Supervisory Accountant - Fiscal Department

COUNTY OF LEHIGH PENNSYLVANIA•Allentown, PA

About The Position

General Definition: This is supervisory accounting work, planning, assigning and reviewing the work of lower level accounting, technical and/or clerical positions in the County's fiscal office. A position in this class directs the budget process, supervises the overall accounting function, and performs particular projects, such as financial reports. Work includes working with management officials from other County offices in the development and administration of the budget. A position in this class is differentiated from those in related classes by the accounting nature of the work, the supervisory assignment, and the impact on County budget activities. A position in this class reports directly to an appointed accounting position at the office head level. Typical Examples of Work: Prepares budget instructions for submission to operating offices and departments; gathers statistical information from prior budgets and financial reports; presents such information to County management, discussing current goals; receives budget information, estimates and projections from operating offices; oversees generation of working budget; meets with individual County managers to analyze and discuss budget requests; suggests appropriate figures and secures understanding of reasons for any changes therein; rerun figures and develop proposed budget for submission to legislative body; participates in all budget meetings, explaining budget figures, derivation of them and reasons for deviations from original requests; revises proposed budget to conform to decisions reached; develops final, adopted budget. Plans, assigns and reviews the work of lower level accounting, technical and/or clerical positions engaged in budget preparation and administration, accounts payable, and other accounting and fiscal management work; trains and advises personnel in carrying out assignments, suggesting approaches for new systems or problematic cases; reviews ongoing and special assignments, reports and accounting documents; provides general direction, assistance and training to staff members, individually and as a group; reviews job performance for timeliness and to identify potential problems; interviews and recommends selection of job applicants; recommends disciplinary action. Establishes and implements accounting systems, procedures and workflow, such as conversion of Countywide chart of accounts; analyzes accounting, budget and other fiscal activities; determines rate of expenditure against projection and notifies officials of such findings; determines need for and effects transfers of funds; advises operating and management personnel of means to more effectively record, control and report accounts, budget and other fiscal activities; reviews and verifies overall operating, capital and special accounts and funds; reviews assets, liabilities, receipts and expenditures for overall status and to identify potential or actual problems; notifies management personnel of same and recommends resolution. Extracts, extrapolates and develops accounting and financial data, including cost analyses, for use in budget, management and other planning processes; prepares reports for internal use and submission to other County and/or Court offices, and State and Federal agencies, including financial management analysis. Performs related work as required.

Requirements

Comprehensive knowledge of accounting goals, objectives, principles and practices pertaining to fund budget development and administration.
Thorough knowledge of accounting methods, techniques and requirements governing governmental financial systems.
Thorough knowledge of financial management and reporting methods, techniques and standards.
Basic knowledge of supervisory principles and practices.
Skill in preparing statistical, accounting, and financial statements.
Skill in analyzing identified accounting, budget and fiscal system problems and developing procedural and systemic means to resolve them.
Ability to plan, assign and review the work of lower level accounting, technical and/or clerical personnel engaged in accounting activities.
Ability to express ideas effectively both orally and in writing.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, other County management officials, and others involved in the budget and/or accounting process, including auditors.
Education equivalent to completion of a Bachelor's degree program with major course work in accounting, business or public administration.
Three to four years of governmental accounting experience, two years of which shall have been at the full performance level.
Or any equivalent combination of acceptable training and experience which has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities cited above.

Responsibilities

Prepares budget instructions for submission to operating offices and departments
Gathers statistical information from prior budgets and financial reports
Presents information to County management
Oversees generation of working budget
Meets with County managers to analyze and discuss budget requests
Develops proposed budget for submission to legislative body
Participates in budget meetings
Revises proposed budget to conform to decisions reached
Develops final, adopted budget
Plans, assigns and reviews the work of lower level accounting, technical and/or clerical positions
Trains and advises personnel
Reviews ongoing and special assignments, reports and accounting documents
Provides general direction, assistance and training to staff members
Reviews job performance for timeliness and to identify potential problems
Interviews and recommends selection of job applicants
Recommends disciplinary action
Establishes and implements accounting systems, procedures and workflow
Analyzes accounting, budget and other fiscal activities
Determines rate of expenditure against projection and notifies officials of such findings
Determines need for and effects transfers of funds
Advises operating and management personnel of means to more effectively record, control and report accounts, budget and other fiscal activities
Reviews and verifies overall operating, capital and special accounts and funds
Reviews assets, liabilities, receipts and expenditures for overall status and to identify potential or actual problems
Notifies management personnel of same and recommends resolution
Extracts, extrapolates and develops accounting and financial data
Prepares reports for internal use and submission to other County and/or Court offices, and State and Federal agencies
Performs related work as required