ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT

Helena, City of (MT); Helena (MT); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Helena is seeking an Accounting Assistant to support daily financial operations under the Finance Director and Controller. You will serve as a central hub for banking, receivables, loan portfolios, and insurance claims, while assisting with records management, deposits, and vendor invoices.

In this role you will collaborate with the utility customer service team and other departments, handling confidential data with integrity and precision.

Qualifications

• Requires high school diploma or GED.
• Two years experience in computerized accounting system.
• Proficient in Word and Excel; good communication.

Responsibilities

• Prepare daily deposits and enter banking activity in the banking worksheet.
• Record loan receivables and update loan schedules with new/expired loans.
• Process department purchase orders and direct invoices.
• Create miscellaneous billings and support accounts payable/receivable as needed.
• Administer petty cash and assist with records retention compliance.

Skills

Customer service

Strong organization

Mathematical calculations

Record keeping

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

High school diploma or GED

Two-year business/office certificate (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Launch your municipal career as a vital Accounting Assistant for the City of Helena, where your financial skills directly support our community. In this dynamic role, you will work under the strategic direction of the Finance Director and Controller to keep the city's financial engine running smoothly.

Rather than managing repetitive paperwork, you will be the go-to operational hub for the finance team. You will handle everything from banking and receivable operations to managing the crucial loan portfolios that fuel local development. As the city's liaison for property and liability insurance claims, you will protect municipal assets and help navigate critical risk scenarios. This highly collaborative position offers incredible variety—whether you are streamlining records management, executing daily deposit workflows, or stepping up to support the utility customer service team during peak times. If you are a detail-oriented professional ready to make a tangible impact on the capital city, this multitasking role is your next great step.

60% Accounting Support

This position is responsible for preparing daily deposits and entering daily banking activity on the banking worksheet. Ensures appropriate documentation for each deposit is received and managed according to retention policies. Excel spreadsheets are used extensively as tools to facilitate balancing between the bank, credit card processing companies and the accounting system.

Record loan receivables in established schedules. Ensure documents have been recorded with the County Clerk's office. Update loan schedules with new loans, loan payoffs and expired loans. Organize loan documents so they can be easily referred to and tie to loan schedules. Prepare loan-payoff estimates for supervisor to review and act as the city finance liaison for escrow companies and brokerage firms.

Enter department purchase orders and direct invoices.

Create miscellaneous billings for audit, county shared services, etc.

Responsible for administering the department petty cash funds.

Supports accounts payable and receivable personnel as assigned. While this position is not expected to perform at the Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable Technician level, they may be called upon to cross-train to support those activities as needed.

15% Liability and Property Insurance

Administer the City's liability and property insurance claims.

Monitor claims as they are submitted. Contact claimant if necessary to finalize the claim and send it to the insurance adjuster.

Communicates and collaborates with other city departments and the City Attorney's office to gather claim information in order to process claims with accuracy in an efficient manner.

Maintains and updates the monthly claim files and reports.

Prepares monthly liability deductible invoice by reviewing claims and determining what division the deductible payment is assigned for cost recovery purposes.

Administer the annual property insurance valuation updates. This includes collecting property data from the insurance carrier, organizing it by division and sending each division their respective sections to review, update and return. Ensures all property data has been updated with current values and sends back to the insurance carrier. Fields questions from divisions and insurance carrier on property data.

Finalizes all insurance renewal information and ensures updated certificates are received and organized in the insurance file.

25% Administrative

Prepares and updates procedural manuals as assigned.

Process incoming and outgoing mail.

Uses standard computer software to word process, proofread and process a variety of documents, including general correspondence, reports, meeting agendas and minutes, memos, and spreadsheets.

This position is responsible for tracking and managing department files for records retention compliance.

This position manages office supply inventory and is required to order, receive, inventory, store, and distribute supplies, forms, and related items.

Other administrative duties as assigned.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Related to this Position:

Knowledge of:

• Customer service skills including active listening and problem solving
• Strong organizational skills
• Make correct mathematical calculations
• Principles and procedures of record keeping
• Generally accepted accounting and bookkeeping principles
• Knowledge of federal and state laws or ability to research and familiarize self as related to position duties.
• Learn and become highly functional in several major modules of the City's accounting software

Skill or ability to:

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Establish, maintain and foster positive, harmonious, and effective, professional working relationships with employees and the public
• Practice excellent time management and organizational skills
• Perform varied and responsible fiscal and operational duties as outlined in job description.
• Exercise sound decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Exercise strong interpersonal skills
• Multi-task and work with routine interruption
• Exercise proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel & Word)
• Perform analytical and mathematical skills
• Maintain the highest degree of integrity when handling confidential data

Physical Demands:

The position requires the ability to perform sedentary physical work with the ability to lift and carry up to 10 pounds regularly and on occasion up to 50 pounds. The position must have the ability to perform body movements applicable to records management and an office environment.

Safety

Performs all functions in the safest possible manner and according to policies and procedures. Participates fully with safety trainings. Reports unsafe work conditions and practices, work-related injuries, illnesses, and near-misses as soon as possible to assigned supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience and Training):

Requires a high school diploma or GED certificate.

Prefers a certificate of completion or graduation from a two-year business, vocational, trade school or college curriculum.

Requires proficiency and working knowledge in Microsoft Word and Excel; interoffice and public communications; and frequent interpersonal contact in the performance of duties.

Requires a minimum of two years of experience in using a computerized accounting system.

Other relevant combinations of education and work experience may be evaluated on an individual basis.