Accounting Technician

This is not a remote position

Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at DPS headquarters in Des Moines.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a statewide law enforcement agency committed to serving the people of Iowa with leadership, integrity, and professionalism. We uphold the core values of courtesy, service, and protection, and collaborate with federal, state, and local jurisdictions within the criminal justice community to provide for the safety of people living in or traveling through the State of Iowa.

• Iowa State Patrol
• Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
• Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement
• Iowa State Fire Marshal
• Division of Professional Development and Support Services
• Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center
• Administrative Services Division

• Independently audit out-of-state spend authorization requests, supporting documents and travel reimbursement requests to ensure compliance with the Code of Iowa, administrative rules, the Department of Administrative Services accounting policy and procedures manual, and internal departmental policies.
• Approve spend authorizations and travel payment requests in compliance with rules, regulations and policies and reject spend authorizations and travel payment requests with insufficient support documentation or in conflict with rules/ regulations, policies or general government accounting practices.
• Prepare regular reports to track Spend Authorizations and expense claims to ensure they are completed and closed in a timely manner.
• Assist supervisor in assuring expense claims are completed by analyzing open spend authorizations, reaching out to employees, and answering questions about policies and procedures.
• Accurately interpret federal and state rules/regulations, department policies and contractual terms and conditions, and generally accepted accounting practices for allowance of account payable requests.
• Approve account payable request in compliance with the Code of Iowa, administrative rules, the Department of Administrative Services accounting policy and procedures manual and internal departmental policies and initiate the appropriate accounting transactions.
• Ensure claims are legitimate, authorized, accurate and documented, that all goods have been received and services rendered and that charges are correctly coded.
• Reject account payable documents with insufficient support documentation or in conflict with rules/regulations, policies or general government accounting practices.
• Research and resolve discrepancies and provide guidance to division(s) with respect to policies and procedures and proper documentation.
• Compile cost accounting data to prepare periodic financial reports pertaining to accounts payable and create reports as requested by departmental staff.
• Independently develop and maintain an accurate accounting database for monitoring contract budgets to ensure service providers do not exceed contractual limits.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve all claims and discrepancies claims that have been identified as containing errors, omissions or deficiencies.
• Perform other duties required to complete the payment processing cycle, including distribution of warrants.
• Maintain accurate and well-organized records to handle inquiries from employees and vendors regarding the status of payments or associated payment procedures.
• Research and compile information to respond to inquiries in a timely manner.
• Communicate with vendors to process vendor set up and address changes as needed.
• Prepare and provide monthly reports to the employee responsible for preparing and maintaining the department's budget.
• Provide comprehensive and accurate technical assistance to vendors and department staff regarding the interpretation and application of federal, state or department rules/policies and generally accepted accounting practices involved in the maintenance of financial accounts and preparation of account payable documents.

• The State of Iowa is an E-Verify Employer.
• Candidates must successfully pass a comprehensive background investigation conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety investigators before a final letter of employment offer is delivered.
• Applicants are encouraged to attach a cover letter and resume within the NEOGOV application.
• This is not a remote position.

At the State of Iowa, we value our employees’ talents and backgrounds, and we are…