Job description
Job Information
LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION, ACCOUNTS DIVISION, DAVIDSON COUNTY
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in accounting.
OR
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree including thirty-six quarter hours in accounting.
Necessary Special Qualifications: None.
Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.
Summary
Summary: Under immediate supervision, is responsible for professional accounting work of routine difficulty; and performs related work as required.
Distinguishing Features: Employees in the class are responsible for professional accounting work of routine difficulty; and perform related work as required. This is the entry professional level of the accounting field and is flexibly staffed with the classes of Accountant 2 and Auditor 2. Supervision is initially close, but as an incumbent learns procedures and practices, supervision becomes more general. This class differs from the next higher class in that incumbents of the latter function at the working level under general supervision.
- An applicant appointed to this flexibly staffed class will be reclassified to the next higher class in the series after successful completion of a mandatory one year training period; inadequate or marginal performance during the training period will result in automatic demotion or termination.
Responsibilities
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:
- Under direct supervision, monitors federal and third party, grant and program funds to ensure accurate fund results.
- Under direct supervision, monitors reported expenditures of sub-recipients grant funds and other program funds for allowable and accurate reporting.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:
- Audits basic invoices and billings for compliance with departmental policies and procedures, contract terms, federal and state laws and regulations under direct supervision.
- Audits tax related accounting documents to determine compliance with federal tax laws and regulations under direct supervision.
- Reviews refund request documentation prior to and after submission for payment under direct supervision to ensure recipient eligibility and proper allocation and disbursement of funds.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others:
- Interprets basic federal and state laws, rules, and regulations for internal and external customers to facilitate compliance.
- Interprets financial reports for non accounting personnel in response to basic questions.
- Interprets basic departmental rules and regulations for external customers to explain program parameters.
Analyzing Data or Information:
- Analyzes general ledger transactions under direct supervision to ensure and verify the accurate recording and/or application of funds under the direction of assigned supervisor.
- Analyzes account documentation submitted by external customers under direct supervision to determine accurate and appropriate expenditures under the direction of assigned supervisor.
Processing Information:
- Performs basic reconciliations of general ledger accounts against transaction queries, researched information, information provided by outside vendors, and individual transactions in electronic databases under direct supervision.
- Prepares financial activity reports for use by internal and external customers under direct supervision.
- Processes basic accounts payable transactions in electronic databases under direct supervision to pay internal and external customers accurately.
- Processes basic accounting journal entries in electronic database under direct supervision to record financial transactions.
- Processes basic accounts receivable transactions in electronic databases under direct supervision to record revenue from internal and external customers.
- Prepares sales tax returns as required under direct supervision.
- Updates and maintains accurate account postings in electronic databases under direct supervision.
Documenting/Recording Information:
- Records basic financial transactions in electronic databases, spreadsheets, and forms.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:
- Maintains up to date, professional knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
- Cross-trains with co-workers in assigned job duties to ensure continuity of operations and improve succession planning.
- Trains with external customers to ensure correct use of third party systems.
- Attends training on basic supervisory skills, policies, procedures, and best practices.
- Attends department specific in-service training as required to enhance personal development.
Getting Information:
- Under direct supervision, gathers account information from internal and external customers to update and maintain accurate account postings, support transactions, and perform reconciliations.
- Under direct supervision, conducts basic research in electronic applications, paper files, and interpersonally to gather data for processing transactions and preparing reports.
- Under direct supervision, runs queries in electronic databases to provide information for accounting and management analyses.
Thinking Creatively:
- Brainstorms workflow and process improvements with co-workers to enhance workplace efficiency and comply with audit suggestions.
- Designs simple electronic spreadsheets for internal departmental use under direct supervision to facilitate accounting work.
- Designs simple word processing documents under direct supervision for purposes of mail merge to mail customer letters.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:
- Communicates with supervisors and co-workers using multiple mediums to effectively relay work related information.
- Communicates with internal business partners to facilitate interdepartmental financial transactions.
- Communicates with supervisor to determine appropriate course of action to resolve complex issues.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems:
- Solves basic problems related to customer billing based on reporting and research under direct supervision.
- Recommends to assigned supervisor whether an account should be closed based on departmental outstanding balance policies.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:
- Manages long term projects under direct supervision to ensure timely completion of project milestones.
- Prioritizes daily tasks to meet deadlines and facilitate efficient task completion.
Communicating with Persons Outside of the Organization:
- Communicates with external customers regarding basic issues with financial transactions.
- Communicates with external customers to request additional documentation as needed.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:
- Develops professional working relationships with co-workers, program partners, and external customers to promote a healthy work environment.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events:
- Runs aging report as required to identify delinquent accounts and level of delinquency.
- Runs open item report as required to identify submitted but not applied monies.
- Runs finance status report as required to identify customers who should receive statements.
- Runs accounting queries as required to identify incomplete transactions.
Performing Administrative Activities:
- Fields customer service calls to answer account related inquiries.
- Reviews work correspondence on a daily basis to ensure timely response.
- Files work related documentation to ensure accurate and timely record keeping.
Interacting With Computers:
- Enters data using keyboard into electronic database to create and update accurate financial transactions.
- Enters personal time and leave requests into electronic database as required.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment:
- Operates basic office equipment including but not limited to copiers, scanners, faxes, and calculators.
Competencies
Competencies:
- Time Management
- Perseverance
- Customer Focus
- Ethics and Values
- Listening
- Decision Quality
- Problem Solving
- Learning on the Fly
- Planning
- Organizing
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
Tools & Equipment
- Personal Computer
- Telephone
- Fax Machine
- Printer
- Copy Machine
- Scanner
- Calculator
Other office related equipment as required