Staff Accountant

Staff Accountant

We are seeking a driven, high-potential Staff Accountant to join our team as an integral part of our long-term leadership succession plan. In this unique role, you will manage day-to-day corporate accounting operations while being intentionally mentored, trained, and prepared to step into the Finance Director role when the current Finance Director retires.

The primary responsibility of the Staff Accountant position is to assist the Finance Director, who oversees the entire finance function of the Village and will assist in creating an innovative finance department positioned for long-term financial sustainability. The Staff Accountant will develop collaborative working partnerships with Village department heads and members of the Village Staff as needed.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The following duties are not intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties required for this position. The job description is a summary of the major duties and responsibilities. This role may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be expected to perform additional duties as requested.

• Assist the Finance Director in maintaining village wide accounting and reporting systems pursuant to Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and other regulatory requirements.
• Assist in the provision of oversight to financial operations village wide, including the maintenance of an adequate system of accounting records, internal controls and segregation of duties designed to mitigate risk and enhance the accuracy of the Village's financial results.
• Participate in the Finance Department activities, including accounts payable and receivable, journal entries, and general ledger reconciliation functions.
• Work with the Finance Director and other Village staff to develop long-range financial plans thereby ensuring the Village's financial sustainability.
• Research proposed financial accounting policies, standard operating procedures, and internal controls in order to establish consistent practices village wide and to assist the Finance Director in managing the Village's financial risks.
• Responsible for maintaining the Village Procurement Policies and to provide assistance to all departments with their procurement needs.
• Coordinate with the Finance Director to support procedures of Village independent auditors.
• Prepares various financial reports to internal and external stakeholders.
• Provides support to other departments for various quantitative analyses.
• Assists Finance Director in filing of reports required by Federal, State, and other authoritative agencies in a timely and accurate manner.
• Analyzes trends in the financial data and performs analysis of budgetary variances to assist with the Village's budgeting and reporting processes.
• Assists Finance Director is preparing analysis for the annual budget process.
• Applies knowledge of Excel functions to assist in the process improvement in preparation of various schedules and reports.
• Assist with the annual collection of Village funds, including permits, municipal citations, reimbursements, and property tax collections.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, business administration, or related field with emphasis in accounting.
• Must possess a minimum of 1-3 years financial accounting experience.
• Experience with Governmental Fund Accounting is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Knowledge of Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
• Experience with a variety of computer software programs including accounting, payroll, and Microsoft Office products.
• Must be able to work independently.
• Adept at learning new skills, capable of handling several assignments at one time, and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal relations/customer service skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of documents, records, and communications required.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained, may be substituted for educational experience, depending on applicability.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

Benefits

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Village of Caledonia contributes 85% of Health Insurance premiums, 50% of premium costs for Dental family or single coverage for full-time employees, and no contribution to Vision insurance (effective on the first of the month following a full calendar month of employment), subject to annual approval by the Village Board. Holidays: 10 paid holidays / 2 Floating Holidays Vacation: Completed Calendar Years of Paid Vacation Of Employment Awarded on January 1st 0-1 Year Proration of 10 days (80 hours) 1 year 10 days 2-4 years 15 days (120 hours) 5-9 years 20 days (160 hours) 10-15 23 days (184 hours) 16+ years 25 days (200 hours)

Education: With the advance approval of Village Administration, the Village will reimburse an employee for up to 100% of the cost of tuition, books, and testing charges relating to approved educational, courses, or certificate programs up to $2,000 per calendar year. Retirement Benefits: Employees are eligible to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) upon hire and meeting WRS eligibility requirements. Wisconsin Retirement System : WRS contribution rates are set annually by WRS, employee and employer contributions to this plan are required. 2025 rates are as follows: General Employees: 6.95% Employer Contribution, 6.95% Employee Contribution Protective Employees: 14.95% Employer Contribution; 6.95% Employee Contribution Deferred Compensation: Village of Caledonia currently makes available to its employees, on a voluntary basis, participation in a deferred compensation plan. Under this plan, each employee may, on a tax-deferred basis, contribute up to 15% (with a maximum annual contribution established by the IRS) of gross earnings. Village provides no contributions to this plan.

Life Insurance: The Village provides a basic term life insurance policy (subject to annual approval by the Village Board). The amount of term insurance provided depends upon the employee's annual salary. Additional units of life insurance may be purchased by the employee. Disability Insurance: Short- and long-term disability coverage is available to employees through payroll deduction at the employee's cost. Sick Leave: 1 day per month for each completed month of employment, with a maximum accrued carry-over of 190 days.