Local Government Services Senior 1

Job Title

Local Government Services (LGS) Senior I

About This Job

Our Mission

To foster accountability and transparency in Louisiana government by providing the Legislature and others with audit services, fiscal advice, and other useful information.

Our Core Values

Independence We are independent in fact and appearance, objective and nonpartisan.

Excellence We believe in doing our very best at everything we do.

Professionalism We hold ourselves to the highest level of standards, competence, and character.

Credibility We are accurate, reliable, responsive, and accountable.

Integrity We maintain steadfast adherence to strict ethical standards.

Position Summary

The Local Government Services (LGS) Senior I is a skilled professional with substantial knowledge of governmental internal controls, operations, and best practices. This role demands strong organizational abilities, sound professional judgment, and effective communication skills. The LGS Senior I contributes to the completion of engagements and supports advisory projects, while providing guidance to staff on a limited basis.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Possess professional certification CPA (preferred) or CIA.
• Have at least one year of professional-level experience as a Staff II or in a related field.

Job Specification

Position Distinctions

This position differs from a Staff Team Member role by:

• Demonstrating an advanced understanding of governmental and not-for-profit accounting and auditing, internal controls, and best practices, with a developing knowledge of supervisory responsibilities.
• Possessing professional certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (preferred) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification.

Supervision Received

The LGS Senior I works under direct supervision from a LGS Senior II, LGS Senior III, Local Government Senior Administrator and/or Manager(s), or the Director of LGS. The LGS Senior I may receive indirect supervision from any LLA Manager and may be directly responsive to upper management where required.

Supervision Exercised

The LGS Senior I may provide guidance to staff on projects, but provides supervision with direct support from a LGS Senior II or III and/or LGS Administrator and/or Manager(s).

Essential Competencies and Skills

Communication:

• Prepares well-organized, concise, and clear documentation.
• Communicates effectively with supervisors, team members, and entity personnel.
• Keeps supervisors informed about project status and issues.
• Prepares analytical reports and discusses results with supervisors, co-workers, and entity personnel.
• Exhibits self-confidence through participation in internal and external meetings, demonstrating the ability to provide input on current projects as requested.
• Conducts interviews with entity personnel to gain an understanding of internal controls, entity issues, interpersonal conflicts, etc. and clearly documents that understanding.

Professional Conduct:

• Adheres to LLA standards of conduct, independence, ethics, and confidentiality.
• Accepts responsibility for actions and follows instructions from supervisors.
• Maintains a positive, team-oriented attitude.
• Remains flexible to changing work schedules and tasks, including working overtime when required.
• Works effectively as part of a team and represents Local Government Services in a positive, professional manner in all internal and external meetings.
• Meets productivity level of 70% (excluding K-time use).
• Annually obtains at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education in accordance with Section 1200 of the Employee Handbook

Job Knowledge and Skills:

• Possesses knowledge of local government operations, laws, internal controls, and LLA best practices.
• Possesses knowledge of governmental accounting and auditing standards (i.e., GASB, AICPA), as well as non-profit accounting standards (i.e., FASB), with the ability to summarize and report this understanding to others.
• Demonstrates strong research, analytical, and organizational abilities.
• Adapts to changing work schedules and assignments.
• Effectively assesses project risk and objectives to determine evidence, evaluation, and analysis needs to reach logical conclusions and complete project work plans.
• Possesses an understanding of project protocols, forms, and tools and can communicate this understanding with others as needed.
• Proficiently uses computer hardware and software to support project needs.
• Leads multiple tasks, assignments, and projects effectively at once, making appropriate decisions, and working independently to initiate and implement new ideas with less supervision than a Staff-level team member.

Job Duties and Other Information

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Although primarily assigned to Advisory projects, the LGS Senior I may also be assigned to other projects or duties.

Examples of possible duties include:

Advisory Responsibilities:

• Assists local governments in resolving compliance or operational challenges.
• Documents internal control issues, identifies potential deficiencies, and provides recommendations for improvement/solutions.
• Prepares clear and concise reports and recommendations for supervisors.
• Supports legislative requests and fiscal note preparation.
• Evaluates water rate and sewer studies.
• Prepares Federal Equitable Sharing Program documentation.
• Prepares and/or gives presentations, both internally and externally.

*Advisory projects often require in-state travel.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Reviews CPA reports or extension requests, as assigned.
• Responds to inquiries from local government officials or CPAs.
• Assists with Local Government Audit Guide maintenance.
• Assist with preparing, monitoring, overseeing, creating guidance, and/or answering questions related to LLA and legislative initiatives [i.e., statewide agreed-upon procedures, of Act 87 of 2020 (Justice System Funding schedules), and Act 669 of 2022 (uniform reporting for sales tax collectors), etc.].
• Any other duties as requested by management.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

The above job duties and responsibilities are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed by individuals assigned to this position; however, they are not an exhaustive list. The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those tasks from the position if the work is similar, related to, or a logical assignment for the position.