authority of a Practice Leader, the Director, Public Housing Authority is responsible for assisting Practice Leadership in managing their local office and delivering high value solutions to multiple clients in the area of Public Housing. This role is charged with managing engagement teams through all stages of engagements to include planning, accounting work, engagement wrap up, and financial statement submission, along with providing recommendations regarding engagement.  The Director is responsible for ensuring exceptional client service and high-quality engagement deliverables.  This position is also responsible for developing new business with existing clients and prospects of the Firm.  The Director, in conjunction with the Practice Leader is responsible for all aspects of project administration including time entry, client contract administration, billings, collections, and adjustments to engagement realization when needed.

Job Duties:

Client Service Delivery:

Oversees the full-life cycle of all assigned engagements by providing technical expertise in all areas within the finance and accounting function Facilitates effective discovery meetings with large and complex clients; communicates clearly and frequently to identify client objectives, what areas are to be focused on during engagements and why, and creating a  focused plan to provide client with exact services requested while providing well thought out suggestions for anything additional Designs integrated solutions for large and complex clients that respond to the specific situation; open to new ideas and solutions, and avoids “locking-in” to a single solution; understands BDO well enough internally to identify when services outside of the PHA group should be included and describes what these services achieve and how they operate; outlines the solution in a concise document and vets it internally with their leaders Accurately determines the cost of building out a solution relative to the restraints of the client budget; can calculate the benefit to a client in dollar terms of the different levels of service that can provide solutions to the requested needs; uses the pricing process and understands how to price an engagement to ensure it is profitable proposes a fixed fee based on current scope and reviews the engagement economics on an ongoing basis to ensure the engagement remains profitable Advises client leadership on technical accounting issues, financial accounting policies and procedures and financial management issues; uses their broad financial, accounting, business, and industry knowledge to educate clients on how their finance and accounting needs will evolve as changes are made both to internal operations and new guidance from outside regulating agencies; easily helps clients identify next steps and provides client with a long-term service plan with varying levels of involvement from the PHA team Reviews solutions periodically with their clients to determine if it is still the right solution for the current state of their agency; can develop a compelling future vision for a client; communicates in such a way to inspire clients to take the journey towards that positive future, proactively mitigates conflict; uses negotiation techniques to drive difficult agreements between opposing parties/ideas and generally leaves parties satisfied with the result Clearly explains to the client the processes and offerings that BDO can provide and maps out the start from initial review and assistance to establish accurate financial records and functioning systems to an ongoing presence with monthly or annual assistance Maintains strong business relationships with clients, both internal and external

Business Development

Achieves business development goals by developing a network of individuals working in the Public Housing industry that are sought after for accounting work through building reputation, providing trainings, or developing content for trainers  Ensures prospect and sales information is entered into Client Relationship Management (CRM) as appropriate Participates in the annual forecasting process and determines amount of hours and revenues needed to achieve required forecast revenue Effectively develops scope of engagement responses for Requests for Proposals to provide the potential client a clear understanding of services offered and providing confidence that BDO is capable and the best possible provider Evaluates clients for acceptance both initially and on a continuing basis to determine if client is profitable, professional to work with, respectful of staff, and the best possible way to utilize internal resources Delivers industry resource expertise and leverages relationships with firm colleagues to execute on business development opportunities; integrates firm industry expertise into personal business development plan Identifies new prospects and cross sells to existing clients when applicable Explains Firm and Advisory service offerings to a client, prospect, or contact

Developing Others:

Fosters a culture that embraces change and accountability Ensures team members are trained to understand HUD accounting briefs, PIH notices, FDS guidelines, and specific accounting requirements for various housing grants Ensures team members are trained on all relevant software, processes, and resources Acts as career advisor tomanagement and staff; provides professional growth and career advancement opportunities for PHA management and staff Evaluates the performance of team members and assists in developing goals and objectives to enhance professional development that align with Firm and PHA objectives Monitors and recommends staffing levels for the area of the practice for which they are responsible Serves as a resource for the team, having developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of finance and accounting functions, technology for supporting these functions and how tax planning can differ by industry and business structure; knows what is required from a compliance perspective and what is considered a standard or best practice for the industry or business structure Educates other professionals on the practice’s approach, services, and client value proposition

Project Management/Administration:

Supports Practice Leaders in various Practice Management areas including articulating the goals and objectives how it will impact the firm; defines the dependent projects that need to be completed to reach practice goals Communicates practice strategy and delegates projects appropriately Ensures all engagements are billed and collected in a timely and effective manner, appropriate to the client’s situation and the state of the work; monitors the billing activity of PHA team; bills clients monthly and follows up on outstanding receivables not collected within thirty days Aware of how their engagement economics affect the Practice Profit & Loss (P&L) and can interpret common firm metrics (at a practice and an individual level); operates with the bottom line in mind; acts as a business owner and makes decisions as if they are using their own resources; weighs associated costs and their return on investment and reaches appropriate financial decisions on expenses, billing, and staff performance matters Creates and maintains strategic plans in alignment with firm and practice goals and objectives in conjunction with other members of practice leadership Accurately scopes new projects for large and complex clients and constructs a fee estimate/budget that considers all appropriate details Explores ways to improve client service continuously Reviews engagement economics for their practice area to ensure continuous improvement\ Assists Practice Leaders in developing forecasts for their area of the practice for which they are responsible (whether an office, industry line, or administrative area) Other duties as required

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Guides and supervises all PHA personnel 

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance, required 

Experience:

Ten (10) or more years of experience performing general accounting transactions and functions, required  Six (6) or more years of supervisory experience, required Consultative or business advisory experience, required Experience working with outsourced and/or delivery center operations, preferred

License/Certifications:

CPA certification, preferred

Software:

Experience utilizing industry standard accounting software and Yardi, PHA Web, Tenmast, MRI, and other Housing Authority specific software, required Familiarity with HUD website and variety of Excel Tools including the HCV Two-Year Tool, FDS Excel Upload, and Operating Subsidy Portal, required Proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, required Experience utilizing industry recognized accounting research tools, preferred

Language:

N/A

Other Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills Fully understands the finance and accounting functions performed for large and complex clients and common best practices/processes for how they operate, as well as how they interact Detailed in-depth knowledge regarding HUD Accounting Briefs, housing regulations in 24 CFR, Financial Data Schedule, Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements, and PIH Notices impacting accounting and financial reporting Strong analytical and advanced research skills GAAP knowledge, financial statement presentation, and report writing Strong organizational skills, especially the ability to meet project deadlines with a focus on details Ability to work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment while handling multiple projects simultaneously and managing a diverse staff to accomplish desired results Ability to direct and prioritize multiple teams to successfully execute on engagements Ability to manage relationships for large and complex clients Ability to effectively manage a team of professionals and contribute to the professional development of assigned personnel Ability to identify with whom to build relationships at BDO to support their business; ability to build rapport and trust with other professionals easily

 

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

California Range: $155,000 - $180,000
Colorado Range: $155,000 - $180,000
NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range: $155,000 - $180,000
Washington Range: $155,000 - $180,000
Washington DC Range: $155,000 - $180,000