Fiscal Director - Appeals Court

Departmental Mission Statement: The Appeals Court is committed to doing justice under the law by rendering thoughtful, well reasoned appellate decisions in a timely and efficient manner, treating all those who come before the court fairly and impartially.

Departmental Function: The Administrative Office of the Appeals Court is intended to create a collaborative Administrative Team to support access to justice, human resources, support services, fiscal operations, information technology services, and general administration and communication. Personnel assigned to the Appeals Court Administrative Office report directly to the Court Administrator who ultimately answers to the Chief Justice of the Appeals Court.

Position Summary:

The Fiscal Director of the Appeals Court performs a variety of confidential, financial, budgetary, and administrative functions.  The broad fiscal responsibilities include receiving budget requests as well as overseeing and processing all financial transactions from funds appropriated by the Legislature.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court is driven by commitments to improve technology, the user experience, and workforce development for the 21st century.   The Fiscal Director is generally responsible for budgetary and fiscal coordination for Appeals Court operations, and all required internal and external financial reporting; analyzing budget issues; contingency planning for possible future budget scenarios; all internal audit activities; review of contracts; and procurement services.

The position requires leadership, a commitment to continuous improvement, a thorough knowledge of state fiscal responsibilities, specifically associated with budgets and budget process, payroll, encumbrances, and administrative procedures.  Qualified candidates should be able to demonstrate a full understanding of the budget process and the roles of the various entities associated with the annual budget process.   The ideal candidate for this position enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and is flexible to the changing needs of the administrative department.  They embrace technology, are detail oriented, a team player, and will collaborate with colleagues as necessary to complete the transition of the department to a fully digital environment.

Major Duties: include reviewing and preparing the annual budget and spending plan for the Appeals Court along with preparing all mid-year reports for submission to the Legislature.

Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Monitors all spending accounts.
• Performs financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Prepares and presents regular financial budgeting reports as related to forecasts and projections.
• Develops and maintains annual operating budget.
• Monitors and updates the salary scale for all active employees, including calculating cost of living and step increases.
• Manages all subsidiary accounts as needed.
• Maintains and updates the Court's fiscal budgeting software system (Questica) to support Appeals Court needs.
• Maintains & updates the Annual Internal Control Financial Plans.
• Manages the practices of the fiscal office to ensure that business is in accordance with State Financial Laws, MGL's Regulations and all Comptroller's Policies & Procedures.
• Leads the implementation of new fiscal office practices and procedures.
• Completes the Annual & Mid-Year Fixed Asset & Inventory Review Forms.
• Completes the Annual General Accepted Accounting Principles Form.
• Sets-up and closes out the fiscal year on an annual basis, which includes, but is not limited to, managing the Court’s Dynacash account, closing out all invoices, creating space for new fiscal records and archiving old ones.
• Serves as key point of contact for external auditors; manages the preparation and support of all internal audits.
• Manages contract renewals, procurement, and inventory for the Court.
• Remains accountable for the proper filing of all fiscal-related documents in Livelink (the Court’s document management system).
• Liaises with Trial Court CFO, Supreme Judicial Court CFO, and Trial Court HR to properly implement Judiciary-wide fiscal-related initiatives.
• Ensures compliance on non-routine employee reimbursement requests.
• Leads on the resolution of complicated fiscal-related issues that arise.

Additional duties performed:

• Supervises and assists the senior administrative coordinator and administrative coordinator in payroll, HR, and procurement management.
• Supervises and assists the Administrative Office team in other clerical and administrative functions as necessary.
• Assists with yearly performance evaluations of designated administrative office staff.
• Performs related duties as required by the Court Administrator or their designee.

Minimum Requirements:

A Bachelor’s degree and minimum five (5) years of related experience in fiscal analysis and planning; or an equivalent combination of education and experience (A Master’s degree is not required but would demonstrate a commitment to professional development and is highly preferred).

Considerable knowledge of budget, forecasting, modelling, and budget contingency planning, and related analysis.

Considerable knowledge of state systems, including but not limited to MMARS, HR/CMS, Mobius, and the Warehouse.  Knowledge of the Court's fiscal budgeting system, Questica, is preferred, but not required.

Previous experience supervising and evaluating staff.

Strong computer skills required, including but not limited to advanced knowledge of Excel.

Ability to organize and present factual and fiscal data in a format that is clear and understandable to persons without financial training.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally with persons at all levels, and to maintain effective working relationships.

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively orally and in writing; ability to multi-task and manage a variety of assignments simultaneously.

Ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and develop prompt solutions for issues that require creative innovation.

Ability to handle sensitive matters on a confidential basis.

Working Conditions:

 

Work is performed in an office or similar indoor environment. The Appeals Court’s physical offices and courtrooms are in Boston at the John Adams Courthouse. The Appeals Court has a remote work policy under which employees may be allowed to work remotely for part of their weekly schedule.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and provides equal opportunity in state employment to all persons. No person shall be denied equal access because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, military or veteran status, physical/mental disability; or genetic information. 

The Appeals Court seeks out, welcomes, and encourages applicants of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. 

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Employment with the Trial Court is contingent upon passage of a criminal record check.