ASSOCIATE ACCOUNTANT (PROVISIONAL)

City of Buffalo; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Buffalo seeks an experienced Senior Accountant/Senior Auditor to manage the financial records for municipal funds. You will supervise staff, perform complex account-keeping tasks, and consult on challenging problems in alignment with department policies.

Responsibilities include preparing statements, journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting audits. A strong foundation in governmental accounting and supervision is required to ensure accurate financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of governmental accounting methods, principles and practices.
• Ability to plan, direct and supervise the work of others.
• Experience assisting auditors and preparing schedules.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly/annual financial statements for government funds and account groups.
• Prepare journal entries requiring technical accounting research and adjustments between funds.
• Post recurring journal entries to general ledger as approved by supervisors.
• Summarize general ledger balances and prepare month-end trial balance.
• Assist auditors in their review of government funds and accounts.
• Direct and participate in processing invoices for city departments.
• Maintain appropriation and expenditure subsidiary records and reports.
• Assist in reconciling bank statements and accounts.

Skills

Governmental accounting

Supervisory experience

Financial statements preparation

General ledger analysis

Auditing

Education

Accounting degree with 24 credit hours in Accounting/Auditing

Job description

This is an important technical accounting position requiring thorough familiarity with the financial structure and the accounting procedures of the various governmental agencies where the position is located. Incumbents supervise the maintenance of all official books and accounts and personally perform the more difficult account-keeping work; however, a superior is consulted on difficult and unusual problems. General supervision is exercised over positions in this class allowing for the exercise of independent and mature accounting judgment in carrying out established department policies. Supervision is exercised over all subordinate employees assigned.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES

• Prepares monthly/annual financial statements for all government funds and account groups;
• Prepares journal entries requiring technical accounting research and adjustments between funds;
• Verifies and posts recurring monthly journal entries to general ledger as prepared by Supervising, Senior and Assistant Accountants and approved by the Principal or City Accountant;
• Summarizes general ledger balances for all funds and prepares month-end trial balance;
• Analyzes specific general ledger accounts as required;
• Assists auditors in their review of government funds, programs and accounts and prepares any necessary schedules;
• Directs and participates in the work of processing invoices for all city departments;
• -maintains appropriation and expenditure subsidiary records and reports;
• -determines the availability of funds for encumbrance;
• Assists all city departments in processing payments to vendors and miscellaneous accounting matters;
• Maintains relationship with area banks in regards to account maintenance and reconciliation problems;
• Prepares indemnities for lost checks;
• Assists in the reconciliation of bank statements for certain funds as required;
• Operates personal computer for use of both word processing and financial spreadsheet software, including reviewing financial statements and reports;
• Performs related duties as requiredPromotional,

Applicants must have continuous and permanent status in any city department as a Senior Accountant or Senior Auditor for one year.

IN ADDITION. APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:

• Masters or Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university including or, supplemented by 24 credit hours in Accounting/Auditing and one year of full time supervisory, accounting or auditing experience (must present transcript at time of filing application)

Open Competitive

• (A) Masters Degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by 24 credit hours in Accounting/Auditing and one year of full-time supervisory accounting or auditing experience (must present transcript at time of filing application);
• OR,
• (B) Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by 24 credit hours in Accounting/Auditing and two years of full-time accounting or auditing experience, one year of which must have been in a supervisory capacity (must present transcript at time of filing application);

Note: Verifiable part-time experience will be pro-rated to meet full-time experience

requirements.

Proof of education must be presented at time of appointment.

ACCOUNTING EXPERIENCE is defined as the art or system of keeping financial records. It is the recording, classifying, verifying and reporting financial data and presenting an analysis or interpretation of their significance. It includes the preparation of financial statements and schedules.

AUDITING EXPERIENCE is defined as the art of confirming financial statements or documenting the veracity of financial data. It includes a critical review of financial records and documents and an appraisal of fiscal procedures and operations.

Examples of ACCEPTABLE experience would be a full charge bookkeeper that is responsible for a full set of financial records including general ledger and all subsidiaries, Junior Accountant/Auditor and similar positions.

Examples of UNACCEPTABLE experience are account clerical experience and experience limited to posting, maintaining, examining or preparing one or more of the following: voucher register, sales register, cashbook, insurance register, accounts-receivable ledger, accounts payable ledger, any other special journal or subsidiary ledger or experience preparing income tax returns.

THE CITY OF BUFFALO IS AN EQUAL OPPORUNITY EMPLOYER

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS,

• Thorough knowledge of governmental accounting methods, principles and practices;
• Good knowledge of the organization and functions of municipal government and financial practices of the City;
• Ability to revise old and install new accounting records and procedures;
• Ability to plan, direct and supervise the work of others;
• Ability to analyze and resolve problems and adopt accounting methods to said problems;
• Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written directions;
• Ability to effectively communicate with subordinate staff and management, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to prepare correspondence and reports;
• Ability to be trained in the operation of personal computer, data terminals, printers and CRT terminals;
• Good professional judgment; Integrity;
• Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.