Accountant-Operations

City of Fargo•Fargo, ND

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Under direction performs general accounting duties which may include account payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, purchasing, auditing, bank reconciliation, cash and investment reconciliation, account reconciliation, summary of transactions, journal entries and other special projects assigned by the Accounting Supervisor, Finance Manager, Assistant Director of Finance, or the Director of Finance. This job assists in preparing internal and external financial reports including annual reports, monthly financial statements, budget reports, historical trend analysis, and cost/benefit studies; supports operational activities including AP/AR and payroll and may provide some training to cross-departmental colleagues. The Accountant performs responsible professional accounting duties under the general direction of the Finance Manager or Accounting Supervisor.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field
Two or more years of work-related experience in accounting or related field
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Government Accounting Standards (GASB) and fund accounting procedures
Knowledge of principles, procedures and practices of grant administration under Uniform Guidance (UG), particularly record keeping and reporting
Knowledge of computer-aided accounting tools such as spreadsheets, graphics and other software packages
Knowledge of auditing procedures, bank reconciliation procedures, cash receipts, accounts payable, internal controls, statistical analysis, and spreadsheet modeling
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail
Ability to provide backup for team members in a variety of accounting work assignments
Strong computer skills with experience using various software, including financial systems, Internet, Zoom, Teams, Adobe, and Microsoft Outlook
Requires cashiering skills and 10 key data entry skills with a high degree of accuracy
Ability to learn new systems and technologies with ease
Ability to professionally manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Team Player

Nice To Haves

Some training to cross-departmental colleagues

Responsibilities

Prepares various financial statements and reports.
Compiles timely and accurate fiscal and/or statistical data and prepares various state, federal or departmental reports to ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations; provides superiors with necessary information regarding department and/or city programs, activities and functions.
May be tasked with creating new reports and/or enhancing existing reports, including developing instructions and providing a sufficient audit trail.
Under direction of the Finance Manager, prepares journal entries, account reconciliations, cash and investment reconciliations, bank reconciliations, subsidiary ledger reconciliations, and financial statements for various programs and projects; develops and post adjusting journal entries as necessary for error corrections, program accounting, payroll posting, and recurring month-end entries.
Under direction of the Finance Manager, maintains financial records for City Employee, Police, and Fire Pension systems.
Performs account reconciliation; Maintains investment transaction records; Maintains membership information and contribution history; Prepares monthly financial statements; Maintains and produces data required for actuarial studies; Produces annual benefit statements.
Provides finance software support.
Assists with testing software as assigned; Assists with new software training on processing, running, and reviewing reports.
Communicates courteously and professionally and maintains working relationships with others in carrying out job functions.
Frequently interacts with others in the work unit and across departments to exchange detailed and/or technical information; Occasionally interacts with the public and vendors to exchange detailed and/or technical information.
Performs all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices.
Acts as back-up for team members and performs other duties and activities as assigned.
Assists with accounts payable invoice entry, printing checks, verifying and reconciling invoices to purchase orders and reviewing general ledger coding on all related entries; Maintains utility and telephone master records in vendor payments, enters purchase orders and disburses reports for all departments related to these records; Creates vendor master records, requests and enters vendor W-9 information; Research outstanding checks and open items on vendor statements; Completes vendor credit applications; Provides training for departments in the areas of accounts payable; Uses critical thinking and problem-solving skills in reviewing and analyzing accounts payable and purchase order entry and reports; Assists Accounting Supervisor in the 1099 process.
Assists, as needed, in preparing bank deposits, and entering and posting department deposits into the general ledger; Completes the daily cash receipts reconciliation & review, verifies accuracy; Retrieves and compiles data, prepares related lists and reports for the supervisor’s review or for requested management reports.
Creates customer master records; Assists in entry of customer charges and department imports for invoicing, and running statements, as needed; Reviews and researches AR adjustments, bankruptcy notices, and past due accounts; Sends collection letters, responds to customer inquiries, and sends delinquent accounts to collections; Provides training for all departments in the areas of accounts receivable.