Accountant 5 (ACPE)(PCN 05-0210)

State of Alaska•Juneau, AK

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is seeking an Accountant 5 to serve as a subject matter expert on the financial aspects of Alaska Student Loan Corporation (ASLC) and ACPE loans, the platforms used to originate and service loans, accounting for balances, reporting activity, and establishing efficient and accurate controls and reporting. The position coordinates loan-related disclosures and workpapers for ASLC financial statements and supervises staff who record and track loan activity in the general ledger (IRIS), verify loan origination and activity in the subsidiary ledger (COMPASS), and monitor and report loan-related assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenditures across multiple funds and bank accounts. The role oversees finance operations related to education loans, loan servicing, federal loan programs, audits, accounting systems, and reporting. It develops and maintains procedures, controls, tools, and system structures, and coordinates with internal teams and external partners, including the loan servicer AES and the Department of Administration. The position also represents Finance on agency projects and performs loan data analysis and reporting. The position is located in Juneau, Alaska. During the probationary period, employees must work full-time in person, Monday through Friday, at the Juneau office. After successfully completing probation, employees may be eligible to telework from Juneau up to four days per week and work in person at the Anchorage or Juneau office one day per week, subject to agency and operational needs. This is an exempt position in range 22 and is open to Alaska residents only.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in Accounting or Finance and two years of advanced professional-level accounting or financial management experience, including analysis, preparation, or evaluation of financial records and reports; financial auditing; or accounting systems administration.
Degree substitution: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college with at least 15 semester or 20 quarter hours in Accounting or Finance, including at least 9 semester or 12 quarter hours of upper-division coursework, may substitute for the required degree.
Degree substitution: Four years of a combination of post-secondary education from an accredited college and/or practical, responsible accounting experience may substitute for the required degree, provided it includes at least 15 semester or 20 quarter hours in Accounting or Finance, including at least 3 semester or 4 quarter hours of upper-division coursework. Three semester or four quarter hours equal one month for this calculation.
Certification as a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, or Certified Government Financial Manager may substitute for the required degree and one year of advanced professional-level accounting experience.
Knowledge of accounting theory, concepts, principles, methods, terminology, and sound internal controls.
Knowledge of staff supervision and management responsibilities; data processing as applied to financial control and accounting systems; and federal and state laws, regulations, guidance, and precedents relating to ACPE and ASLC.
Ability to analyze accounts, interpret financial data and its interrelationships, and prepare sound financial management recommendations.
Ability to prepare accurate, complete, and concise financial reports and statements.
Ability to develop, analyze, maintain, and improve manual or automated financial systems.
Ability to communicate technical financial information to people without an accounting background and to handle sensitive information objectively and discreetly.
Ability to develop timely approaches to complex problems, manage change, and produce effective work with limited guidance.
Ability to manage staff and projects with competing deadlines and use spreadsheet applications and accounting systems.
Ability to design approaches to new programs and processes with limited prior exposure and develop new approaches to existing programs and processes.
Ability to resolve issues involving highly interpretive laws and regulations or nonexistent or conflicting precedents; plan and coordinate resolutions across organizational units; and examine intricate accounting systems and business activities through integrated analysis.
Ability to instruct, supervise, and evaluate employees; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; and build teams.
A cover letter of no more than one page (two to three paragraphs) is required and must explain how the applicant’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience align with the responsibilities and desired qualifications.
Applicants using postsecondary education to meet minimum qualifications must complete the Education and Training section of the application and attach transcripts. Foreign education used to meet requirements must be supported by the specified equivalency evidence.
Applicants must meet Alaska residency requirements.
Applicants with an educational loan through the Commission must be current in payments to be considered.
Applicants invited to interview must provide three professional references with current daytime phone numbers and two recent performance evaluations, with letters of reference permitted as substitutes.

Responsibilities

Manage, provide primary staff coverage for, and review work related to education loan payments, scholarship and grant funding, loan disbursements and refunds, general-ledger recording, deposits, transfers, and reconciliations.
Serve as the Finance liaison for the loan servicer AES by communicating servicing guideline updates, monitoring loan-related finance tasks, understanding financial and administrative processes and reports, and developing resources for finance staff using servicer data.
Manage and review federal loan reporting and related activities, including net SAP and Interest Benefits, federal loan repurchases, consolidations and claims, IRIS entries, federal financial assistance schedules, and the annual ASLC federal awards report.
Coordinate preparation of loan-related audit schedules supporting ASLC financial statements, including staff assignments, review of partner SOC I reports, documentation of user entity controls and processes, and review of loan disclosures and workpapers.
Manage and review workpapers supporting estimates of loan and interest loss allowances and reconciliations of the education loan system to the general ledger.
Assist staff in developing, updating, and implementing procedures that comply with rules and regulations, reduce duplication, improve efficiency, and support sound financial and internal controls.
Edit, approve, publish, and maintain procedures, guides, tools, and forms on ACPE’s SharePoint site.
Research issues, test and implement updates, maintain mapping documents, and communicate changes among AES, ACPE, and the Department of Administration concerning IRIS and InfoCentre structures.
Manage and assist staff in creating, editing, and publishing ALDER reports for the Finance loans unit and, intermittently, the payable and budget unit.
Design, implement, and maintain structures for loan staff systems, including IRIS and InfoCentre.
Manage and review staff work calculating and recording subsidized interest on non-federal loans.
Represent Finance on agency-wide projects and manage or support staff participating in loan-related projects such as annual write-offs, PFD garnishments, and new-year loan offerings.
Perform other assigned duties, including routine and ad hoc loan data analysis and reporting.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contributions.
Employer-paid basic life insurance; additional optional coverage may be available.
Optional insurance plans, including long- and short-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term care, and supplemental survivor benefits.
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care or dependent care expenses.
Membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System or Teachers’ Retirement System, as applicable, with employer contributions to the applicable retirement plan.
Contributions to the Alaska Supplemental Annuity in lieu of Social Security.
Optional participation in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Program.
Personal leave that increases with years of service.
Twelve paid State holidays each year.
Training and opportunities for upward mobility.
Flexible/hybrid work schedule and eligibility to telework after successfully completing the probationary period.