Accountant II – Corrections

Application Requirements

PLEASE NOTE: A LETTER OF INTEREST, DETAILED RESUME, AND COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED FOR CONSIDERATION

In order to be considered for this position, applicants must successfully submit a completed application prior to the posting deadline. Applications submitted without all sections completed will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. Applicants who submit incomplete applications will be disqualified from consideration.

Once the posting closes, all applications will be reviewed. The information provided on the application will be utilized to determine whether or not each applicant meets the minimum requirements for this position as noted in the Job Description below. Please read the Minimum Requirements thoroughly and then demonstrate that you meet these requirements on your application. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be considered for the position.

Please answer the Supplemental Questionnaire truthfully and completely. Use the employment history section of your application to substantiate your answers to supplemental questions regarding years of relevant work experience.

Qualified, eligible applicants will move on to the next step, either a Written Exam or an Education and Experience Review. There is not a Written Exam for this position; instead, we will conduct an Education and Experience Review, in which we assign points to each applicant’s education and relevant work experience as depicted on their application. We encourage all applicants to provide a comprehensive, concise history of their education, certification, licensing, and employment on their employment application so that we are able to accurately assess their experience. Eligible candidates will be ranked on an Eligibility List based on their total score on the Education and Experience Review.

Job Description

COUNTY OF NORTHAMPTON

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

EASTON, PA

JOB DESCRIPTION # 2017-PR-D2160

ACCOUNTANT II – CORRECTIONS

GENERAL PURPOSE

The Accountant II maintains accounting, budgeting and related financial systems and develops, implements, analyzes and reports accounting and fiscal records for the Department of Corrections.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

This position reports directly to a supervisory accounting or administrative position, or a higher level accounting position in the Department of Fiscal Affairs.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

This position may exercise limited oversight over lower level accounting staff by assigning tasks, reviewing completed tasks, training and orientation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE POSITION

Maintains, or oversees the maintenance of, general ledgers, accounts and systems, insuring compliance with law, regulations, requirements, and established accounting control procedures.

Establishes and implements billing systems for user agencies, contractors, grantor agencies, Federal and/or State reimbursement and similar sources of revenue.

Carries out trust and agency fund management activities; reviews and/or oversees such accounts and recommends investment of same.

Reconciles accounts; reviews and approves, or recommends approval of payroll, vendor, and other payments.

Develops internal forms and procedures for use in budget development and administration; reviews budget submissions from operating offices, analyzing same for conformance to instructions, completeness of information, explanation, justification, etc. for changes to base data.

Works with and assists submitting official to insure clarity and completeness of submission; participates in budget hearings, answering questions, explaining projections and providing other information.

Administers budget, comparing rate of expenditure against projection; notifies operating offices and/or higher level fiscal personnel of such findings, spending trends, and other relevant issues.

Advises personnel of means to more effectively record, control and report accounts, budget and other fiscal activities.

Extracts, extrapolates, analyzes and develops accounting and financial data for use in budget, support, and other planning and reporting activities. Performs cost analyses of programs accomplished and services provided.

Prepares reports for internal use and submission to other County and/or Court offices, and State and Federal or other relevant agencies, including financial management analysis. Researches and summarizes support case histories, auditing payments made against court orders and approved schedules, and issues reports of same. Analyzes income, tax returns and related information to determine support liability payment levels and schedules; reconciles support and other accounts.

May oversee work of lower level accounting positions. Reviews transactions of those personnel, insuring completeness and accuracy of work and provides advice and assistance on general working methods as well as specific tasks. Keeps higher level personnel informed of difficult and/or unusual problems encountered. May interview and select, or recommend selection of such personnel, appraise performance, approve leave, recommend discipline and carry out other personnel management functions.

• An employee assigned to this title shall perform a majority, but may not perform all, of the duties listed in this job description. Conversely, minor level duties performed on the job may not be listed. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE – Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree, including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) semester credit hours in professional accounting courses which may include courses in municipal or government accounting; AND

At least three (3) years of experience in accounting principles, practices and standards and basic experience of financial management and reporting methods, techniques and standards or governmental accounting experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Thorough knowledge of accounting methods, techniques and requirements governing governmental financial systems.

Thorough knowledge of accounting goals, objectives, principles and practices pertaining to budget development and administration, if required by work assignment.

Knowledge of Federal and State accounting procedures and reporting requirements governing participation in governmental grants-in-aid, reimbursement, and other fiscal programs.

Knowledge of financial management and reporting methods, techniques and standards.

Skill in preparing statistical, accounting and financial statements.

Ability to operate a personal computer to enter information into and secure information from established data processing, spreadsheet, word processing, database and graphics programs.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, officials in operating offices, and others involved in accounting and budget work.

Ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English to perform the duties of this position.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Telephone, personal computer (including word processing and spreadsheet software), calculator, writing implements, fax machine, copy machine, and paper shredder.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, sit, talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may work in different work site locations.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

SELECTION GUIDELINES

Formal application, rating of education and experience, oral interview and reference check as well as job related tests may be required.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

FLSA STATUS: FLSA EXEMPT

DESIGNATION: CAREER SERVICE

PAY GRADE: CS-25

UNION STATUS: NON-UNION

March 2017

Full-time employees of the County of Northampton are afforded a package of benefits which includes the following:

Medical Insurance

Vision and Prescription

Dental

Life Insurance

Retirement

I. Medical Insurance

Coverage begins for the employee the first of the month following full-time employment for employees and their eligible dependents. Cost to the employee to participate in the plans varies by the coverage selection and number of dependents; and may be subject to collective bargaining, if a union member. The employee may also elect to opt out of the County’s medical insurance if proof of coverage through the spouse’s employer is provided. Under this arrangement, the employee is provided with an annual $1,500.00 opt out payment.

II. Vision and Prescription

Coverage begins for the employee the first of the month following full-time employment for employees and their eligible dependents. Copayments may vary, subject to collective bargaining, if a union member. Coverage under the vision plan varies and depends upon the employee’s choice of doctor and frame selection.

III. Dental Coverage

Coverage begins for the employee the first of the month following full-time employment for employees and their eligible dependents. Copayments may vary, subject to collective bargaining, if a union member.

IV. Life Insurance

A life insurance policy is afforded to full-time employees beginning on the first day of employment, unless specified differently in a collective bargaining agreement. It remains in effect as long as the employee is actively employed and terminates upon resignation or retirement. $20,000 is afforded to all eligible employees.

V. Retirement

All full-time employees and part-time employees working more than 1000 hours per year qualify for County of Northampton retirement benefits, in which employees must contribute 5% of their earnings, and employees may choose to add additional voluntary contributions, not to exceed an additional 10%. Additionally, employees may participate in an optional deferred compensation plan [457(b)] which may provide present tax advantages and future retirement savings. Such arrangements are made directly with the providers and the County will administer payroll deductions only.