Accounting Division Manager

State of Illinois•Springfield, MO

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This position acts as the Chief Financial Officer of the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS), the General Assembly Retirement System (GARS), and the Judges’ Retirement System (JRS). The manager is primarily responsible for the accurate and timely completion of the annual comprehensive agency financial reports as well as all other financial reporting and management of the three retirement systems. The manager ensures that the active member database containing all membership transactions for SERS, GARS and JRS members are accurately maintained by a staff of professional Accountants. This includes ensuring timely posting of agency payroll records and necessary adjustments based on account reviews, as well as management of the closing processes at fiscal and calendar year end. Furthermore, the manager puts in place practices and procedures to encourage and maintain swift but accurate audit of membership accounts prior to the time of pension calculation and other benefits to be paid. Strong accounting knowledge and skills are a must to ensure the accuracy of member accounts as well as the precision of the financial reporting. The ideal candidate would possess strong analytical skills in complex problem solving as well as excellent communication skills for effective communications with system staff, agency payroll offices, members, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

Requires a Master’s degree, with courses in accounting, business, finance, or economics.
Requires Certified Public Accountant accreditation.
Requires four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in accounting, auditing, or budgetary planning and control.

Nice To Haves

Prefers 10 years of experience preparing GAAP financial reporting.
Prefers 5 years of experience working with the Illinois Pension Code as it relates to State Retirement Systems.
Prefers 5 years of experience using Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS).
Prefers 5 years of experience with the State of Illinois appropriation and budget process.
Prefers 5 years of experience preparing complex financial documents/statements/reports.
Prefers 5 years of experience supervising staff including assigning and reviewing work, counseling staff on work performance, establishing goals, and administering performance evaluations.
Prefers ability to develop or modify an accounting process based on recently passed legislation.

Responsibilities

Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures pertaining to the preparation and publication of the State Employees, Judges, and General Assembly Retirement Systems’ comprehensive annual financial reports, including the audit work papers, and supporting schedules.
Plans, develops, organizes, and controls the preparation of the quarterly financial statements and monthly division reports in a timely and accurate manner.
Sets agency goals and objectives for the financial reports and monitors timelines to ensure compliance with established targets.
Acts as State Retirement Systems liaison with the Illinois Auditor General and the external auditors in matters pertaining to the comprehensive annual financial reports published by the systems.
Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures pertaining to internal accounting and financial reporting requirements.
Provides information and guidance to Accounting Division staff and other agency personnel regarding accounting, cash flow, and financial reporting issues.
Resolves daily problems involving both internal and external accounting and financial reporting questions.
Interprets agency policies and procedures as well as accounting rules and standards to ensure compliance with reporting requirements and to determine their impact to the Retirement System.
Directs and coordinates the efforts of technical staff processing member applications to establish pension credits through optional service purchases.
Ensures that the eligibility of members making optional service purchases are within the established guidelines and rules and that the calculations of contributions, interest, and other required payments are made accurately and appropriately.
Provides guidance, direction, and policy interpretation relating to the collection of overpayments and establishment of overpaid benefit account records.
Manages overpayment collections via written correspondence or through submissions of involuntary withholding requests through the Comptroller’s Illinois Debt Recovery Offset Portal (IDROP).
Consults with the Attorney General’s Office for non-performing accounts.
Serves as full line supervisor. Assigns and reviews work. Provides guidance and training to assigned staff. Counsels staff regarding work performance. Re-assigns staff to meet day to day operating needs. Establishes annual goals and objectives. Approves time off. Adjusts first level grievances. Effectively recommends and imposes discipline, up to and including discharge. Prepares and signs performance evaluations. Determines and recommends staffing needs.
Develops the Division’s annual budget.
Prepares and analyzes the fiscal management and personnel requirements associated with the operation and continued program development of the Accounting Division.
Establishes annual goals and objectives for the division.
Represents the agency in a liaison capacity between State Retirement Systems and the Office of the Comptroller.
Prepares annual GAAP packages to submit to the Comptroller’s Office and serves as the agency liaison to the IOC.
Coordinates the education and training of in-house personnel regarding the codes used on member Data Base; updates the transaction codes used by State Retirement Systems; and prepares State Retirement System Bulletins used by all agency payroll clerks throughout the State.
Coordinates activities of the Accounting Division with the Information Technology Division; initiates and reviews I.T. projects to determine effectiveness and efficiency of Accounting Systems.
Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above

Benefits

Competitive Group Insurance benefits including health, life, dental and vision plans.
Flexible work schedules (when available and dependent upon position).
10 -25 days of paid vacation time annually (10 days for first year of state employment).
12 days of paid sick time annually which carryover year to year.
3 paid personal business days per year.
13-14 paid holidays per year dependent on election years.
12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System.
Deferred Compensation Program – voluntary supplemental retirement plan.
Optional pre-tax programs -Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) & Dependent Care Assistant Plan (DCAP).
Tuition Reimbursement Program and Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility.