Orange County, VA - Director of Finance and Budget

The Director of Finance and Budget serves as the administrative director and operational leader of the department, executing statutory duties under Virginia law, County ordinances, and administrative policies. Reporting to the Assistant County Administrator, the Director exercises broad discretion in managing the County’s financial management systems, guiding annual budget development, directing accounting controls, and formulating long-range financial strategies.

This position functions as a hands-on department head who balances high-level strategic counsel with direct operational engagement. The Director serves as the primary financial voice before the Board of Supervisors, delivering formal presentations, leading budget work sessions, communicating quarterly fiscal results, and answering inquiries regarding fiscal policy. Externally, the Director coordinates with the independent external audit firm, state regulatory bodies, the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS), the Orange County School Division, and volunteer fire and rescue companies receiving municipal levy funding.

Key leadership and operational responsibilities include:

• Serving as principal financial counselor to the County Administrator and Board of Supervisors on multi-year revenue trends, capital financing, fund balance levels, and debt capacity.
• Directing the preparation, legal advertising, departmental review, and public presentation of the County’s annual operating budget and CIP leading up to Board adoption typically at the first meeting in May.
• Supervising the year-end closing process, preparing working trial balances and schedules, and leading the annual financial audit to achieve clean opinion findings.
• Guiding the development of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) to achieve and sustain the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
• Providing hands-on mentorship, technical guidance, and operational support to departmental staff to sustain workflow continuity and team bench strength.
• Overseeing financial compliance, revenue administration, and grant accounting across federal, state, and emergency services funding allocations.

Priorities

Elevating Financial Reporting and Audit Preparedness. The incoming Director will lead a concerted effort to enhance internal year-end closing processes, standardize monthly reconciliations, and structure comprehensive work papers ahead of the annual audit. A paramount priority will be establishing dependable, routine preparation procedures that facilitate timely, clean external audits. By institutionalizing rigorous accounting standards across all funds, the Director will position the County to earn the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, reinforcing public trust and stakeholder transparency.

Fostering Governing Board Collaboration and Reporting Cadence. Serving as the primary financial interface to the five-member Board of Supervisors, the Director will establish open, transparent, and regular communications. The incoming leader will transition reporting practices from a quarterly overview to concise, informative monthly fiscal updates that give elected officials clear visibility into revenue trends, expenditure patterns, and economic shifts. By presenting complex financial concepts in accessible, plain language, the Director will help the Board connect policy goals with fiscal capacity.

Supporting Departmental Talent and High-Performance Team Culture. The Finance and Budget Department operates as a small, highly dedicated team where the Director must lead from the front, serving as an accessible mentor and active technical participant. The Director will provide patient leadership, clarify operational standards, and support individual professional growth. Cultivating stability, camaraderie, and cross-functional competence will be essential to sustaining morale and high departmental output.

Directing Long-Range Financial Modeling and Strategic Economic Growth. Orange County is evaluating economic development prospects, commercial industrial expansion, and major broadband infrastructure developments. The Director will provide objective fiscal modeling, tax impact projections, and utility infrastructure revenue analyses to evaluate these opportunities. Working alongside the County Administrator, Economic Development leadership, and the Budget Manager, the Director will help safeguard the County's long-term tax base while preserving fiscal stability.

Evaluating Enterprise Financial Systems and Digital Modernization. The County has operated the Tyler Munis financial platform since 2013 and is assessing modern software modules and long-term enterprise technology enhancements. The Director will evaluate existing workflows across accounting, budget entry, requisitions, and payroll, identifying process bottlenecks and paper-based dependencies. Leading the modernization of financial reporting tools will improve interdepartmental self-service, reduce cycle times, and furnish executive management with automated, real-time fiscal intelligence.

