District Accountant: Grants, Audits & Financial Strategy

Helena School District No 1; Helena (MT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Helena Public Schools is seeking a highly skilled Accountant to join the Business Office team. This role provides advanced accounting, financial reporting, grants, procurement, and fiscal-close support to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial information for informed decision-making.

Under the Director of Finance, the Accountant coordinates complex accounting, audit, cash-management, and financial-systems functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, finance, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Two years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, auditing, budgeting, financial reporting, financial systems administration, or closely related financial operations.
• Demonstrated experience applying accounting principles, internal controls, financial reporting requirements, and financial analysis practices.
• Demonstrated experience using spreadsheets, accounting, reporting, and financial information systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and maintain accurate general-ledger activity, fund accounting, reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, revenues, expenditures, and other assigned accounting functions.
• Establish, monitor, and recommend improvements to accounting procedures, internal controls, documentation standards, and Business Office workflows.
• Coordinate monthly, quarterly, annual, and other fiscal-close processes, including account reconciliation, financial review, and correction of discrepancies.
• Lead or coordinate annual financial statements, governmental reports, grant reports, and other required financial reporting.
• Coordinate the District's annual audit process and serve as a primary liaison with auditors.
• Monitor compliance with governmental accounting standards, grant requirements, applicable laws and regulations, Board policy, and District procedures.
• Support budget development, monitoring, forecasting, cash-flow analysis, and financial decision-making through accurate financial data and analysis.
• Oversee or support financial administration of federal, state, local, and private grants, including reimbursement requests, reporting, documentation, and compliance.
• Review and monitor purchasing-card, vendor-payment, and purchasing processes to support authorization, accountability, and internal controls.
• Provide technical oversight and support for assigned financial software, reporting tools, online payment platforms, and related business systems.
• Provide technical guidance, training, and consultation to Business Office staff, administrators, departments, auditors, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, data quality, reporting, documentation, and operational efficiency.

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, finance, public administration, or a closely related field

Job description

Helena Public Schools is seeking a highly skilled Accountant to join the Business Office team. This role provides advanced accounting, financial reporting, grants, procurement, and fiscal-close support to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial information for informed decision-making.

Under the Director of Finance, the Accountant coordinates complex accounting, audit, cash-management, and financial-systems functions.