Accountant I - Treasury

Job Description: This position performs a variety of intermediate-level professional analytical and accounting functions, including the preparation of financial reports required by the State of Washington (including the Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) and State Auditor's Office requirements) and by City ordinance, resolution, or policy. Coordinates the maintenance and production of accounting reports and records and ensures compliance with established accounting procedures and practices. Uses the City's financial systems to ensure the accuracy of financial information and works as part of a team serving internal and external customers.

Essential Job Functions: Work activities involve multiple skills and may include, but are not limited to, any of the following depending on area of assignment, department needs, special projects, and cyclical factors such as year-end close, the annual audit, and the budget process: Collect, coordinate, prepare, research, and analyze a variety of complex reports for Federal, State and local agencies, and the City while ensuring compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) statements, and the Washington State BARS manual. Perform professional accounting services such as general ledger, internal controls, accounting system setup and functionality, capital assets, project accounting, and grant management and reporting. Perform professional financial services in matters such as City budget, long-term capital planning and capital improvement planning development, balancing, and reporting; accounts payable; and various special projects, as assigned. Within this Classification series, an Accountant will be assigned primarily to one of the areas below; however, all Accountants work closely, and responsibilities may overlap. For backup and succession planning purposes all accountants will be operating as part of a team to ensure that the work of critical activities and functions are able to be done by a minimum of two (2) employees in the Finance Department; cross-training on tasks is a vital and necessary component of this position. Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with City officials, department heads, co-workers, supervisors, and the public; use good judgment to respond to inquiries and resolve concerns in a positive and timely manner with tact and courtesy, sometimes under stressful situations. Coordinate, prepare and/or assist with the City's Annual Financial Report submitted to the State Auditor's Office, including statements such as the balance sheet; statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balance; budgetary comparison statement; statement of cash flows; statement of net position; and statement of activities. Prepare other financial schedules, spreadsheets, and financial projections during the year to support annual report requirements. Develop and maintain current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with step-by-step instructions for critical functions; test SOPs periodically to ensure they are accurate and adequate. Collect, prepare, post, and retain monthly journal entries. Balance journal entries at the fund level and distribute financial reports to City users. Prepare monthly, quarterly, and/or annual reports for the Finance Director, Boards, and City Council including, but not limited to budget variance, finance status, general ledger, and project accounting and progress reports. Reconcile all City cash accounts to the general ledger monthly. Retain reconciliations and bank records in orderly fashion. Assist the Finance Director and City Staff in the development and update of the Long-term Capital Plan and assist other departments with the development and update of the City's Capital Improvement Plan. Set up and maintain project accounting on multi-year projects and serve as a resource to project managers for financial reporting and tracking. Participate as a member of the audit team during the City's annual audit by the Washington State Auditor's Office; prepare reconciliations and supporting schedules and respond to auditor requests. Administer and maintain the City's chart of accounts in conformance with BARS; set up new accounts and maintain the account structure in the City's financial software. Assist the Finance Director and City Staff with the development of the biennial budget, mid-biennial budget update, budget amendments, budget adjustments, and researching budget variances. Audit departmental, finance, sales tax, and business license accounts for discrepancies as needed, as requested by Department Directors, or as part of annual verification. Participate on the team that manages access to, maintains, and upgrades the City's financial and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Maintain retention schedule and archives for finance documentation. Apply Washington State Archives local government records retention schedules (including CORE).Serve as a financial resource to other City departments and perform duties such as preparing revenue and expense statements, reconciling general ledger accounts, preparing journal entries to record financial transactions, and researching budgetary variances. Assist in day-to-day training and coaching and be a resource to department and city staff. Cross-train with other departmental staff on accounting and finance duties. Perform the duties of the assigned program area. Program Assignments While the core responsibilities of the Accountant position remain the same, each Accountant may be assigned specific program areas of focus: Program Assignment – Accounts Payable This Accountant will serve as the primary lead for: Serve as the City's accounts payable specialist, validate requests and issue accounts payable checks; process void/re-issue checks as necessary. Initiate timely transfer of bank funds for A/P procedures. Request and maintain W-9 information for vendors and issue year-end 1099. Determine necessity of Washington sales/use tax for out-of-state purchases. Verify correct sales tax for independent contractors. Check if vendor has a City business license. Maintain schedule of accounts payable check runs for management and City Council approval. Prepare, enter, and process high-volume of invoices, check processing, ACH payment processing, scanning, reconciling statements, cross-training, indexing, account coding, invoice filing, issue resolutions, and respond to vendor and department inquiries. Program Assignment – Payroll This Accountant will serve as the primary lead for: Process organization-wide payroll. Compile, input, process and distribute the City's monthly payroll including a semi-monthly draw, calculating necessary deductions. Validate and issue payroll checks and process void/re-issue checks to employees as necessary. Finance Department lead for the implementation of the City's Tyler Technologies Enterprise Resource Planning software for the Payroll function. Maintain payroll calendar and payroll system. Ensure all monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll reporting, including benefits, is completed accurately and timely. Set up and maintain employee direct deposit data. Initiate timely payroll direct deposits through specialized banking software. Assist the Finance Department to develop and improve the City's payroll policies, procedures, and programs. Coordinate with department directors and employees to implement and maintain day-to-day payroll processes, routines and priorities. Assist with the genesis and design for other software tools, including Advanced Microsoft Excel workbooks. Program Assignment – Treasury and DebtThis Accountant will serve as the primary lead for: Maintain all debt schedules and assist with Treasury functions. Lead finance liaison for the Investment Committee; prepare all documents and coordinate meetings. Maintain debt service amortization schedules and ensure timely debt service payments Record debt activity, year-end balances, and the Schedule of Liabilities (Schedule 09) for the Annual Financial Report. Support bond issuance, arbitrage, and continuing disclosure requirements. Assist with daily cash position monitoring, investment reconciliation (including the Washington State Local Government Investment Pool), and allocation of investment interest to funds. Associated Functions: Attend various continuing education meetings, seminars, and conferences. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned. Supervisory Responsibility: No direct supervisory responsibilities though may lead the work activities of others. Performance Requirements (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities): To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with or without reasonable accommodation. Knowledge of: Generally accepted accounting principles and the fundamental theories in accounting and finance. Automated finance and accounting information systems including Artificial Intelligence tools