Senior Accountant

Waukegan; Waukegan (IL); On-site; USD 81,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Waukegan is seeking an experienced accounting professional to manage daily reconciliations, general ledger maintenance, and journal entries. This role ensures regulatory compliance, supports audits, and prepares financial reports to help inform management decisions.

Responsibilities include optimizing accounting systems, monitoring fund balances, and maintaining documentation. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance, five years of experience, and supervisory

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of GAAP and GASB and ability to apply them to municipal finance.
• Proficiency in general ledger maintenance, journal entries, and financial reconciliations.
• Experience with grant management including reporting and compliance (DOJ, GATA).
• Ability to prepare accurate financial statements, budgets, and related reports.

Responsibilities

• Performs daily final cash balancing and reconciles balances and bank statements.
• Reviews and resolves General Ledger discrepancies; maintains codes and budgets in the General Ledger.
• Prepares journal entries including benefit premiums and transfers.
• Assists with internal and external audits by preparing documentation and responding to inquiries.
• Reviews and audits General Ledger balances for accuracy and discrepancies.
• Performs detailed bank reconciliations and completes month-end and year-end entries.
• Prepares and delivers financial reports to the Assistant Finance Director and Finance Director.
• Participates in auditing and reconciling balance sheet accounts for the annual audit.
• Contributes to the preparation of the City's annual financial statements.
• Maintains the chart of accounts and updates procedural manuals.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

GASB knowledge

General ledger maintenance

Journal entries

Auditing coordination

Budget preparation

Financial reporting

Communication skills

Leadership

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

DOJ grant management

GATA grant management

Job description

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Department/Division: CS: Accounting & Finance

Reports to: Assistant Finance Director

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Employee Group: N/A

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting, Finance, or related field.

Minimum Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in finance/accounting with two (2) years of supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Minimum Certifications:

• CPA or MBA preferred.

Other Requirements:

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel

Salary: Starting salary range is $81,154 - $84,432 per year.

Application deadline: On or before the close of business on Monday, November 30, 2026.

JOB SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for managing the City's daily reconciliations, general ledger maintenance, and journal entries. Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, supports internal and external audits, prepares financial reports, and assists with management. Collaborates with departments to optimize accounting systems, monitors fund balances, and provides accurate financial data to support decision-making. Also maintains procedural documentation and performs various specialized accounting functions to support the City's financial stability and transparency.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are essential for this position. However, they are not to be construed as exclusive or all–inclusive. To be successful in this position, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Other duties may also be required or assigned.

• Performs daily final cash balancing, updates the collector's report, and reconciles account balances and bank reconciliations.


• Reviews and resolves General Ledger discrepancies, provides, and updates General Ledger codes and new funds, and rebuilds and relinks budgets in the General Ledger.


• Prepares journal entries, including PSEBA monthly premiums, workers' compensation reports, and related fund chargebacks, transfers, and bank transfers.


• Assists with internal and external audits by preparing documentation, investigating discrepancies, and responding to inquiries.


• Reviews, reconciles, and audits General Ledger account balances to ensure accuracy and resolve discrepancies.


• Performs detailed bank reconciliations to maintain financial accuracy and completes month end and year end journal entries.


• Prepares and delivers financial reports to the Assistant Finance Director and Finance Director.


• Participates in auditing and reconciling balance sheet accounts in support of the City's annual audit process.


• Contributes to the preparation and review of the City's annual financial statements.


• Develops and maintains the chart of accounts to support accurate financial reporting.


• Creates and updates procedural manuals to ensure compliance with accounting and financial policies.


• Maintains capital assets records and debt payments schedules.


• Addresses phone and email inquiries, provides financial information to departments, and ensures accurate monitoring of fund balances.


• Performs other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES:

• Comprehensive knowledge of accounting principles, including GAAP and GASB, for compliance and accuracy in financial operations.


• Proficiency in general ledger maintenance, journal entries, and financial reconciliations.


• Expertise in grant management, including reporting, compliance, and systems such as DOJ and GATA.


• Strong ability to prepare financial statements, budgets, and related reports, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.


• Familiarity with federal, state, and local regulations affecting municipal finance, including tax and payroll reporting.


• Capacity to analyze financial data, resolve discrepancies, and ensure accuracy through audits and adjustments.


• Skills in coordinating with auditors, preparing documentation, and ensuring compliance with financial policies.


• Proficiency in budget preparation, monitoring, and reporting to align with organizational goals.


• Strong leadership and supervisory skills to manage staff accountants and ensure departmental efficiency.


• Expertise in developing and maintaining procedural manuals and ensuring compliance with accounting policies.


• Effective communication skills for collaborating with internal departments and responding to inquiries.


• Ability to optimize accounting systems and implement process improvements for efficiency and accuracy.

PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, frequently requires standing, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions and occasionally requires walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling and reaching with hands and arms.


• Work has standard vision requirements.


• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.


• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.


• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data and observing general surroundings and activities.


• Work has no exposure to adverse environmental conditions.


• Work is in a moderately noisy office setting (e.g., business office, light traffic).

The City of Waukegan is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

In compliance with state and federal law, the City of Waukegan will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employees needing reasonable accommodation should discuss the request with the employee's supervisor or Human Resources.