Staff Accountant II

Southern Company; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 58,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits

Incentives program

Job summary

Southern Company Gas is seeking a Staff Accountant II to join the Revenue Accounting team in Illinois. The role supports month-end close, reconciliations, controls, and regulatory reporting, collaborating with Billing, Credit, IT, and regulators.

The position emphasizes analyzing billed/unbilled revenue, resolving variances, and improving processes, with exposure to tax, escheatment, and data analytics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required.
• 2–4 years of accounting experience.
• Experience with month-end close.
• Experience with journal entries and reconciliations.
• Experience with Excel and data analysis.
• Experience with escheatment/unclaimed property a plus.
• Experience with customer billing is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Analyze daily billing transactions for data integrity.
• Review refunds for reasonableness.
• Prepare month-end journal entries.
• Perform controls to ensure revenue recognition is complete.
• Resolve discrepancies and investigate issues.
• Process unclaimed property transactions.
• Prepare monthly tax payments and returns.
• Assist auditors and provide information.
• Prepare standard financial reports.
• Create ad hoc and recurring data requests.
• Monthly reconciliations for assigned accounts.

Skills

Analytical skills

Advanced Excel

Automation tools

Data extraction

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

Tools

Oracle ERP

Reporting tools

Job description

This position within the Revenue Accounting department is responsible for preparing, analyzing, and reconciling billed and unbilled revenue transactions to ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial and regulatory reporting. The role supports the month-end close process, account reconciliations, internal controls, and regulatory compliance activities. The Staff Accountant II will collaborate with Billing, Credit, IT, Regulatory, and other business partners to investigate variances, resolve issues, improve processes, and support automation initiatives. Additional responsibilities may include customer refunds, unclaimed property (escheatment), tax reporting, audit support, and data analysis.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required
• 2 - 4 years of accounting experience
• Experience with month-end close required
• Experience preparing journal entries and accounting reconciliations required
• Experience with customer billing is a plus
• Experience with escheatment and unclaimed property a plus
• Experience analyzing large volumes of data using Excel or other reporting tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Utility industry experience preferred but not required.
• Experience working with ERP systems such as Oracle
• Experience with reporting and query tools preferred.

Major Job Responsibilities

• Analyze daily transactions from the billing system to ensure data integrity.
• Review customer refund transactions for reasonableness.
• Prepare journal entries as required for month end close.
• Perform controls as assigned to ensure revenue recognized is complete.
• Must be able to recognize discrepancies and investigate and/or escape as appropriate.
• Process unclaimed property transactions, including loading records into the database and coordinating reissuance of payments, as required for each escheatment cycle.
• Prepare tax payment requests and required returns monthly.
• Work with Billing, Credit, and IT to research issues.
• Provide information to internal and external auditors as required.
• Prepare standard reports as needed for financial and regulatory reporting.
• Create queries as needed for ad hoc and new recurring data requests.
• Perform account reconciliations monthly on assigned accounts and resolve any issues promptly.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to automate manual accounting processes and improve reporting efficiency.
• Participate in system enhancements, testing activities, and process improvement initiatives.

Reporting & Data Analytics

• Analyze large datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and potential reporting issues.
• Develop and maintain recurring reports, queries, and dashboards to support business needs.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with internal departments to resolve billing, refund, revenue, and customer account issues.
• Support regulatory filings and information requests as needed.

Documentation

• Maintain process documentation and desktop procedures for assigned responsibilities.
• Assist with knowledge transfer and cross‑training efforts within the department.

Skills

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Advanced Excel skills including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, and data analysis
• Experience using automation and AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate, or similar technologies
• Ability to create and maintain queries, reports, and data extracts

Core Competencies

• Strong analytical and critical‑thinking skills
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple deadlines in a fast‑paced environment
• Ability to identify root causes and recommend solutions
• Strong collaboration and customer service mindset

About Southern Company Gas

Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta‑based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.2 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states and approximately 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com .

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry‑leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net‑zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com .

Benefits

Southern Company invests in the well‑being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well‑being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Equal Opportunity

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Job Details

• Job Identification: 21810
• Job Category: Accounting & Auditing
• Job Schedule: Full time
• Company: AGL Services Company
• Pay Range: $58,388.00 - $91,753.20 USD Annually: Base salary varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, and at the time of this posting, this is the reasonable salary range for this role.