Staff Accountant

POSITION TITLE: Staff Accountant
REPORTS TO: CDS Finance Director
SALARY RANGE: $43,014 - $60,070 per year

This is a 40 hour per week, calendar year position at our CDS State Office in Augusta. Hybrid remote schedule is possible following a training period.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

This is professional services work involving the application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) guidelines in maintaining complex accounts within established accounting systems. These complex accounts characteristically have:

(1) multiple fund types, revenue sources, cost centers, and cost allocations;

(2) multiple levels of controlling regulations; and

(3) overlapping reporting periods.

Employees in this classification are responsible for ensuring assigned accounts are managed in accordance with GAAP/GASB standards, state/agency accounting procedures, and appropriate internal controls. Employees use and apply accounting skills at the full proficiency level to analyze and resolve nonstandard accounting transactions, and independently initiate appropriate corrections into accounting records. Employees interact with programmatic staff to explain accounting policies and procedures, or resolve accounting discrepancies and disputes. This classification is distinguished from that of Accounting Technician by the technical complexity of work in maintaining complex accounts and increased responsibility for (1) identifying problematic processes and procedures within accounting systems and (2) developing, recommending, and implementing corrective actions to resolve problems. Supervision may be exercised over paraprofessional accounting personnel and office support/clerical staff. Work is performed under limited supervision.

REPRESENTATIVE TASKS (A position may not be assigned all the duties listed, nor do the listed examples include all the duties that may be assigned).

• Establishes and oversees accounting procedures and internal controls for asset and liability accounts, revenue and expense accounts, and equity accounts in order to ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards and standard operating procedures.
• Applies accounting theory to account for revenues, expenditures, transfers, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and inventory in accordance with GAAP/GASB in order to accurately report the results of agency operations.
• Verifies source documents for accuracy, completeness, authorization, and coding, as well as proper application of fees, refunds, collections, and discounts in order to verify general ledger balances, reconcile subsystems to the general ledger, and identify accounting system problems or weaknesses.
• Reviews financial transactions and applies accounting theory and principles in order to ensure compliance with GAAP/GASB and applicable laws, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Reconciles accounts, initiates corrective actions, and formulates and recommends system and process changes through evaluation, analysis of problems and application of accounting theory in order to eliminate future problems.
• Prepares agency financial reports including information for the statewide financial report and prepares portions of required annual financial statements and related notes and disclosures in order to communicate relevant financial information to concerned parties.
• Prepares cash forecasts, revenue estimates, and expenditure projections for planning purposes in order to support budgetary and program staff.
• Monitors budget balances, identifies issues, and formulates corrective actions in order to inform and support program and accounting managers.
• Confers with financial and program staff in order to explain accounting policy and processes and resolve accounting discrepancies or disputes associated with account balances and reconciliations, reporting clarifications, payment authorizations, expenditures, and budget balances.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED (These are required to successfully perform the work assigned).

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting theories, principles, methods, practices, and terminology.
• Knowledge of governmental accounting standards and systems.
• Knowledge of computerized accounting systems.
• Knowledge of standardized desktop technology and products.
• Ability to apply accounting principles in locating and correcting accounting errors.
• Ability to apply accepted accounting principles to income statements and balance sheets.
• Ability to verify fiscal source documents and application of fees, refunds, collections, and discounts.
• Ability to prepare narrative and statistical reports and financial statements, projections, and schedules, and analyze and interpret information from reports.
• Ability to review fiscal transactions for conformity with applicable laws, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to write clearly and effectively.
• Ability to recommend improvements in accounting controls, financial review trails, and business practices.
• Ability to function effectively as a member of a project team.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelors Degree from an accredited educational institution in Accounting -OR-
• any other Bachelors Degree from an accredited educational institution that includes at least 18 semester hours in accounting coursework -OR-
• An Associates Degree from an accredited educational institution in Accounting and 3 years of practical work experience providing complex technical support to professional accounting staff -OR-
• 6 years of practical work experience providing complex technical support to professional accounting staff.

Accounting coursework must include successful completion of Principles of Accounting I & II, Intermediate Accounting I & II, plus two other accounting-related courses. Experience must demonstrate comprehension and application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) guidelines and must demonstrate the ability to

(1) classify and analyze financial data and records for the purpose of business financial planning;

(2) design, recommend, and implement modifications of accounting methods, procedures, forms, and records;

(3) prepare financial statements and reports such as balance sheets and other operating statements; and

(4) analyze accounts and accounting relationships that result in complex accounting entries.

Veterans’ Preference: Maine law provides a preference to qualified veterans and gold star spouses by ensuring they are offered an interview. If you are a veteran or a gold star spouse and wish to take advantage of this preference, please complete our employment application. Documentation is required. For more information, visit: https://www.maine.gov/bhr/state-jobs/veterans-preference-in-job-applications.

Please send resume and completed CDS Employment Application (on CDS website) to:

Child Development Services serves the early intervention and special education needs of Maine's children birth to age five. We have over 350 employees, a large network of contracted providers and currently serve over 3,500 children ages 0 to 5 years.

CDS consist of 10 principal sites throughout Maine with several satellite offices.

This posting is being offered by an equal opportunity employer.