Senior Accounting & Chart of Account Specialist

State of Oregon

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Accounting & Chart Of Account Specialist to join our Office of Finance and Information Technology at the Oregon Department of Education. This position is limited duration pending permanent funding approval. The limited duration end date will be 06/30/2027 or once funding is approved. This position may be extended if permanent funding is not approved prior to the end date and is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). This position follows a hybrid work model. Onsite presence will be required when business or operational needs are best supported in person, such as collaboration, training, or work that requires access to onsite resources. Employees approved to work remotely must have a reliable and secure internet connection and maintain a professional work environment that supports productivity. While working remotely, employees are expected to maintain the same level of performance, responsiveness, communication, and availability as they would in the office. The Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE’s) mission is to foster equity and excellence for every learner through collaboration with educators, partners, and communities. In fulfilling its mission, ODE has the vision to ensure all students have access to and benefit from a world-class, well–rounded, and equitable education system. All employees working in the Department are expected to assist in achieving the Department’s diversity and affirmative action goals by creating an inclusive work environment that encourages each employee to meet their full potential and consider Education as their “Employer of Choice.” The Office of Finance and Information Technology (OFIT) provide timely and reliable fiscal, administrative, and information technology services. This work is designed to ensure that all agency services adhere to applicable laws and regulations while seeking solutions focused on the needs of Oregon’s children. OFIT contributes to an infrastructure that allows ODE staff to focus on the core mission of leadership, accountability, and school improvement. OFIT consists of seven Units for Financial Services, Budget Services, Business Services, Procurement Services, School Finance and Facilities, Fiscal Transparency and Information Technology. Collectively, the office covers a full range of business services that are provided to support agency staff and external partners. Through these different Units, the mail is processed, bills are paid, contracts are developed and executed, the agency budget is developed, funds are managed and distributed to local schools districts, and ESDs, school buildings are monitored to ensure the safety of our children, information technology and project management support is given to both internal and external customers, technology solutions are developed, enhanced, and managed; and agency facilities/space issues are addressed. OFIT acts as reliable customer service partners for the rest of the agency to meet the business needs and objectives of our mission. This position serves as the agency’s senior subject-matter expert on governmental accounting, GAAP, GASB, budgetary accounting, grant accounting, and program accounting as they relate to Oregon K-12 school district and ESD reporting. This position maintains and governs Oregon’s statewide Program Budgeting & Accounting Manual (PBAM) Chart of Accounts, ensuring that all financial, programmatic, and grant codes remain accurate, compliant, and aligned with Oregon statutes, GASB standards, Uniform Grant Guidance, and statewide financial policies. This position leads ODE’s Technical Assistance Program for statewide accounting support, providing authoritative guidance to districts, ESDs, charter schools, auditors, and internal ODE programs. The role designs and delivers training on governmental accounting, chart of accounts structure, fiscal transparency reporting, and related requirements. This position plays a key role in the statewide implementation of the revised PBAM and in ensuring consistent, transparent, and auditable financial reporting across Oregon’s education system. This position is the highest-level professional accounting role within the Fiscal Transparency Unit. The Senior Accountant role offers the opportunity to play a key leadership role in complex governmental accounting and financial reporting work that directly supports the integrity of the County’s financial statements. This position goes beyond routine accounting by involving professional judgment, problem-solving, and ownership of high-impact processes such as year-end close, reconciliations, and compliance with governmental accounting standards. Travel requirements for this position are minimal and limited to conferences and training events

Requirements

Possession of a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Government Financial Manager certificate AND three years of accounting experience equivalent to Accountant 2 work to include designing and modifying accounting systems that require frequent changes in requirements to meet specific business objectives, consulting with program managers or external organizations, and assuring the proper functioning and accountability of fiscal operations; OR
A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or in any discipline that includes or is supplemented by 32 quarter (21 semester) credit hours from an accredited institution in Accounting AND three years of related accounting experience equivalent to Accountant 2 work to include designing and modifying accounting systems that require frequent changes in requirements to meet specific business objectives, consulting with program managers or external organizations, and ensuring the proper functioning and accountability of fiscal operations; OR
32 quarter (21 semester) credit hours from an accredited institution in Accounting AND five years of related accounting experience to include a) classifying, analyzing, and reconciling complex financial data and records; b) designing, recommending, and installing modifications of accounting methods, procedures, forms, and records; c) preparing audited financial statements and reports; d) analyzing and interpreting laws, regulations, codes, and ordinances to ensure the legality of financial transactions; and e) analyzing and interpreting complex accounts and account relationships resulting in accounting entries. 15 quarter (10 semester) graduate-level accounting credit hours may substitute for one year of the accounting experience. Graduate-level courses used to satisfy the educational requirement may not be used to satisfy the experience requirement.
Minimum qualifications must be met to qualify for this position.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated commitment to system change that accelerates opportunities by removing barriers for students in our K-12 system who are and have been historically underserved.
Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state grant administration, hiring and onboarding processes, Oregon Administrative Rule processes and development, budget and agency operations.
Excellent problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and oral and written communications skills.
Very detail oriented and strong conceptual reasoning ability and ability to apply abstract thinking in order to develop systems and process.
Highly effective and well-developed interpersonal skills and self-awareness.

Responsibilities

Maintain, update, and govern Oregon’s statewide PBAM Chart of Accounts.
Conduct ongoing reviews to ensure alignment with GAAP, GASB, UGG, and Oregon statutes.
Lead ODE’s statewide Accounting Technical Assistance Program.
Provide authoritative interpretations on fund accounting, grant tracking, program classification, and object classification.

Benefits

Excellent medical, vision and dental benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with very low monthly out-of-pocket cost
Paid days off – 11 paid holidays per year, 3 additional paid "Personal Business Days" per year, 8 hours of sick leave accumulated every month, Progressive vacation leave accrual and increases every 5 years.
In addition to standard medical benefits and employee leave, the state also provides additional optional benefits, such as basic life insurance, short-term disability, Paid Leave Oregon, long-term disability, deferred compensation savings program, and flexible spending accounts for health care and child care expenses.
Student Loan Forgiveness Program: if you have federal student loan debt or are thinking of going back to school, then you will want to look into this program. If you make 120 qualifying payments on your student loan while working full time for a qualifying employer, your student loan debt may be forgiven.
If you currently work at an Oregon school district or education service district, we may be able to transfer in your sick leave balance!

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume