Senior Research Accountant

State of Utah Office of the Governor•Taylorsville, UT

5d•$38 - $67•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an analytical, systems-minded Senior Research Accountant to serve as a key individual contributor reporting directly to our Accounting Operations Manager. This is a highly specialized, hybrid role designed for a seasoned accounting professional who thrives on data analysis, complex problem-solving, and understanding the operational and database logic behind every transaction. With 5+ years of experience and a strong foundational knowledge of accounting (CPA preferred), you will look beyond surface-level data entry to trace ledgers back to their source databases, payroll systems, or statutory references. You will be responsible for investigating variances, designing and implementing internal controls, managing audit information requests, and driving project management initiatives to clear the division's task backlog.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive corporate accounting, internal audit, or public accounting experience.
A deep, fundamental understanding of core accounting principles. You must be someone who instinctively "knows what is behind each transaction" rather than just knowing how to process it.
Proven hands-on experience working with relational databases, ERP structures, and advanced data manipulation tools (e.g., advanced Excel, SQL, or equivalent database management systems).
Demonstrated ability to manage project timelines, organize a backlog, take direction effectively, and independently drive tasks to completion.
Ability to question assumptions and break down complex problems into their most basic, foundations to find solutions. This includes the innate drive to ask “why”.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required OR equivalent experience.
CPA license.
Strong working knowledge of Payroll workflows and Payroll Tax compliance logic.
Existing knowledge of our account structure is preferred, but not required.
Experience with State Financial Systems: This includes CGI Vantage Financial, HCM/Payroll, and State Data Warehouse, as well as partner systems with URS and PEHP

Responsibilities

Maintain and develop reports for various users, both within the Division of Finance and outside.
Act as the lead point of contact for external and internal audit/information requests, efficiently researching, gathering, and preparing required reports.
Perform routine and ad-hoc compliance testing across accounts payable, payroll, and tax systems to identify and mitigate operational risks.
Review and provide final approval for high-level transactions, ensuring complete accuracy by validating the underlying debits, credits, and operational logic.
Oversee and perform complex reconciliations between operational sub-ledgers (Payroll databases, AP systems) and the General Ledger.
Conduct technical research regarding complex payroll processing logic, state/federal tax compliance, and transactional variances.
Take the lead on complex accounting problems and tricky agency inquiries. You’ll work with minimal oversight to ask the right questions, uncover why things don't match up, and confidently find the solution.
Assist the Accounting Operations Manager with project management initiatives, systematically prioritizing and executing the division's task list backlog.
Drive special projects, including financial software optimization, database query management, and process automation.
Utilize database experience to query financial data, generate advanced data models/reports, and identify systemic errors or workflow inefficiencies.