Accountant - Utilities Billing

City of Apple Valley; Apple Valley (MN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Apple Valley is seeking a Utility Billing Supervisor to oversee water, sewer, storm drainage, and streetlight billing operations. You will supervise meter reading entry, generate and mail bills, and manage payments and reporting in accordance with accounting standards.

You will coordinate with maintenance and meter vendors, handle customer inquiries, and ensure accurate data transfer between billing and metering software.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field; emphasis on additional education and/or work experience in computer application; or equivalent training and experience.
• One to three years of experience in a financial or accounting setting.
• Working knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office Software.
• Strong problem analysis and decision making skills; ability to develop alternatives and make prompt decisions under time constraints and conditions of uncertainty.
• Ability to work effectively in a high energy environment with minimal supervision; must set goals and priorities and work efficiently to accomplish critical objectives.
• Strong customer service orientation; ability to create effective working relationships with a variety of people and maintain a positive professional manner while resolving customer issues.
• Excellent public contact skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and download meter readings using metering software to obtain accurate meter readings used to generate bills for utility services.
• Produce accurate and timely generation of water bills for residential and commercial accounts within the city.
• Apply adjustments to utility accounts, process refunds, calculate sewer winter average annually for residential accounts.
• Set up annual billing rates and monitor for accuracy.
• Produce reporting and monitor billing to ensure accuracy and compliance to governmental standards.
• Oversee accurate collection and posting of payments received through the mail and electronically, post to utility accounts.
• Initiate weekly notices on delinquent accounts and coordinate collection processes with the Finance Director and City officials.
• Maintain utility billing account system, establish new accounts, update ownership changes, generate final bills and service turn ons/offs.
• Handle customer inquiries regarding utility service, establishing service, payments, and online services.
• Monitor metering software to notify residents of high or constant water use.
• Coordinate with maintenance on meter reading, water disconnects/reconnects, and meter repairs.
• Primary contact for software conversions, performing cleanup, data entry, training, and setup.
• Coordinate work of the utility accounting technician.

Skills

Problem analysis

Decision making

Customer service

Public contact

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Responsible for the City's Utility Billing operations with respect to water, sewer, storm drainage, and streetlight billings. Oversee entry of meter readings for billing accounts, generation of utility bills, mailing of bills, collection and posting of payments, reporting and balancing of accounting functions. Some public contact which includes answering telephone calls, emails and responding to walk-in inquiries regarding utility bills and service.

1. Monitor and download meter readings using metering software to obtain accurate meter readings used to generate bills for utility services. Review meter reads and manage exceptions. Work with maintenance and meter vendor to ensure meters are working correctly. Manage the transfer of account information between billing software and metering software.
2. Produce accurate and timely generation of water bills for utility service for residential and commercial accounts within the city. Review bills and reporting for accuracy. Upload billing data to payment vendor and metering vendor and mailing vendor. Manage the transfer of data between the billing software and the metering software.
3. Apply adjustments to utility accounts, process refunds, calculate sewer winter average annually for residential accounts.
4. Set up annual billing rates and monitor for accuracy.
5. Produce reporting and monitor billing to ensure accuracy and compliance to governmental standards, supply reports to the Auditors as needed.
6. Oversee accurate collection and posting of payments received through the mail and electronically, post to utility accounts.
7. Initiate weekly notices on delinquent accounts in accordance with policy, and process certification to property taxes twice annually. Coordinate collection process with Assistant Finance director, City Council and Logis.
8. Maintain utility billing account system based on information received. Establish new accounts, updates existing accounts for ownership and other changes. Generate final bills, adjust accounts as required, process water turn ons and offs.
9. Handle customer inquiries regarding utility service, establishing service, making payments, signing up for online payments and metering online services.
10. Monitor metering software to notify residents of high or constant water use.
11. Coordinate with the maintenance personnel on utility matters such as meter reading, water disconnects and reconnects, and meter repairs.
12. Primary contact for software conversions, performing cleanup, data entry, training, and setup,
13. Coordinates work of the utility accounting technician.

Performs other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the position as assigned by the City.

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field; emphasis on additional education and/or work experience in computer application; or equivalent training and experience.
• One to three years of experience in a financial or accounting setting.
• Working knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office Software.
• Strong problem analysis and decision making skills; ability to develop alternatives and make prompt decisions under time constraints and conditions of uncertainty.
• Ability to work effectively in a high energy environment with minimal supervision; must set goals and priorities and work efficiently to accomplish critical objectives.
• Strong customer service orientation; ability to create effective working relationships with a variety of people and maintain a positive professional manner while resolving customer issues.
• Excellent public contact skills.