Senior Accountant

The Senior Accountant acts as the senior/lead in the Probate Accounting department. The accounting department serves the Probate Court by making sure appointed fiduciary and conservators abide by the responsibilities given to them by the court to oversee the assets of vulnerable adults who have been deemed to need a conservator.

Minimum education and/or experience:
Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or a closely related field and two (2) years’ of progressively responsible professional accounting or auditing experience. Additional professional accounting or auditing experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year for year basis.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Knowledge of:

• GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
• Theories and practices and generally accepted auditing standards
• Computer applications to accounting systems in relation to established accounting standards and in accordance with applicable laws
• Regulations and the Court’s Accounting Guidelines pertaining to the department’s annual accounting reports and related required documents and procedures

Skill in:

• Implementing accounting and auditing operating procedures
• Excellent professional writing

Ability to:

• Ability to plan and conduct reviews, including reviewing and evaluating accounting records and statements
• Communicate effectively and work well with judicial officers, court staff and the public

Preferred education and/or experience:
Three (3) years’ professional accounting or auditing experience. One (1) years’ experience in a lead or supervisory role. Preference may also be given to those with working knowledge of the courts, finance, probate, trusts, fiduciary, and/or conservatorships.

• Lead accounting staff personnel who require monitoring workloads, review, and approval of work coordination and initial and ongoing training of staff and new staff.
• Assist the Supervisor in reviewing incoming cases, short turn-around
• Provide ongoing support to probate court accountants who have questions/concerns regarding cases
• First line in quality control of work product within the accounting department
• Oversee and coordinate time-off schedules for each Probate Court accountant as it coincides with their caseloads
• Provide ongoing support to accountants who are subpoenaed
• Assist in the performance evaluation of the accountants.
• Assist in establishing performance goals and objectives for annual performance evaluations.
  Analyze yield/utilization data to determine appropriate quantity of cases to assign to each accountant.
• Provide direction to accountants to resolve complex case management and case monitoring issues.
• Frequently represent the accounting department at meetings involving judicial officers and court staff, and other agencies.
• Occasionally resolve customer concerns within the office, and by interacting with other court, departments leads
• Assist Probate Administrators when necessary with developing corrective action plans and other necessary disciplinary actions for Office staff when appropriate.
• Analyze resource allocation and customer service delivery trends for the Office and report to senior Court management.
• Review court activities for compliance with laws, court rules or administrative direction, analyzing the need for rule revisions as necessary.
• Assist Administrators with monitoring and developing annual budgets.
• Develop policies and procedures, implement policy decisions and coordinate with other court departments, county departments, community organizations or other jurisdictions.
• Prepare detailed weekly reports for Probate Administrators.
• Monitor monthly statistics and report case activity reports to Probate Administrator.
• Conducts interviews when there is overflow

The hiring authority will select the successful candidate based on departmental needs.

Typically, successful candidates are hired at a salary rate up to midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience, internal equity and budgetary allowances.

All Judicial Branch offers of employment and continued employment are contingent upon passing a thorough background/fingerprint check. Applicants must completely and fully answer any questions regarding felony and misdemeanor convictions including any convictions that have been expunged or set aside. Failure to include criminal history information is grounds for termination of an offer and employment. A conviction may not automatically disqualify an applicant.

Judicial Branch facilities are located throughout Maricopa County. This position may be reassigned to other locations. Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department.