Accountant

Blacksburg, Town of•Blacksburg, VA

33d•Onsite

About The Position

The Accountant position performs professional accounting, financial reporting, reconciliation, and internal-control duties in support of the municipality’s financial operations. The position maintains general ledger accounts, prepares journal entries and financial reports, reconciles financial records, assists with monthly and fiscal year-end closing, and prepares documentation for the annual financial audit. This position also serves as a designated backup for payroll, accounts payable, cash receipts, and routine purchasing functions. Backup responsibilities are performed when the primary employee is unavailable, during periods of increased workload, or as otherwise assigned. All duties are performed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, governmental accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations, municipal policies, and established internal controls. The position requires sound professional judgment, attention to detail, the ability to meet recurring deadlines, and the ability to safeguard confidential financial, payroll, banking, employee, purchasing, and vendor information. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Assistant Director of Finance or other designated supervisor. The set starting range for this position is $66,368.00 to $69,049.00 annually. The Town of Blacksburg is an EEO Employer M/F/D/V

Requirements

Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and practices.
Knowledge of governmental accounting, fund accounting, and financial reporting requirements applicable to state and local governments.
Knowledge of general ledger, payroll, accounts payable, cash receipts, bank reconciliation, and basic purchasing processes.
Knowledge of internal controls, segregation of duties, fraud-prevention practices, and financial risk management.
Basic knowledge of public purchasing principles, competitive quotation requirements, purchase orders, purchasing cards, contracts, and vendor administration.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting municipal financial operations.
Ability to prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, financial statements, audit schedules, and supporting workpapers.
Ability to analyze financial records, identify errors, research discrepancies, and prepare appropriate corrections.
Ability to interpret financial policies, purchasing procedures, contracts, ordinances, grant requirements, and accounting guidance.
Ability to review requisitions, quotations, purchase orders, invoices, receiving documentation, and purchasing-card transactions when performing backup duties.
Ability to maintain accurate accounting, payroll, accounts payable, cash receipt, vendor, and purchasing records.
Ability to operate enterprise resource planning systems, payroll systems, purchasing systems, online banking platforms, and document-management systems.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other standard office software.
Ability to manage multiple assignments, establish priorities, and meet recurring deadlines.
Ability to maintain accuracy during payroll processing, year-end closing, audit fieldwork, and other high-volume periods.
Ability to communicate accounting and purchasing requirements clearly to employees who may not have financial backgrounds.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, vendors, auditors, financial institutions, government agencies, and the public.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and recognize transactions requiring supervisory review.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field, including substantial accounting coursework.
A combination of education and progressively responsible accounting experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
A valid driver's license with a satisfactory driving record is required.
The employee may be required to obtain job-related certifications or complete continuing professional education.
Remain in a stationary position for extended periods.
Operate a computer, calculator, telephone, scanner, copier, and other standard office equipment.
Communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and electronically.
Review detailed financial records and computer-generated reports.
Occasionally move files, records, or office materials weighing up to approximately 20 pounds.
Occasionally travel to other municipal facilities, financial institutions, meetings, or training locations.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of professional accounting experience.
Experience in municipal, county, state, school, public authority, or other governmental accounting.
Experience with fund accounting, financial reporting, account reconciliation, audit preparation, or fiscal year-end closing.
Experience processing or supporting payroll, accounts payable, cash receipts, or purchasing functions.
Experience using an enterprise resource planning or governmental financial management system.
Familiarity with public-sector purchase orders, purchasing cards, vendor maintenance, and informal quotation processes.
Certified Public Accountant, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Public Finance Officer, or other relevant professional certification.

Responsibilities

Maintains general ledger accounts and supporting financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and applicable governmental accounting standards.
Prepares and posts recurring, correcting, adjusting, accrual, allocation, reclassification, and year-end journal entries.
Reviews journal entries and other financial transactions for accuracy, completeness, supporting documentation, proper account classification, and required authorization.
Reconciles general ledger accounts, subsidiary ledgers, bank accounts, investment accounts, pooled cash accounts, receivables, liabilities, payroll accounts, and other assigned financial records.
Researches and resolves accounting discrepancies, posting errors, unreconciled transactions, unusual balances, and differences between subsidiary systems and the general ledger.
Reviews revenues, expenditures, transfers, receivables, liabilities, and fund balances for proper accounting treatment and fiscal-year recognition.
Assists with monthly and fiscal year-end closing procedures, including account analysis, accruals, cutoff procedures, reconciliations, and preparation of closing workpapers.
Monitors assigned funds, departments, grants, capital projects, and special programs for appropriate accounting treatment, budgetary compliance, and financial reporting.
Reviews financial transactions for compliance with adopted budgets, municipal policies, grant requirements, contracts, and other applicable restrictions.
Assists departments with account coding, budget availability, transaction research, financial system corrections, and interpretation of accounting procedures.
Prepares financial analyses, account schedules, reconciliations, and management reports as assigned.
Assists with the development, documentation, and implementation of accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
Assists with the preparation of interim and annual financial statements and other required financial reports.
Prepares schedules, reconciliations, account analyses, confirmations, and supporting documentation for the annual external audit.
Responds to auditor inquiries and assists with researching and resolving audit questions and proposed adjustments.
Assists with preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report or other annual financial reporting document.
Assists with preparation of state, federal, grant, debt, and other regulatory financial reports.
Maintains organized accounting records in accordance with applicable records-retention requirements.
Assists with implementation of new governmental accounting standards and financial reporting requirements.
Serves as a trained backup for payroll processing when the primary payroll employee is unavailable, during periods of increased workload, or when additional support is required.
Serves as a trained backup for accounts payable processing when the primary accounts payable employee is unavailable, during periods of increased workload, or when additional support is required.
Serves as a trained backup for cash receipts and revenue posting when the primary cash receipts employee is unavailable, during periods of increased workload, or when additional support is required.
Serves as a trained backup for routine purchasing functions when the primary purchasing staff is unavailable, during periods of increased workload, or when additional support is required.
Complies with established internal controls, financial policies, purchasing requirements, records-retention requirements, and information-security procedures.
Maintains sufficient knowledge of payroll, accounts payable, cash receipts, and routine purchasing functions to provide reliable operational backup.
Participates in periodic cross-training and testing of backup procedures.
Maintains current written procedures, checklists, calendars, and process documentation for assigned duties and backup responsibilities.
Identifies control weaknesses, process inefficiencies, recurring errors, and compliance concerns and recommends corrective action.
Protects confidential payroll, banking, vendor, employee, tax, purchasing, and financial information.
Uses financial system access only for authorized job responsibilities.
Reports suspected fraud, unauthorized transactions, security incidents, or control violations to the appropriate supervisor.
Ensures that backup responsibilities do not override required approvals, reconciliations, access restrictions, or segregation-of-duties controls.
Participates in business-continuity, disaster-recovery, and emergency financial operations as assigned.
Assists with special accounting, financial analysis, and process-improvement projects.
Participates in financial system implementations, upgrades, testing, and user training.
Provides accounting guidance to departmental employees.
Assists with development and delivery of financial procedure training.
Attends meetings, workshops, and professional-development activities.
Performs other duties as assigned.