Associate Accountant

State of Connecticut•Newington, CT

20h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is seeking current state employees to apply for the position of Associate Accountant. This role is within the Budget Unit of the Budget Services Division in the Bureau of Finance and Administration. The Budget Unit manages and reports on various budget and financial transactions related to Department Operating Budget appropriations. The position offers professional growth, development opportunities, and a healthy work/life balance. It is a full-time, 40 hours/week position located at the Headquarters in Newington, CT, with potential for hybrid work and alternate schedules. The role involves supervising lower-grade professional employees, overseeing the Department's Purchasing Card (P-Card) program, acting as the Department Fuel Card Coordinator, and providing oversight of the Department’s Travel Coordinator function. The Associate Accountant will also monitor operating budget transactions, identify and correct errors in the financial system, develop reports, and make recommendations for policy and procedure improvements. This position may also assist in the development of the Department’s Biennial Operating Budget Request.

Requirements

Current State of CT employee with at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service.
Seven (7) years of experience in accounting or auditing.
One (1) year of the General Experience must have been at the level of an Accountant, an Auditor or an Accounts Examiner with responsibility for the exercise of independent analysis and judgement in the application of professional accounting principles and practices.
Considerable knowledge of professional accounting principles and practices including governmental accounting and budgeting.
Considerable ability to analyze and evaluate financial records, methods and procedures.
Ability to devise and install accounting procedures and systems.
Supervisory ability.
Oral and written communication skills.
Interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Accounting.
Experience with Core-CT Financial system, including Purchasing/E-pro module and EPM Reporting.
Experience with State Purchasing Card program.
Experience with state employee travel policies and procedures.
Experience using Microsoft Excel (including spreadsheet development, and data management); as well as Word, Outlook, and Teams.

Responsibilities

Supervises professional employees of a lower grade.
Schedules, assigns, oversees, and reviews the work of assigned staff; provides training as required.
Conducts annual Employee Performance Evaluations.
Provides oversight of Department Purchasing Card (P-Card) program, including processing card applications, issuance of cards, coordinating limit adjustments, card cancellations, fraud review/response, and issuance of monthly statements.
Provide training for new cardholders, reconcilers, and backup program coordinators.
Assist cardholders in resolution of account issues, declined cards, and billing errors.
Oversee monthly verification of P-Card transactions in Core-CT Financial module; and monthly reconciliation of P-Card logs with monthly statements for all Department cardholders, ensuring purchases are appropriately documented, follow Department policies, and are in compliance with state regulations.
Act as Department liaison with Office of the State Comptroller, Department of Administrative Services, and Auditors of Public Accounts for all P-Card related issues and monthly P-Card audits.
Independently analyze and interpret P-Card related audit recommendations to determine appropriate action/response.
Prepare annual, quarterly, and monthly projection of budgetary requirements for P-Card program, ensuring sufficient funds are encumbered for Department monthly transactions by maintaining purchase orders as appropriate.
Oversee review of monthly U.S. Bank National Association invoices for approval and payment.
Coordinate monthly journal entries to Core-CT General Ledger to ensure all P-Card transactions are recorded to appropriate funding source / accounting string.
Prepare mandated quarterly reporting of P-Card transactions with Set-Aside vendors.
Serve as Department Fuel Card Coordinator, acting as liaison with state fuel card vendor on related matters.
Oversee all Department procedures related to P-Card and Fuel Card programs.
Compile and review data on P-Card expenditures through extensive Core-CT EPM reporting and analysis.
Provide management with recommendations on P-Card related matters.
Provides oversight of the Department’s Travel Coordinator function, including overseeing staff responsible for processing of all Department Travel Authorization Requests, ensuring compliance with appropriate state and Department policies and guidelines.
Independently monitor operating budget transactions through extensive Core-CT EPM reporting and analysis.
Identify budget, commitment and/or expenditure errors and coordinates appropriate correction in financial system (i.e., budget journals, change orders, journal vouchers, spreadsheet journals).
Develop ad-hoc Core-CT EPM reports to assist in critical management review of agency operations.
Prepare and analyze complex budget and expenditure reports, as required.
Develop and maintain written unit procedures and ensures proper implementation.
Make recommendations on policy development and standards related to budgeting, correction, and reporting aspects of Core-CT.
May assist in development of the Department’s Biennial Operating Budget Request.
Apply accounting knowledge by making recommendations for improvements to unit accounting related procedures and financial system reporting.
Perform related duties as required.