Financial Specialist I

Fairfax County Government; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Defined-benefit retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Paid leave

Job summary

Fairfax County Government's Wastewater Planning & Monitoring Division seeks a Financial Specialist to support accounting activities across three Virginia sites. You will handle audits, grant revenue reconciliation, and year-end financial reporting, leveraging FOCUS and SAP or similar ERP systems.

The role involves cross-department collaboration, site travel, and participation in year-end close while complying with GAAP and county policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field; may be supplemented by accounting coursework.
• Four years of increasingly complex technical administrative experience in the assigned area.
• Valid driver's license.
• Background and credit checks required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and respond to complex audits (external financial audit, internal audit, PUBSAT audit).
• Reconcile grant revenue and follow up on accounts receivable and revenue postings.
• Prepare complex journal entries and assist with year-end financial statements and CAFR.
• Perform file analyses and reconciliations; support year-end closing and revenue accruals.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Verbal communication

Written communication

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field

Tools

SAP

MS Office Suite

Job description

Job Announcement

This position performs a variety of financial functions within the Wastewater Planning & Monitoring Division. Under the general supervisor of the Financial Specialist IV, general duties include:

• Prepares and responds to various complex technical audits such as the sewer system annual external financial audit, the internal audit, and the financial audit of Fairfax Water.
• Reconciles and reviews grant revenue for both Wastewater and Stormwater and follows up on outstanding wholesale customers' invoices and reconciles the revenue from PUBSAT to FOCUS postings.
• Prepares complex financial adjustment entries for Integrated Sewer System's ACFR (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report) and assist FS IV with preparing year-end financial statements. Performs monthly reconciliation of sewer taps on revenue received and monitors the number of new sewer taps sold per category.
• Monitoring and analysis - produces mission-critical reports with mid-level complexity, using spreadsheets or databases to organize information; compiles monthly reports downloaded from PUBSAT-DPW Sewer Application Tracking System, analyzes PUBSAT reports to support the sewer system's capacity availability
• Produces reports with complex financial and statistical information for Integrated Sewer System's CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report).
• Research accounts, gather information, and based on findings make independent decisions regarding billing adjustments in accordance with county codes, regulations and policies.
• Serves as liaison between accounts and revenue section and sewer customers, billing agents, builders, developers and county agencies regarding sewer service accounts. Investigates inquiries from sewer customers, other agencies, Board of supervisors, and works with Wastewater Planning and Monitoring Division Staff and support agencies to provide responses.

Performs a variety of professional accounting duties in support of the complex, decentralized Wastewater Management Program, which operates at three locations: Wastewater Collections (Burke, VA), Wastewater Treatment (Lorton, VA), and Wastewater Planning and Monitoring (Fairfax, VA).

Maintains certification and processing skills in FOCUS; manages and performs accounts receivable activities in FOCUS. Prepares entries related to revenue and monitors the Sewer System s revenue which totals around $250 million annually. Assist in the preparation of Year-end Financial Statements and the Integrated Sewer System s ACFR (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report).

Ensures the integrity and accuracy of financial records by performing detailed reconciliations, identifying errors, and preparing corrective entries. Participates in the year-end closing process, including the calculation and recording of revenue accruals, grant accruals, and related reconciliations. Serves as a liaison between Wastewater Management divisions and other County departments. Provides backup support to the Financial Specialist IV.

Wastewater Planning & Monitoring is part of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), please visit us here to learn more about us.

DPWES is a diverse, nationally accredited and award-winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia.

Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone.

Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined-benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

Through our LiveWell Program and the County Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates, and engages employees and retirees to make life-long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and financial wellness.

Please review our awesome benefits:

• Benefits
• Retirement

DPWES is a nationally recognized Utility of the Future responsible for maintaining more than 3,000 miles of sanitary sewers, 60+ pump-stations, and a NACWA Platinum Award winning 67 million gallons per day treatment plant.

Note: In 2026, all Wastewater Collection Division assignments will be permanently located at the new Water Resources and Infrastructure building, located at 6000 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA 22015. Position may require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
Graduation from an accredited four year college or university with a bachelor's degree in accounting; or a bachelor's degree in business administration or related field that has been supplemented by at least 6 credit hours of basic accounting principles and concepts.

BRIDGE CLASS EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

Four years of increasingly complex technical administrative experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Administrative Assistant IV, or higher, level. This class can serve as a bridge class enabling individuals who do not meet the educational or professional experience standards listed above to qualify for this class by possessing four years of increasingly complex technical administrative experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Administrative Assistant IV, or higher, level. The purpose of this bridge class is to promote upward mobility within the Fairfax County workforce. However, persons qualifying for this class on the basis of their technical experience may not substitute this technical experience for education, or for professional experience, in order to qualify for other employment opportunities.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check, and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Demonstrated ability to successfully solve problems in a team-based environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, analytical skills and attention to detail.
• One year experience preparing accounting entries, analysis and reconciliations.
• Three years' experience in MS Office Suite applications.
• One year experience and proficiency using SAP or similar ERP financial systems
• One year experience downloading and manipulating data from SAP or a similar ERP.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to lift up to 10 lbs. Ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in written form, is crucial for engaging with colleagues and customers through phone calls, video conferences, and face-to-face meetings. Ability to drive county vehicles to various locations throughout Fairfax County to attend meetings. Ability to produce organized and legible handwritten, typed/computer generated documents. Position is generally sedentary. However, it requires the ability to stoop, bend, and reach. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [e-mail] EEO/AA/TTY.

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