Accountant 1

About the Role

This is an entry-level professional accounting position. Supervision is initially close and becomes more general as incumbents gain experience. Successful completion of a mandatory one-year training period is required for reclassification to the next higher class in the series.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitoring Processes, Materials, Or Surroundings:
• Under direct supervision, monitor federal and third-party, grant, and program funds for accurate results.
• Under direct supervision, monitor reported expenditures of sub-recipient grant funds and other program funds for allowable and accurate reporting.
• Evaluating Information To Determine Compliance With Standards:
• Audit basic invoices and billings for compliance with departmental policies and procedures, contract terms, and federal and state laws and regulations.
• Audit tax-related accounting documents for compliance with federal tax laws and regulations.
• Review refund request documentation prior to and after submission for payment to ensure recipient eligibility and proper allocation and disbursement of funds.
• Interpreting The Meaning Of Information For Others:
• Interpret basic federal and state laws, rules, and regulations for internal and external customers.
• Interpret financial reports for non-accounting personnel.
• Interpret basic departmental rules and regulations for external customers.
• Analyzing Data Or Information:
• Analyze general ledger transactions to ensure and verify the accurate recording and/or application of funds.
• Analyze account documentation submitted by external customers to determine accurate and appropriate expenditures.
• Processing Information:
• Perform basic reconciliations of general ledger accounts against transaction queries, researched information, information provided by outside vendors, and individual transactions in electronic databases.
• Prepare financial activity reports for internal and external customers.
• Process basic accounts payable transactions in electronic databases.
• Process basic accounting journal entries in an electronic database.
• Process basic accounts receivable transactions in electronic databases.
• Prepare sales tax returns as required.
• Update and maintain accurate account postings in electronic databases.
• Documenting/Recording Information:
• Record basic financial transactions in electronic databases, spreadsheets, and forms.
• Updating And Using Relevant Knowledge:
• Maintain up-to-date, professional knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
• Cross-train with co-workers.
• Train external customers on the correct use of third-party systems.
• Attend training on basic supervisory skills, policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Attend department-specific in-service training.
• Getting Information:
• Gather account information from internal and external customers to update account postings, support transactions, and perform reconciliations.
• Conduct basic research in electronic applications, paper files, and interpersonally to gather data for processing transactions and preparing reports.
• Run queries in electronic databases for accounting and management analyses.
• Thinking Creatively:
• Brainstorm workflow and process improvements with co-workers.
• Design simple electronic spreadsheets for internal departmental use.
• Design simple word processing documents for mail merge.
• Communicating With Supervisors, Peers, Or Subordinates:
• Communicate with supervisors and co-workers using multiple mediums.
• Communicate with internal business partners to facilitate interdepartmental financial transactions.
• Communicate with supervisors to determine appropriate courses of action.
• Making Decisions And Solving Problems:
• Solve basic problems related to customer billing.
• Recommend to supervisor whether an account should be closed based on departmental outstanding balance policies.
• Organizing, Planning, And Prioritizing Work:
• Manage long-term projects to ensure timely completion.
• Prioritize daily tasks to meet deadlines.
• Communicating With Persons Outside Of The Organization:
• Communicate with external customers regarding basic issues with financial transactions.
• Communicate with external customers to request additional documentation.
• Establishing And Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:
• Develop professional working relationships with co-workers, program partners, and external customers.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, And Events:
• Run aging reports to identify delinquent accounts.
• Run open item reports to identify submitted but not applied monies.
• Run finance status reports to identify customers who should receive statements.
• Run accounting queries to identify incomplete transactions.
• Performing Administrative Activities:
• Field customer service calls to answer account-related inquiries.
• Review work correspondence daily.
• File work-related documentation.
• Interacting With Computers:
• Enter data using a keyboard into electronic databases.
• Enter personal time and leave requests into an electronic database.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, Or Equipment:
• Operate basic office equipment including copiers, scanners, faxes, and calculators.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Tools and Equipment Used:
• Personal Computer
• Telephone
• Fax Machine
• Printer
• Copy Machine
• Scanner
• Calculator
• Other office-related equipment as required

Qualifications

• Knowledge:
• Basic knowledge of clerical office procedures.
• Basic knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
• Basic knowledge of mathematics (arithmetic).
• Basic knowledge of computer operation.
• Basic knowledge of office productivity software.
• Skills:
• Intermediate speaking skills.
• Intermediate writing skills.
• Intermediate reading comprehension skills.
• Basic mathematics skills.
• Basic monitoring skills.
• Basic spreadsheet design skills.
• Active learning skills.
• Active listening skills.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Service orientation skills.
• Time management skills.
• Abilities:
• Intermediate oral comprehension ability.
• Intermediate oral expression ability.
• Intermediate mathematical reasoning ability.
• Intermediate deductive reasoning ability.
• Intermediate written comprehension ability.
• Intermediate written expression ability.
• Basic problem sensitivity ability.