Accountant

County of Marathon•Wausau, WI

26d•$32

About The Position

This position will support work on the development, operation, maintenance, and implementation of the budget and fiscal activities within the Marathon County Conversation, Development, and Zoning Department. This employee prepares and provides technical oversight of the department financials including creating, managing, and reconciling department budget, financial forecasting, ensuring compliance with accounting principles and proper internal controls, grant procurement and management, auditing, and assurance of compliance with State, Federal and general grant guidelines. As a member of the Administrative Support team, the employee will also regularly interface with all CPZ staff and members of the public and assist with administrative support tasks as needed. Work is performed under the direction of the CPZ Director and Finance Director.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration with an accounting emphasis, and two years’ of governmental accounting experience preferred.
An Associate's degree with 3+ years of professional accounting experience and/or equivalent combination of education and work experience providing the knowledge, skills and abilities may be considered.
Knowledge of financial management principles, practices, controls and procedures, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) .
Existing knowledge or willingness to learn Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) principles.
Knowledge of budgeting principles, budget preparation, and budget monitoring.
Knowledge and skill of financial analysis techniques and financial system management principles including preparation, verification, and maintenance of financial reports.
Knowledge of grant accounting, management, reporting, and regulations preferred.
Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations and the ability to apply them to specific circumstances.
Intermediate skill in Microsoft Office products, including Excel, Word, and Outlook, and the ability to learn the County’s enterprise resource planning system (Workday) preferred .
Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively both orally and in writing with department personnel, county officials, various county departments and the public.
Ability to maintain required confidentiality .
Ability to prioritize and manage workload to meet deadlines.
Ability to positively adapt to changing priorities, deadlines, and procedures .
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, departments, agencies, and the public in an honest, kind, and respectful manner.
Knowledge of the County's and department's mission, core values, plans, and priorities for the future and the ability to positively contribute to the work culture that fosters excellent customer service and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Responsible for the department’s accounting/financial functions. This includes planning, preparing, submitting for review/approval, and the monitoring of department budget; reviewing and reconciling financial reports and accounts; payroll allocations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipting, and other financial processes including financial forecasting, ensuring compliance with accounting principles and county financial procedures.
Prepares a variety of detailed analytical and statistical financial reports, which may include analyzing accounts for accuracy and discrepancies; gathering, organizing, and analyzing data and information; submitting reports to appropriate internal departments or external agencies.
Creates journal entries as needed to ensure accuracy of financial records and reviews other data in the accounting system for adherence to policies and procedures.
Support application for, evaluation of, and management of a diversity of grants to ensure maximization of funding for program implementation. Determine compliance with all aspects of grant requirements including grant deliverables, documentation, reporting, and match requirements. Develop grant contracts and cooperative agreements as necessary for grant implementation and management.
Work closely with staff implementing and managing grants, programs, and projects to ensure all deliverables are being met and are compliant with reporting and documentation requirements.
Work closely with the fiscal and management staff in other County departments, especially the County Finance Department.
Supports single audit preparation by providing the documentation and information as needed.
Advises department managers regarding accounting functions, financial reporting, budget and grant status, payments, agency contracts and agreements.
In coordination with the Office Manager, oversees purchasing for the department.
Serves as part of the CPZ Administrative Support team and provides customer service as needed such as basic CPZ customer questions, permit intake/processing and answering phones.
Performs related work as required.