1356 - Finance Accountant - Principal - Finance / Treasurer (Financial Operations - Payroll Division)

Overall Job Objective

Position Description

This position is in the Pima County Finance & Risk Management Department.

Salary Grade: 60

This position is located in the Financial Operations Division (Payroll Section) of the Department of Finance and Risk Management. The successful candidate will work in a team environment with members of the payroll team processing the county payroll, taxes, garnishments, and employee benefits. This position will also assist employees via phone and email communication. We are looking for a person with a positive attitude who is eager to work in a team environment and assist fellow employees.

Proof of education will be required at time of interview. Duties/Responsibilities

(Work assignments may vary depending upon the department's needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.)

Participates in the preparation of interim and annual financial statements and other financial reports for the County or Treasurer's Office;
Prepares year-end working trial balances and other supporting accounting schedules and documents;
Provides technical assistance as needed to the Auditor General staff;
Collects, analyzes and balances financial and statistical data for all funds;
Reviews and analyzes accounting transactions, validates account coding and maintains accounting records;
Reviews, analyzes, balances and reconciles accounting activities for the County or Treasurer's Office;
Prepares accounting operating procedures and detailed flow charts;
Provides operational advice and training on the use of the County's or Treasurer's Office automated financial system to departmental users;
Monitors the recording of financial information in the general ledger system to ensure data conforms to generally accepted accounting principles and established procedures;
Implements changes to legislation enacted by the local, state or federal government, e.g., IRS codes, wage and hour laws, state sales taxes, etc.;
Prepares data for monthly, quarterly or annual reports, e.g., 941, sale tax, W-2's, 1099's, etc.;
Prepares audit work sheets, schedules, reports, statistical data and all supporting documentation to be used in compiling the annual financial report for the County or Treasurer's Office;
Reviews, analyzes and generates reports from the County's or Treasurer's Office automated financial systems;
Provides centralized billing and collection services for County departments or Treasurer's Office;
Evaluates impact of requested or mandated changes to the County's or Treasurer's Office automated financial systems, researches the feasibility of requests, and makes recommendations for improvements;
Develops detailed specifications regarding changes to accounting transactions needed for automated interfaces;
Monitors transactions related to cash, property tax, LGIP statement, interest accumulation, etc. in connection with the Treasurer's Office;
Provides cash management for federal grant programs;
Provides technical assistance and education related to IRS regulation, wage and hour laws, GAAP, etc., to other department personnel.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Knowledge of:

• general governmental accounting principles, pronouncements, practices and methods to include GAAP, GASB, etc.;
• financial accounting, internal reporting and statement preparation;
• applicable governmental regulations to include IRS codes, wage and hour laws, OMB circulars, etc.;
• applications, procedures and flow techniques of automated financial systems;
• training methods and procedures;
• principles and techniques for data collection, report writing and data analysis;
• applications of management information systems to automated financial systems.
  
  Skill in:
• applying accounting principles to the preparation of financial statements and fund accounting;
• analyzing, interpreting and reconciling accounting data;
• identifying problem areas and recommending revisions and improvements;
• preparing accurate and complete financial reports from accounting records and information systems;
• communicating effectively, both orally and in writing;
• examining major accounting systems for operational efficiency and making recommendations for modification;
• researching and interpreting authoritative accounting sources or local, state and federal laws and regulations and applying results to area of assignment;
• understanding legal terminology as it pertains to contracts, wage assignments, tax levies, etc.

Minimum Qualifications

(1) A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, finance, economics, public or business administration or a closely related field as defined by the appointing authority at the time of recruitment and two years of professional level experience in accounting, budgeting, auditing, financial analysis or financial management. (Additional relevant education from an accredited college or university and/or experience may be substituted.) (A CPA designation may substitute for one year of required experience.)
OR:
(2) Two years of experience with Pima County as an Accountant-Senior, Finance Analyst - Senior, Grant Accountant and Compliance Specialist, Finance Operations Specialist-Central Finance, Internal Auditor I or Finance Accountant - Principal.

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Preferred Qualifications:

(Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.):

1. At least three (3) years of payroll experience processing employee timesheets, applying policy, reviewing employee leave banks, processing federal and state taxes, calculating employee garnishments, child support deductions, state retirement and other employee benefits.
2. At least three (3) years experience with a dedicated payroll platform, such as ADP, eTime or Kronos.
3. At least three (3) years of Excel experience using Vlookup formulas and pivot tables.
4. At least two (2) years of supervisory experience.

Supplemental Information

Licenses and Certificates: Some positions require a valid Arizona Class D driver license at the time of application. Failure to maintain the required licensure shall be grounds for termination.

Special Notice Item: The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education and criminal conviction history. A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County.

Physical/Sensory Requirements: Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position.