Accountant III – Fort Collins

Department Information

Our Mission: Engaged employees working together to provide diverse public safety services to local communities and safeguard lives.

Our Vision: Creating safer and more resilient communities across Colorado

Visit our website to learn more about the work we do to keep Colorado Safe!

https://www.colorado.gov/publicsafety

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining the dedicated employees of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. In addition to a rewarding and meaningful career, CDPS offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Two PERA retirement plan options plus optional 401k/457 plans
• State sponsored medical and dental plans. Paid basic life insurance and short term disability
• Optional additional life coverage and long-term disability coverage
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Employee wellness programs and incentives
• Subsidized RTD FlexPass and free parking at most work locations
• Training options for continued professional development
• Reduced college tuition through CSU Global and DeVry University

The CDPS is a drug free workplace that values a diverse and inclusive workforce

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:
The mission of the Colorado Department of Public Safety is engaged employees working together to provide diverse public safety services to local communities and safeguard lives. The Department consists of five Divisions: Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Colorado State Patrol (CSP), Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM).

This position resides within the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC). DFPC safeguards the lives of those that live, work, learn and play in Colorado by reducing fire threats to people, property and the environment. Each of the programs described below supports the Division’s mission in various ways, including through code enforcement, wildfire preparedness and suppression, training and certification programs, public information and education, or technical assistance to local governments.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE:

The Executive Director’s Office is the backbone of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, providing effective administrative and management services to the Department’s five operating divisions. In addition to administering central functions such as financial services, human resources, rulemaking support, and government relations, the EDO maintains primary responsibility for meeting the standards and deadlines of other state agencies, the Governor’s Office, and the General Assembly. The EDO includes the following:

• The Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director
• Financial Services
• Human Resources
• Planning and Resource Development
• Colorado School Safety Resource Center
• Colorado Integrated Criminal Justice Information Systems

DIVISION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
The Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) safeguards the lives of those that live, work, learn and play in Colorado by reducing fire threats to people, property and the environment. Each of the programs described below supports the Division’s mission in various ways, including through code enforcement, wildfire preparedness and suppression, training and certification programs, public information and education, or technical assistance to local governments.

• Wildfire Management Program – provides technical assistance to local governments and manages wildfires that exceed the capacity of local agencies.
• Health Facility Construction and Inspection Program – ensures that licensed health facilities comply with fire and life safety codes, issues building permits, and performs inspections.
• Public School and Junior College Construction and Inspection Program – ensures that public schools and junior colleges comply with building and fire codes by conducting plan reviews and inspections or certifying local plan reviewers and inspectors.
• Certification Programs – administers certification programs for firefighters, hazardous material emergency responders, medical first responders, fire sprinkler fitters, and others.
• Colorado All-Risk Incident Reporting System – administers a statewide reporting system for fires and related incidents.
• Emergency Services Responder Education and Training – provides training for emergency service responders.
• Center of Excellence – researches, tests, and evaluates new technologies related to aerial firefighting.
• Fire Suppression Program – ensures that fire sprinkler systems are properly installed and maintained.
• Colorado Fireworks Act – establishes minimum standards for the sale and use of fireworks.
• Fire Safety in Limited Gaming Establishments – establishes minimum building and fire safety standards for limited gaming establishments.
• Regulation of Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes – enforces flammability standards on cigarettes.
• Regulation of Fire Safety in Waste Tire Facilities – creates rules for fire safety in waste tire facilities.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK UNIT:

The Finance Section provides a full range of budget and financial services including accounts payable/receivable, purchasing, budget and policy formulation, financial accounting, monitoring and reporting, grant acquisition and administration, Division financial policy implementation in congruence with the Colorado Department of Public Safety financial policies, sub-recipient contract preparation and provision of support for the day-to-day operations of DFPC through general management and personnel administration. This section also manages incident billings on fires that occur within the State of Colorado, expense reimbursement of state and local cooperators assigned to State of Colorado responsibility fires or incidents under other jurisdictions, finalizing agency costs and reconciling applicable cost share agreements, and submitting final invoices to responsible agencies on a fire.

Description of Job

Duties are as follows;

• Position provides leadership and oversight of the accounting functions within the Finance Section of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
• Position supervises EDO accounting staff and reports to the CDPS EDO Deputy Controller.
• Provides budgetary and financial accounting technical assistance to the Division.
• Position is responsible for assigning tasks, monitoring progress and work flow, responding to legislative fiscal notes, establishing work standards for the Financial Accounting Unit, and ensures execution of assigned responsibilities from the EDO Deputy Controller.
• Ensures sound and timely management of fire incident billings on fires that occur within the State of Colorado.
• Ensures timely expense reimbursement of state and local cooperators assigned to State of Colorado responsibility fires or incidents within other jurisdictions, and the submission of final invoices to responsible agencies on a fire.
• Position is expected to perform the highest level of accounting functions as an Accountant III.
• Effectively supervise the work performance of lower level accountants and accounting technicians and provide guidance and or training as necessary.
• Responsible for Division central accounting duties, for example; balance sheet reconciliations, income statement analysis, year-end activities, and other duties as assigned by the EDO Deputy Director.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Applicants must be a current resident of the State of Colorado to be eligible to apply for this position.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting and four years of professional accounting experience. Must have at least one (1) year of supervisory experience within the four-year experience.

Substitutions:
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university which included 27 semester hours of accounting or auditing coursework may substitute for the required education. A master’s degree in accounting or MBA with an emphasis in accounting or a doctorate degree in accounting from an accredited college or university may substitute for the bachelor’s degree and one (1) year of the professional accounting experience respectively. A CPA may substitute for the bachelor’s degree and one year of the professional accounting experience.

Full-time professional accounting experience may substitute for the required bachelor’s degree in accounting on a year-for-year basis.

There is NO substitution for the required one (1) year supervisory experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working in CORE
• Familiarity with Grant reporting systems;
• Experience with Federal grant accounting and reporting
• CPA
• Highly proficient with Excel
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Familiarity with disaster finance roles and responsibilities.
• Familiarity with grant reporting requirements

APPEAL RIGHTS:

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for the position, you may protest the action by filing an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the date you receive notice of the elimination.

Also, if you wish to challenge the selection and comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director within 10 days from the receipt of notice or knowledge of the action you are challenging.

Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director’s Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for more information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director’s Administrative Procedures are available at www.colorado.gov/spb.

A standard appeal form is available at: www.colorado.gov/spb. If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within 10 days of your receipt of notice or knowledge of the action: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: 303-866-5038. Phone: 303-866-3300. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination.

Supplemental Information

Important:

Applications are considered complete and accurate at the time of submission. Therefore, additional information may not be solicited or accepted after your application has been received.

Please note: Your application materials and responses to the supplemental questions will be evaluated based on content, grammar and spelling as the first stage in the comparative analysis to determine a ranked order of applicants that will proceed in the selection process for this position.

If you are a military veteran you must submit a copy of your DD214 at the time of application so we can determine if you are eligible for veteran’s preference points.