Accountant/Senior Accountant

City of Safford•Safford, AZ

About The Position

The City of Safford’s Finance Department is seeking an Accountant/Senior Accountant. The department provides current, comprehensive, and accurate information about the City’s financial position to internal and external customers while maintaining high levels of customer service. This role involves a diverse range of finance-related duties, including preparing, reviewing, and recording accounting transactions; coordinating and preparing annual financial reports; working under multiple deadlines; and providing technical guidance and analysis to management on complex financial matters. This is the first level of the Finance team and reports to the Deputy Finance Director. Entry-level duties focus on financial system modules, accounts payable and receivable, invoices, purchase orders, deposits, utility refunds and reimbursements, records, and customer inquiries. Senior-level duties include supporting external audits and annual reports, applying GASB pronouncements, preparing and reviewing accounting documents and reconciliations, supporting accounting policies and internal controls, and serving as a professional accounting resource for projects and programs. Duties may also include enterprise fund controls, financial forecasts for bond issuance, public banking operations, cost allocation, fixed assets, grants, budgets, capital improvement programs, travel review, payroll, and maintaining the integrity of financial system transactions. Employees also respond to department requests, answer phones, provide information within their authority, and perform other related duties as assigned. The position is sedentary for most of the workday, with occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds and possible requirements for various movements and sensory activities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business or public administration, or a related degree.
One year of professional accounting experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required knowledge and skills.
Knowledge of methods, procedures, and terminology used in daily accounting operations.
Knowledge of financial and statistical record-keeping techniques.
Knowledge of applicable City, State, and federal codes and resolutions.
Knowledge of computer operations and applicable software applications.
Skill in maintaining financial and statistical records.
Skill in applying bookkeeping and financial record-keeping practices to assigned accounting records.
Skill in reconciling, balancing, and auditing assigned accounts.
Skill in understanding and following oral and written directions.
Skill in operating standard office machines.
Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others.

Responsibilities

Develop financial system modules for requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, accounts receivable, billing, and cash receipting.
Review and distribute invoices received by mail and email; process data entry for invoices, purchase orders, claims, deposits, and financial reports.
Prepare and maintain files and records, including purchase orders, invoices, claims, billings, and vendor files.
Maintain, monitor, and reconcile accounts payable and receivable statistical reports and ledgers.
Ensure taxpayer identification number accuracy and City compliance for year-end 1099 reporting; process and mail 1099 and 1099R documents.
Research and process payments for utilities, telephone, credit card charges, and other monthly bills; track open purchase orders and prepare related records and reports.
Coordinate financial system changes and testing with applicable departments.
Reconcile and record P-Card payments through Accounts Payable and maintain related records.
Process utility deposit refunds and maintain records of refunds.
Process water service reimbursements in Laserfiche Forms, enter them in Caselle, and maintain related records.
Enter payments from the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office, NAYAX, and other institutions as needed.
Verify daily deposits and supporting paperwork for Customer Service and the Clerk’s office, and maintain deposit records.
Use the computerized accounting system to research account information and respond to complex and sensitive customer inquiries.
Provide input to the external audit process for multiple annual reports, including the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
Assist with implementation of Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements.
Prepare, review, or approve journal entries, reconciliations, payment control documents, and enterprise-related items.
Reconcile general ledger accounts, investigate and resolve discrepancies, and record applicable journal entries.
Assist with the design and implementation of accounting policies, procedures, and internal control systems.
Serve as a professional accounting resource for special projects or major programs.
Support accounting transactions, enterprise fund controls, annual financial reporting, bond-issuance financial forecasts, and technical analysis of governmental accounting and financial reporting standards.
Depending on assignment, support public banking operations, cost allocation models, fixed assets, intergovernmental grants, operating budgets, capital improvement programs, accounts receivable, accounts payable, travel review, payroll, and financial reporting.
Respond to department requests, answer phones, and provide information within the span of authority.
Perform other related duties as assigned.