Chief Accountant

Basic Function

The incumbent is deputy to the Controller, and as such, performs a full range of complex accounting, technical, financial, supervisory, management, and administrative duties and provides overall planning, coordination, and accountability for large, complex projects, in compliance with laws, regulations, authoritative literature, and policies.

• SALARY:
  ** Level III
• REPORTS TO:
  
  ** Controller
• POSITIONS SUPERVISED:
  ** Four to Fourteen

• Responsible for two or more of the following functions: accounts payable, grants accounting and compliance, capital assets, liaison with financial management software vendor, general ledger (including budget control), liaison with Computer Services department, cash reconciliations, internal/external financial reporting, office management. Schedule, assign, direct, coordinate, oversee, and review the work of these functions.
• Interview, select, train and cross-train, direct, supervise, motivate, evaluate, and discipline subordinate staff in accordance with Borough policies and procedures.
• Prepare and maintain, or review, reconciliations, allocations, balancing operations, accounts maintenance functions, analyses, reports, statements, databases, spreadsheets, work papers, and schedules and perform other accounting tasks and special projects for both internal and external purposes. Work includes identifying and interpreting financial, technical, and other information and ensuring data integrity through self-audit, analyses, and review.
• Perform, assist with, coordinate, oversee, and/or review fiscal year-end accounting and closing tasks, audit preparation, the annual financial and single audits, and preparation of the annual financial statements and reports.
• Prepare and present formal training and information sessions.
• Manage projects, including planning, budgeting, resource allocation, procurement, implementation, training, Borough wide communications, and project debriefing.
• Assist in the selection and maintenance of material for the Accounting library. Keep current on developments and authoritative changes affecting the Boroughs accounting and other financial activities. Research, interpret, apply, and implement authoritative directives to which the Borough is subject. Monitor economic trends and new governmental accounting and financial concepts and techniques. Provide expert accounting, financial, and management advice to the Controller and Chief Financial Officer, and to the Administration and Assembly as needed.
• Troubleshoot and maintain the Boroughs financial systems. Plan, test, and implement new and updated vendor software. Supervise and/or train Borough staff in the use of the Boroughs financial systems.
• Make recommendations and participate in the formulation and implementation of Division and Department goals, objectives, policies, and procedures and of Borough wide financial policies and procedures.
• Respond to financial and accounting related inquiries.
• Perform other management, professional accounting, and financial functions or duties.
• Job responsibilities require working additional hours outside the Boroughs normal business day, cyclically and for special projects and public meetings.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Accounting, from an accredited institution or program, or a CPA. CPA is preferred. A Bachelor's degree in Finance or equivalent may be considered provided coursework includes relevant accounting classes.
• Five (5) years of professional accounting and/or financial auditing experience in positions of progressive responsibility and authority and at increasingly more complex levels of demonstrated proficiency and scope. OR CPA with three years professional accounting and/or financial auditing experience.
• General ledger experience and internal and external financial reporting experience is required. Experience in the following areas is preferred: governmental accounting, (governmental) budgeting and control, (governmental) purchasing, encumbrance accounting, grants accounting and compliance and single audits, management of a (governmental) accounting or finance office, payroll, capital assets, accounts payable, and cash reconciliations. Cross training or experience in any of the following functions is desirable: information technology, financial auditing, governmental finance, electronic procurement and payment processing, human resources and labor contracts, banking services, accounts receivable and cash handling, and (governmental) treasury and investments.
• Two (2) years supervisory experience is required. Demonstrated supervisory, planning, problem solving, and decision making skills and the ability to plan, coordinate, and direct work of subordinate staff. One (1) year management experience is preferred.
• Must have a verifiable background in automated accounting systems on mainframe/mid-range computers. Automated accounting system experience in a governmental or large-sized entity is desirable. Must have recent extensive and…