POULSBO — Less than a week after Finance Director Nanci Lien resigned to take a job in Olympia effective Jan. 31, the search for her replacement appears to winding down.

Finalists for her position were interviewed by a panel that included Mayor Kathryn Quade and Councilman Ed Stern along with a representative from the finance department and other department heads.

Quade said she has two top candidates after the interviews, but she still needs to conduct a closer review of their qualifications before making a final recommendation.

“By the end of the month, I should be bringing a recommendation to the council,” she said.

In the interim, Quade said she is confident that the finance department staff will continue doing an outstanding job.

“I believe we have some real workable options,” Stern said Monday morning.

Panelists will forward their recommendations to Quade, who will present the final recommendation to the council.

“This needs to happen in short order, but we have some very capable staff who can carry the workload,” Stern said.

If the search takes longer than anticipated, Stern said the city wouldn’t be adversely affected because of the team that already exists within the finance department.

“We’re not in a budget cycle, but the software implementation is a big deal,” Stern said.

The speed of the search is in stark contrast to the search for a new public works director, which began as soon as Quade took office in January 2006.

Then-public works director Jeff Lincoln resigned to become the city of Steilacoom’s public works director.

Current public works director Jeff Bauman didn’t begin his duties until the first week of June 2006, when he arrived from a similar position in Wilsonville, Ore.

This time around, Quade said the city received a large number of qualified candidates from the Washington Finance Officers Association and the Association of Washington Cities, which has helped expedite the search.

The finance department has two positions the new director will have a hand in filling, she said.

When the new director finally arrives, hopefully sometime in March, Quade said she expects a smooth transition.

“I am confident that the finance group will bring the new director up to speed,” Quade said. “I see it as a good progression.”