Cost Accounting Manager (Mgr 2, Finance, Budget & Accounting)

City of Seattle; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

Seattle City Light is seeking a Cost Accounting Manager to oversee project costing and compliance with financial controls. This role involves managing a team, ensuring accurate financial reporting, and engaging with various business units for effective cost tracking. Ideal candidates have extensive accounting experience and strong leadership skills.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Vacation, holiday, and sick leave

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Qualifications

• 8+ years of accounting-related job experience.
• 2+ years in a management or supervisory capacity.
• Experience with fixed asset accounting.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Cost Accounting function for annual expenditures.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards and financial controls.
• Monitor work unit costs for budget compliance.

Skills

Management skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business with Accounting emphasis

Tools

PeopleSoft Financials

Job description

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Seattle City Light’s Accounting Division has an opportunity for an experienced Cost Accounting Manager. In this position, you will manage the Cost Accounting function, which performs detailed project costing for annual expenditures of $400 million through a work order system, accounts for utility plant assets of approximately $6 billion through an asset management system and performs various overhead cost allocations. You will manage six direct reports and ensure that a high volume of transactions is accurately recorded in compliance with internal controls and policies. This position reports to the Controller and interacts directly with internal customers at all levels.

Here is more about what you’ll be doing:

• Develop, communicate and ensure compliance with key policies, processes, procedures and financial controls relating to project costing, fixed assets, inventory and overhead allocations.
• Ensure conformance with applicable accounting standards including GASB, GAAP, and FERC regulatory requirements.
• Develop and implement cross-functional process improvements
• Develop ongoing reporting of performance metrics and key operating statistics.
• Work with power generation, electrical transmission and distribution, energy conservation, information technology, engineering and administrative business units and functional areas to understand their operations and assist with appropriate cost tracking processes.
• Monitor work-in-process to ensure that completed work is appropriately classified and that completed assets are accurately and timely recorded. Review asset records for asset retirements and ensure accuracy of annual depreciation expense of approximately $170 million.
• Monitor the results of existing cost allocation formula and provide recommendations for adjustments.
• Support system implementations as appropriate
• Monitor work unit’s costs to ensure compliance with approved operating budget.
• Effectively manage staff to include hiring, coaching, development and delivering performance reviews.
• Oversight of workload and responsibilities to ensure team is efficient, responsive, and meeting deliverables and customer needs.

Required Qualifications:

In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has:

Education:Bachelor’s degree in Business, with an accounting, economics or finance emphasis.

Experience:

• Eight or more years of relevant accounting-related job experience
• A minimum of two years in a management or supervisory capacity
• Fixed Asset accounting experience
• Demonstrated ERP experience, financial accounting systems, and data analytics

Desired Qualifications - You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:

• Current or prior professional accounting certification, such as CPA or CMA.
• Demonstrated understanding of accounting standards, including GASB, GAAP, and compliance with regulatory requirements including FERC.
• Proven management and leadership skills, ideally demonstrated in a large organization.
• Demonstrated ability to manage with a focus on customer service.
• Ability to be accountable for individual and team results.
• Project costing experience in a utility, manufacturing, construction or similar environment.
• Strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills for effective interaction within the work unit, and across departments at all levels of personnel.
• Knowledge of utility operations and industry-specific accounting.
• Experience with a financial systems conversion or upgrade.
• Experience with PeopleSoft Financials system.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The full salary range for this position is $114,004.80 to $171,069.84 annually ($54.60 to $81.93 per hour).

Application Process

Please submit the following with your online application:

• A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job announcement
• Acurrentresume of your educational and professional work experience.

Incomplete applications may not be accepted.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020.Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.