Accountant - Finance

mesacounty; United States; On-site; USD 57,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Mesa County is seeking an experienced accounting professional to assist in creating timely, accurate financial statements and reports. The role involves maintaining the general ledger, reconciling accounts, and supporting financial reporting for budgets, grants, purchasing, and departmental teams.

The position rotates through Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, and Financial Reporting to promote cross-training and development, with strong communication skills required for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance required.
• Two years of progressively responsible accounting/finance work.
• CPA license desired; GASB standards familiarity encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Provide 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.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of financial processes and workflows.
• Enter transactions and maintain the general ledger and related ledgers.
• Prepare financial reports and support budget/forecast activities.
• Reconcile accounts and assist with annual audit coordination.

Skills

Communication

Cross-functional

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

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:

General Duties

• Provide 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 assigned

Financial Recording & Reporting

• Enter 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 & Compliance

• Reconcile 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 Handling

• Serve 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 Support

• Assist with vendor invoice processing, coding, and vendor inquiries.
• Coordinate procurement/payment documentation and support payment schedules when needed.

Asset & Inventory Management

• Maintain fixed asset records, document additions/disposals, and support depreciation entries.
• Assist with inventory records, cycle counts, and reconciliation of variances.

Process Improvement & Special Projects

• Research 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 Payable: Primary contact for supplier invoice intake, coding, statement reconciliations, and payment runs.
• Accounts Receivable: Lead customer billing cycles, invoicing, payment posting, collections follow-up, and generation of aging reports.
• Department Support: Manage departmental expense requests, purchasing coordination, and internal accounting inquiries.
• Public Support: First responder for public-facing payment and records requests; manage front-desk/phone/ERP cases/email escalations.
• Assets: Maintain fixed asset register, coordinate recording, depreciations, physical verifications, and prepare asset-related entries.
• Inventory: Conduct cycle counts, reconcile inventory records, and coordinate reorder or disposal actions.
• Bank Reconciliations: Lead 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 standards

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

This position r