1356 - FINANCE ACCOUNT PRINCIPAL - FINANCE/TREASURER (ACCOUNTS PAYABLE - FINANCIAL OPERATIONS DIV)

Position Description

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

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Salary $63,044.80 Annually


Salary Grade: 60

The Principal Accountant position in the accounts payable section of the Financial Operations Division is responsible for processing invoices, funding postage accounts, monitoring/reconciling postage, and petty cash/change fund accounts. This individual will prepare the monthly Transaction Privilege Tax-Sales and Use return and be part of the team preparing the annual filing of the 1099 forms to vendors and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Other duties include the recording of accounts payable financial information in the general ledger system to ensure data conforms to generally accepted accounting principles and established procedures, and providing answers to questions from vendors and fellow County employees regarding issues related to processing payments.

Proof of education will be required at time of interview.

Please note: Successful candidates offered employment with Pima County, including current employees who have applied for new positions, are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to their scheduled start date. If you are unable to become fully vaccinated due to a medical disability or religious observance/practice, you must request an accommodation - accommodation forms are located on-line.

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

EITHER:

(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.):

Three (3) years of recent experience working in an automated accounting software system with a focus on accounts payables.

Two (2) years of experience researching data to create, process, and file 1099 returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Two (2) years of experience preparing Transaction Privilege Tax-Sales and Use returns.

Two (2) years of experience working effectively on a team while demonstrating excellent customer service skills.

Two (2) years of demonstrated proficient experience using Outlook, Excel, and Adobe in addition to experience writing or running SQL queries.