Senior Accountant

City of Raleigh North Carolina•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

The City of Raleigh’s Accounting Division within the Finance Department is seeking an experienced Senior Accountant to support the City’s financial integrity and responsible financial management. The role prepares financial statements and reports, analyzes financial data, supports audits, contributes to financial publications, researches accounting pronouncements, and provides accounting, financial reporting, and grant management guidance to City departments and external parties. The position serves as a subject matter expert on fiscal matters and helps ensure compliance with regulatory standards, grant agreements, City policies, and procedures.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field and 3 to 5 years of experience in accounting or a related field, or an equivalent combination of training and/or experience.
Knowledge of governmental accounting and financial reporting, including GAAP and Governmental Accounting Standards Board standards.
Knowledge of grant management, reporting, and subrecipient monitoring for grant compliance.
Knowledge of bonds management, account reconciliations, and bank-to-cash reconciliations.
Knowledge of payroll and benefits, capital asset management and reporting, and sales tax reporting.
Knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable, budget management, and procurement.
Knowledge of ERP systems, relevant software applications, and modern office practices, standard office equipment, and computer applications such as word processing, databases, and spreadsheets.
Skill in public speaking; analyzing complex financial statements and trends; interpreting, compiling, and preparing analytical, financial, and administrative data; and monitoring the accuracy of complex financial statements.
Skill in providing technical guidance, direction, and education to internal and external stakeholders; managing fiscal processes for varied funds; preparing spreadsheets, reports, and financial documents; and maintaining fiscal program documentation, schedules, records, and files.
Ability to initiate process improvement suggestions, conduct research and present conclusions, and interpret and apply procedures, regulations, and policies in financial and analytical reports.
Ability to write, edit, and format financial guidelines and policies and train City-wide staff on them.
Ability to exercise political acumen, tact, and diplomacy; assist departments with complex accounting treatments; adapt to varied accounting assignments; and perform tasks with a high level of accuracy.

Responsibilities

Prepare monthly journal entries and review financial records and ledgers across City departments for accuracy.
Coordinate with Accounts Payable, Procurement, Revenue, Treasury, and other internal service departments to ensure monthly records are accurate and properly recorded.
Provide monthly financial support to the State for sales tax payments and reimbursements.
Record monthly and quarterly financial records received from counties for property, rental vehicle, occupancy, franchise, and other taxes.
Conduct complex account reconciliations and monthly bank-to-cash reconciliations, including for the City’s main operating checking account.
Research variances identified during reconciliations and coordinate with departments to resolve them.
Advise City departments on accounting treatments, necessary adjustments, internal controls, policies, and procedures.
Research existing and newly issued Governmental Accounting Standards Board pronouncements and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to support accurate Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports.
Coordinate with City departments and provide training on implementation of new accounting pronouncements.
Review and approve monthly or quarterly grant reimbursement requests for City departments.
Monitor grant budgets and reporting for compliance with federal and state award agreements.
Prepare year-end grant fund financial statements and reconciliations for grants across departments.
Research single audit requirements and help ensure the City and subrecipients comply with federal and state grant award agreements.
Coordinate external auditors conducting annual City-wide single audits of grants.
Recommend grant process improvements and train City staff on eligible activities, grant management and reporting, and cash management.
Prepare Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports.
Prepare and review complex financial statements, schedules, notes, and demographic and statistical information for compliance with accounting standards and grant agreements.
Perform monthly bond drawdown eligibility determinations to ensure compliance with bond agreements, under the direction of Bond Council.
Perform other related duties as required.