Strengthening Intergovernmental and Regional Fiscal Partnerships. The department maintains critical fiscal linkages with external and constitutional agencies, including the Orange County School Division, the Department of Social Services, the Economic Development Authority, FiberLync, and independent volunteer fire and rescue corporations supported by the County’s emergency services levy. The Director will cultivate collaborative, dependable working relationships with school finance leaders, constitutional officers, and agency directors, ensuring seamless grant compliance, joint capital coordination, and transparent revenue transfers.

The Successful Candidate

The ideal candidate is an accomplished, ethical, and collaborative public finance executive who pairs technical mastery with approachable, supportive leadership. This leader combines a thorough command of local government fund accounting with the strategic vision required to guide an evolving county through economic growth and multi-year capital investment.

• Strategic Financial Vision: An analytical thinker who models long-range trends, anticipates revenue fluctuations, aligns annual budgets with County strategic priorities, and advises governing officials on debt structuring, reserve policies, and capital investments.
• Comprehensive Technical Expertise: An experienced practitioner with an advanced working knowledge of municipal fund accounting, Virginia local government finance statutes, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements, and GFOA criteria for financial reporting.
• Hands-On Team Leadership and Mentorship: A supportive manager who values daily engagement with colleagues, invests time in training and cross-training staff, fosters an environment of mutual respect, and empowers employees to assume greater operational responsibilities.
• Clear, Transparent Communication: An articulate presenter who translates complex balance sheets, millage calculations, and financial schedules into clear, actionable prose for elected officials, department directors, and the public.
• Interdepartmental Collaboration: A relationship builder who partners with fellow department heads, understanding their operational needs and working constructively to resolve budgetary, purchasing, and fiscal challenges.
• Process Improvement and Systems Acumen: An innovative administrator adept at refining business procedures, identifying technological efficiencies within enterprise financial systems, and standardizing operational internal controls.
• Integrity and Accountability: A leader possessing unwavering professional ethics, a calm demeanor during challenging budget deliberations, and a steadfast dedication to transparent stewardship of public resources.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements include a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field, along with progressively responsible public-sector financial management experience. Candidates must demonstrate supervisory or administrative management experience leading teams in governmental budgeting, accounting, auditing, or financial reporting.

Experience directing or actively contributing to municipal or county budget preparation is required. Proven expertise leading an organization through an annual external financial audit and preparing financial statements in compliance with GASB standards is essential.

Preferred qualifications include a master's degree in public administration, business administration, or finance. Designation as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), or Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) is strongly preferred. Experience with Tyler Munis or comparable enterprise financial management software is advantageous.

Inside The Department

The Finance and Budget Department provides comprehensive fiscal administration, accounting, procurement, and financial planning services across Orange County government. Operating on-site from the County Administration Office, the department is a specialized, high-performing operational team dedicated to maintaining internal controls, statutory compliance, and accurate financial reporting.

The department is organized into three primary operational divisions under the direct leadership of the Director of Finance and Budget:

• Accounting and Financial Operations: Led by the Assistant Finance Director, who brings five years of institutional tenure to the division. This team directly manages general ledger accounting, accounts payable processing, and enterprise payroll administration, supported by a Senior Accountant, an Accounts Payable Technician, a Payroll Analyst, and a Payroll Specialist.
• Budget and Financial Analysis: Directed by the Budget Manager, this division coordinates the preparation, modeling, monitoring, and publication of the County's operating budget and five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
• Purchasing and Contracts: Led by the Contract and Procurement Manager, this functional area oversees central procurement compliance, purchasing workflows, vendor agreements, interagency agreements (MOUs) and formal solicitations across County departments.

The department manages enterprise financial operations using Tyler Technologies Munis enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which has been in production across Finance since 2013. County utility functions are focused on FiberLync, the County's public broadband authority, while regional water and sewer services are delivered independently through the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA). In addition, real estate assessments are administered through an independent Real Estate Department, requiring the Finance and Budget Department to foster effective interdepartmental coordination to support tax billing and revenue forecasting.

