ACCOUNTANT - FINANCE

Mesa-County; Grand Junction (CO); On-site; USD 61,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Mesa County in Grand Junction, CO is seeking an Accountant to assist in producing timely financial statements and reports, with rotation through AP, AR, GL, and Financial Reporting to strengthen operational continuity and professional growth.

The role involves professional interaction with citizens, vendors, county staff and other fiscal managers, including billing inquiries, CORA requests, and compliance with GASB standards and internal controls.

Responsibilities

• General accounting support for internal stakeholders including Budget, Grants, Purchasing, and departmental teams.
• Serve as a point of contact for public inquiries related to billing, payments and financial records; respond clearly and professionally.
• Enter transactions and maintain the general ledger, journals, and subsidiary ledgers; support periodic financial reports and schedules.

Job description

$5,078.86 - $5,821.91_____________________________________________________________JOB SUMMARY:Assists in creating timely accurate financial statements and reports; performs professional level accounting work in the maintenance and analysis of a general ledger; maintains complex financial records; collects, reports and reconciles all revenues collected; performs technical and administrative tasks in the processing and maintenance of financial and other related data. This role is designed as a cross-functional accounting position. Team members rotate through key accounting functions (e.g., Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, and Financial Reporting) on a regular basis to support operational continuity, cross-training, and professional development. The role requires professional interaction with citizens, vendors, county staff, Human Resources and other department fiscal managers including clear written and verbal communication.ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:(The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other non-essential or marginal duties that may be required. Mesa County reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of this job at any time. All responsibilities may not be performed by all incumbents.)This Accountant position shares responsibilities with two other staff members; while not every duty listed will be shared, critical functions that require immediate coverage will be rotated among incumbents.General DutiesProvide accounting support to internal stakeholders including Budget, Grants, Purchasing, and departmental teams.Serve as a point of contact for public inquiries related to billing, payments and financial records; provide clear, professional responses. Examples of this would be fielding inquiries to re-issue uncashed checks, filling CORA requests, fielding questions from the published list of accounts payable items.Contribute to continuous improvement of financial processes and workflows.Perform other related duties as assignedFinancial Recording & ReportingEnter transactions and maintain the general ledger, journals, subsidiary ledgers, and other accounting records in county systems.Prepare, review, and support periodic financial reports and schedules for management.Support budget and forecast activities by ensuring timely and accurate ledger entries.Reconciliations & ComplianceReconcile general ledger accounts, bank accounts, and other balance sheet accounts.Prepare documentation and respond to requests for the county’s annual audit; assist auditors as needed.Ensure transactions and processes align with applicable GASB pronouncements, policies and internal controls.Accounts Receivable & Cash HandlingServe as accounts receivable superuser: generate invoices, post receipts, apply payments and resolve discrepancies.Monitor departmental receivable processes and depositing procedures; support collections and aging follow-up.Accounts Payable & Purchasing SupportAssist with vendor invoice processing, coding, and vendor inquiries.Coordinate procurement/payment documentation and support payment schedules when needed.Asset & Inventory ManagementMaintain fixed asset records, document additions/disposals, and support depreciation entries.Assist with inventory records, cycle counts, and reconciliation of variances.Process Improvement & Special ProjectsResearch and implement best practices to improve financial processes and system integrity.Lead or support special projects and workflow improvements as assigned.Rotating Duties (assigned on a monthly/quarterly rotation to distribute workload and cross-train staff)Accounts PayablePrimary contact for supplier invoice intake, coding, statement reconciliations, and payment runs.Accounts ReceivableLead customer billing cycles, invoicing, payment posting, collections follow-up, and generation of aging reports.Department SupportManage departmental expense requests, purchasing coordination, and internal accounting inquiries.Public SupportFirst responder for public-facing payment and records requests; manage front-desk/phone/ERP cases/email escalations.AssetsMaintain fixed asset register, coordinate recording, depreciations, physical verifications, and prepare asset-related entries.InventoryConduct cycle counts, reconcile inventory records, and coordinate reorder or disposal actions.Bank ReconciliationsLead monthly bank and cash reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Education and Experience:Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting and/or finance.Two (2) years of progressively responsible related accounting or finance work.Licenses & Certifications:Certified Public Accountant (desired)Experience with governmental accounting or familiarity with GASB standardsPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:This position requires standing, stooping, sitting, bending, twisting, and lifting up to 25 pounds. Work is generally confined to a standard office environment.In compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act the following items can be used as a determining factor in the starting and ongoing wage of an employee working in this position:A seniority system that rewards employees based on length of employment.A merit system that rewards employees for exceptional job performance.Education, training, or experience to the extent that they are reasonably related to the work in question.This position is eligible for the Mesa County benefit package which includes the following:Medical Paid Sick LeaveLife insurance VisionLong term disability DentalRetirement Paid Vacation Leave_____________________________________________________________AgencyMesa CountyAddress544 Rood AveGrand Junction, CO 81501Phone970- 244 - 1856Websitehttp://www.mesacounty.us