Senior Accountant - G124 Finance

Columbus Consolidated Government; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbus Consolidated Government is seeking a technical accounting professional to support financial reporting and accounts payable functions. The role involves supervising AP processes, preparing monthly statements for 50+ funds, and analyzing cash flow.

The position also covers daily revenue recording, journal entries, and assisting with year-end closing and external audits. A bachelor's degree in finance/accounting is required with several years of experience in accounting roles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Financial Planning, Accounting, Business Administration or related field is required.
• Usually 3 years' experience or more in a supervisory accounting role.

Responsibilities

• Assist with training and supervising the accounts payable process within the Accounting Division.
• Prepare and distribute monthly financial statements for the City’s 50+ funds.
• Oversee daily analysis and reconciliation of the government’s cash position.
• Record revenues daily in the City’s financial system.
• Analyze, prepare, and post year-end closing journal entries.
• Assist the Accounting Manager with day-to-day operations and with external audits.

Skills

Public finance knowledge

Budgeting

Accounting principles

Financial data analysis

Oral & written communication

Supervision

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Finance/Accounting

Tools

Financial software

Job description

This position is responsible for performing technical accounting duties in support of the financial reporting and accounts payable functions of the department.

• Assists with training and supervising the accounts payable process within the Accounting Division.
• Preparation and distribution of monthly financial statements for the City’s 50+ funds.
• Oversees and performs the daily analysis and reconciliation of the government’s cash position.
• Daily analysis and recording of all revenues in the City’s financial system.
• Analyzes, prepares, and posts corrective journal entries in the City’s financial system.
• Assists the Accounting Manager with the day-to-day operations of the division and serves as lead in the absence of the Accounting Manager.
• Assists the Accounting Manager with the preparation of the City’s external audit to include preparation and posting of all year-end closing journal entries.
• Prepares and analyzes a variety of month-end, quarterly, and annual financial reports to state agencies to include the Report of Local Government Finances for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
• Prepares various budgetary schedules for the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
• Processes monthly property tax payments received from the Tax Commissioner’s office to include TAD receipts and payment of taxes to the Development Authority and posting the receipts to the funds that receive tax revenue.
• Post all investment-related activity to the general ledger and reconcile investments on a monthly basis to ensure all activity has been posted and the general ledger balances to the statements provided by the investment officer.
• Post all pension investment-related activity to the general ledger. Reconcile investments on a quarterly basis to ensure that all activity has been posted and the general ledger and balances to the statements provided by the investment officer.
• Enter all debt service schedules into the city’s database. Determine monthly payments and provide those to Cash Management to process ACH/Wire payments.
• Responsible for monthly payment of Hotel/Motel payments to the agencies that receive hotel/motel taxes in conjunction with the Revenue Division to determine the amount of tax collections to distribute.
• Participates in all upgrades of the City’s financial system.
• Answers questions and assists citizens, auditors, officials, and other government employees.
• Provides complex financial information required by management to make critical decisions.
• Writes custom reports from the City’s financial system as needed for problem-solving and analysis.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of governmental accounting, including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Governmental Auditing Standards, and Governmental Accounting Standards Board guidelines.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public finance, budgeting, accounting, governmental accounting, auditing, and debt management.
• Knowledge of relevant federal and state laws, local ordinances, and department policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of the methods and techniques of financial research, statistical analysis, and report presentation.
• Skill in utilizing financial computer software programs.
• Skill in problem-solving and decision-making.
• Skill in the supervision of personnel.
• Skill in gathering and analyzing complex data.
• Skill in operating standard office equipment.
• Skill in oral and written communication.

Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Financial Planning, Accounting, Business Administration or related field is required. Experience sufficient to thoroughly understand the work of subordinate positions and to be able to answer questions and resolve problems, usually associated with three years experience or service.

The work is typically performed while sitting at a desk or table. The employee must occasionally lift light objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Handling – picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Hearing 2 – receive detailed information, make discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling – bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.
• Manual Dexterity – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 2 - color, depth perception, field of vision.
• Visual Acuity 3 - determine accuracy, neatness, observe facilities/structures.

The work is typically performed in an office, library, or computer room.