Inside The County

Orange County operates under the traditional Virginia county board form of government. The governing body consists of a five-member Board of Supervisors (BOS), with each member elected to represent one of the County's five magisterial districts. The Board appoints a County Administrator to direct day-to-day administrative and operational functions, as well as a County Attorney to provide chief legal counsel.

Orange County's adopted Fiscal Year 2027 budget represents an annual spending plan of $165 million. The County employs approximately 415 full-time and part-time staff across diverse departments delivering comprehensive public services. The Board of Supervisors guides the organization through four strategic focus areas: A Vibrant Economy, Effective and Reflective Government, Sustainable Land Use, and Enhanced Quality of Life. Operating principles emphasize organizational collaboration, fiscal conservatism, transparent governance, and customer-centered public service.

The County maintains an exemplary track record of fiscal stewardship and financial strength. Following a comprehensive credit review prior to the sale of bonds in 2016, Standard & Poor's upgraded the County's Lease-Revenue Bond rating from AA- to AA and upgraded its General Obligation Bond rating from AA to AA+. Concurrently, the County secured initial bond ratings from Moody's Investors Service of Aa3 for lease-revenue bonds and Aa2 for general obligation bonds. Rating agencies favorably highlighted the strong fiscal management exercised by the Board of Supervisors and County staff across budget operations and financial resource planning. Both rating agencies have annually reaffirmed these high credit ratings.

Reinforcing this disciplined fiscal posture, Orange County has earned the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award annually since fiscal year 2018, as well as the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for 20 consecutive years. Additionally, the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties have recognized Orange County four consecutive years among the top 10 digital counties nationwide for jurisdictions with populations under 150,000, reflecting an enterprise-wide dedication to technological innovation and modern public administration.

The Director of Finance and Budget serves as an essential member of the County Administrator's executive leadership team, functioning as the chief financial advisor across the organization.

The Community

Orange County is located in the heart of Virginia's Piedmont region, approximately 60 miles northwest of Richmond, 70 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and just 20 miles northeast of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. The County spans 341 square miles of rolling countryside, historic estates, and small-town character, offering residents the rare combination of rural tranquility and easy access to major metropolitan areas.

With a population of approximately 39,000, Orange County is a close-knit community with deep historical roots. The County is home to the birthplaces of two U.S. Presidents, James Madison (Montpelier) and Zachary Taylor, and the Town of Orange and Town of Gordonsville each offer walkable, charming downtowns with local shops, restaurants, and community gathering places. Lake of the Woods, a planned residential community in the northwest portion of the County, is home to roughly 7,200 residents and offers a range of commercial and recreational amenities.

Orange County's economy is among the most diverse in the region, anchored by agribusiness, manufacturing, and commercial and retail services. The County is home to 419 active farms and 10 manufacturing companies employing more than 2,000 workers. A civilian labor force of over 17,000 supports the local economy, and the County's strategic location along key transportation corridors provides employers with access to a regional labor shed of more than 250,000 workers.

The County offers a high quality of life, with access to excellent outdoor recreation, a growing arts and cultural scene, and the natural beauty of the Virginia Piedmont. Residents enjoy a lower cost of living compared to Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. metro area, while remaining within a reasonable commute to those regions. Orange County Public Schools serves approximately 5,000 students and is complemented by private school options in the surrounding area. Germanna Community College maintains a campus in the County, and the University of Virginia and several other colleges and universities are within easy reach.

Compensation and Benefits

The starting salary range for the Director of Finance and Budget is $140,000 - $160,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Residency is not required but relocation assistance is provided.

Orange County offers an excellent benefits package, including the following:

• Participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance options
• County-paid life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Generous paid leave, including vacation, sick, and holiday leave
• Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program
• Support for ongoing professional development, professional association memberships, and continuing education

How to Apply

Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications beginning October 30, 2026.

Questions

Please direct questions to Anne Lewis at alewis@raftelis.com or Kelsey Batt at kbatt@raftelis.com.