Accountant II, III, IV - Accounting Unit III

Hawaii State Department of Education•Honolulu, HI

2d•$4,725 - $6,728

About The Position

The Hawaii State Department of Education is hiring for the Accountant role at levels II, III, or IV in Accounting Unit III. The authorized level is Accountant IV, but applications are accepted at the Accountant II level if recruitment is difficult. Salary ranges are $4,725–$5,753 per month for Accountant II (SR-18), $5,107–$6,221 per month for Accountant III (SR-20), and $5,527–$6,728 per month for Accountant IV (SR-22). New external applicants are generally placed at the initial salary step; placement above that step requires consideration of position needs, qualifications, available funds, and prior approval. Department employees are placed according to Department regulations. At level IV, operations duties include supervising and performing fiscal-data collection, compilation, classification, and evaluation; preparing trial balances, adjusting and closing entries, financial statements, and reports; overseeing lower-level fiscal-control personnel; recommending and implementing accounting procedure changes as directed; reviewing journal vouchers; reporting federal expenditures and grant fund balances; coordinating with Budget and Comptroller representatives; and explaining accounting information and its program implications to management. Systems duties include studying accounts, reports, and procedures; consulting operating employees, supervisors, and program officials about work processes; and designing accounting systems or system segments, including preparing forms, manuals, and procedures. Fund-control duties include initiating fiscal transactions for general and subsidiary ledgers, reviewing and auditing transactions for propriety and accuracy under the Statewide Uniform Chart of Accounts, and helping prepare quarterly reports on appropriations, allotments, and encumbrances. The basic education requirement is a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with at least 12 semester credit hours in accounting and/or auditing. Required progressively responsible accounting experience varies by level: six months for Accountant II, one and a half years for Accountant III, and two and a half years for Accountant IV. Substitutions for education and experience are permitted as described in the posting, including qualifying accounting coursework, relevant accounting or auditing experience, certain master's degrees, and a valid Hawaii CPA certificate or equivalent. Experience must demonstrate the scope and responsibility needed to perform the work; experience in clerical or minor bookkeeping roles and other specified non-qualifying work is not accepted. The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and may include applicable shortage and school-year differentials. Applicants must meet requirements by the application date unless otherwise specified. Experience is calculated based on 40-hour workweeks, with part-time experience prorated and hours above 40 per week not credited. Temporary positions may be extended annually depending on funding and departmental needs, and may offer pathways to permanent employment and other employee opportunities after satisfactory completion of the initial probation period.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university with at least 12 semester credit hours in accounting and/or auditing subjects, subject to the stated substitutions.
Progressively responsible professional accounting or auditing experience: 6 months for Accountant II, 1.5 years for Accountant III, or 2.5 years for Accountant IV, subject to the stated substitutions.
Experience must be of sufficient scope and responsibility to demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the level being considered.
Bookkeeping, minor accounting or clerical positions, accounting or bookkeeping machine-operator roles, certain office-manager or business-owner experience without direct accounting or auditing responsibility, and taxation work not requiring generally accepted accounting and auditing principles do not qualify as professional experience.
Applicants must meet the requirements for the position sought by the application date unless otherwise specified.
Experience is calculated using full-time, 40-hour workweeks; part-time work is prorated, and hours exceeding 40 per week are not credited.
Temporary-assignment experience claimed toward minimum qualifications must be verified with the specified supporting documentation.

Responsibilities

Supervise and participate in collecting, compiling, classifying, and evaluating fiscal data.
Prepare trial balances, adjusting and closing entries, financial statements, and reports; verify and analyze financial data.
Supervise lower-level personnel engaged in fiscal control.
Recommend changes to accounting forms, procedures, and policies, and implement changes as directed.
Prepare and review adjustment journal vouchers for proper application of accounting principles and mathematical accuracy.
Prepare reports on federal expenditures and fund balances for federal grant-in-aid programs.
Confer with Budget and Comptroller representatives on financial matters.
Interpret accounting data, trends, and statements for management officials and explain their program implications.
Study accounts, reports, and procedural instructions within the assigned area.
Consult operating employees, supervisors, and program officials to understand work processes and procedures that must be reflected in accounting systems.
Design accounting systems or system segments and prepare associated forms, manuals, and procedures.
Initiate fiscal transaction data for recording in general ledger and subsidiary ledger accounts.
Review and audit submitted governmental transaction data for propriety, correctness, and accuracy under the Statewide Uniform Chart of Accounts.
Assist in preparing quarterly reports on the status of State appropriations, allotments, and encumbrances.