Senior Accountant

Job Title

Under general supervision, performs a variety of advanced-level professional accounting, auditing, and statistical work involving the preparing, maintaining, analyzing, verifying, and reconciling of financial transactions, statements, records, and reports; performs a variety of grant management and reporting including responsibility for administering all grants countywide; assists in preparing the year-end audit reports and schedules. Reports to the Controller.

Special Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintains a database of all awarded County grants. Tracks, monitors, and verifies expenditures, payments, budget balances, obligations, revenue, and fund balances for assigned grant programs. Reconciles grant award revenues with grant expenditures. Meeting with departments regularly on grant status.
• Compiles and analyzes financial, budgetary data reports, and statements for the development of monthly, quarterly, and/or annual reports for program staff, management, and/or regulatory agencies as required.
• Prepares financial reports and journal entries in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, federal guidelines, and all state and County regulations.
• Reconciles funds and accounts for assigned areas of responsibility; researches discrepancies, collects information, and reports findings to management in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Prepares and submits financial reports to support expenditures for reimbursement-based grants.
• Assists County departments with the submission of grant budget adjustment requests, no-cost extension requests, and other grant adjustments.
• Reviews and recommends fiscal year-end carry-forward requests that are grant-related.
• Provides documentation to external financial statement auditors on the annual Single Audit Program, the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), and other audit requirements.
• Assists in updating the County's Grants Policy to correspond with regulatory and other changes affecting the County's grants processes and procedures.
• Responds to inquiries and requests for information from federal, state, and internal and external audit agencies.
• Assist with fixed asset and capital project funding and expenditure tracking and reporting.
• Collaborates with supervisor and co-workers to improve work processes and services by making suggestions or recommendations.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Training & Experience

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; with three (3) to four (4) years of accounting experience.

Professional financial or grant certification such as a Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) is preferred, but not required.

Special Requirements

• Knowledge of computerized accounting systems and how they aid in compiling, maintaining, and using accounting information.
• Knowledge of techniques used to locate errors in accounting records.
• Knowledge of governmental accounting policies, procedures, and operations.
• Knowledge of internal financial control requirements.
• Knowledge of interpreting and applying appropriate federal, state, and local government laws and regulations regarding grant contracts and administration.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism when dealing with sensitive or confidential information.
• Skill in developing, modifying, and implementing financial policies.
• Skill in reviewing accounting transactions to ensure conformance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Skill in applying audit standards to set up, monitor, and modify internal procedures.
• Skill in advising management about the implications of financial information.
• Skill in reviewing the work of other staff for adequacy, methods, and conformance to County policies and grantor requirements.
• Skill in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information Includes giving assignments and/or directions to co-workers or assistants.
• Ability to read, prepare, and interpret financial documents, expenditure and revenue reports, financial statements, manuals, procedures, policies, regulations, correspondence, etc.
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Ability to record and deliver information, explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively using government budgeting and financial terminology.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and divide; to determine percentages and decimals; to compute interest and ratios; to perform algebraic operations and statistical calculations.
• Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instruction.
• Skill in being a self-starter, requiring minimal supervision and direction.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to communicate professionally and respectfully.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be physically able to operate a variety of office equipment including a computer, calculator, copier, telephone, etc. Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape. Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment. switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color. Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving the nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate by telephone.