Finance Accountant 1

Location: 14 South Fort Harrison, Clearwater, FL  33756

Schedule: Hybrid in office and some remote work

***ONLY PINELLAS COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN THE CLERK OF THE COURT (FINANCE DIVISION) MAY APPLY***

The Clerk of the Circuit Court, as an elected Constitutional Officer responsible for safeguarding public records and funds, is seeking a results-driven Finance Accountant to join our team.

This professional governmental accounting position works in the General Ledger section of the General Accounting and Reporting department. Demonstrated experience performing professional accounting work conducting pre-audit of accounts, automated report generation, and preparation of financial statements are essential. The incumbent partners with the financial accounting team to analyze funds and transactions, prepare internal and external financial reports supporting the annual financial statements and various other required financial and compliance reports. This position understands state rules and statutes for local government and constitutional officer financial reporting, Governmental Accounting Standards Board pronouncements, and generally accepted accounting principles. The Finance Accountant I, under the guidance of management, interprets and applies GAAP and GASB pronouncements, rules of the State Auditor General, and overall best practices for county government. The incumbent works within established guidelines but is required to independently identify and resolve discrepancies within the system. This position will play a key role in the transition from the current ERP Oracle EBS to Workday over the next couple of years.

What Would You Do?

• Work as a team member in the operations and support of the GL system. Analyze, research, test, troubleshoot, balance, and reconcile the GL sub-ledger in the Oracle ERP System;
• Communicate with County and Clerk departments to correct errors or omissions;
• Document policy and procedures, and prepare materials needed to train and support staff countywide on Oracle financials functionality. Ensure procedures conform to Florida Statutes, local ordinances, fee schedules, contracts, etc;
• Plans and performs the pre-audit of balance sheet accounts, accounting adjustments, and preparation of reports and financial statements;
• Work as a team member to transition from Oracle EBS to Workday by contributing to a redesign of the chart of accounts (Foundation Data Model), workflow design and documentation, data validation, training, and other ERP project duties;
• Monitor budgetary controls and encumbrances, resolve issues as they arise, and work collaboratively with the owners of other financial system modules, to ensure accuracy and compliance; Ensure Chart of Accounts compliance with the Uniform Accounting System Chart of Accounts;
• Reconciles asset and liability accounts, including receivables, special assessments, investments, inventory, or short/long-term assets and liability records;
• Conducts analyses of entries and transactions having impact on financial statements for accuracy; generates the appropriate correcting accrual or adjusting entries;
• Create, review and balance various accounting reports using report writers and other analytical tools;
• Ensures that financial statement preparation provides accounting controls, and adequate audit trails;
• Formats and designs customized reports for accounting and management information;
• Assist with recommending and implementing process improvements that require the application of best practices for segregation of duties, journal entry workflow, local government reporting requirements, and modified and full accrual accounting. Serves as a liaison between GL staff and other departments for new processes affecting GL functionality;
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

What Do You Need To Have

Experience – professional experience in general ledger and financial reporting using an ERP system.

Education – degree in accounting, finance, business administration or related field.

• At least 7 years of experience as described above; or
• Associate degree as described above and at least 5 years of experience as described above; or
• Bachelor’s degree as described above and at least 2 year of experience as described above; or
• Master’s degree as described above and at least 1 year of experience as described above.

Additional Requirements

• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.

Highly Desirable

• Completion of 24 or more college-level credit hours in accounting and finance courses.
• Working knowledge of accounting principles, with emphasis on budgetary control and encumbrances, and familiarity with GAAP and GASB accounting.
• Knowledge of rules and regulations from the federal, state, and local governments, as well as ordinances, and other agreements used in county government to guide the creating or auditing of journal entries for appropriateness.
• Excellent analytical skills to maintain and sustain the integrity of the General Ledger.
• Experience with report writing preferably from an ERP system (Oracle or similar), and possess a high proficiency in Microsoft Office products with an emphasis on Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively partner with internal and external customers.
• Experience and knowledge of an ERP system and most desirably Oracle or Workday applications.
• Knowledge of the effect subledger transactions created in Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Purchasing, Fixed Assets, and Projects have on the General Ledger.
• Ability to perform analytical procedures to account balances using professional judgement to develop expectations, research variances, and interpret the results
• Knowledge of a relational database system.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• High proficiency in Microsoft Office products with an emphasis on Excel, and preferably experience with Oracle applications.
• Knowledge of General Ledger best practices.
• Knowledge of advanced budgetary processes, financial accounting, and fund organization including proper accounting based on laws, rules, and other regulatory requirements.
• Ability to conduct research, identify and evaluate process improvement opportunities and assist the manager with the implementation of approved strategies.
• Ability to analyze complex transactions and reports (including reconciliations) and make appropriate correcting entries and/or recommendations.
• Ability to understand advanced automated accounting systems as well as to train and guide others on how to understand and maintain financial accounting files, with emphasis on all general ledger transactions, including encumbrances.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff within the Finance Division, county departments, and external users.
• Ability to organize, multitask, and prioritize deadlines, such as external audit requests that include gathering information and preparing statements while still supporting the department's day-to-day needs.
• Aptitude to readily navigate within other systems such as Accela, SAP, Granicus, Documentum, Munis, Workiva, and cashiering software. May assist with application testing and report writing.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Want To Learn More?

Please review the full classification description with the Physical/Mental Demands and Working Conditions at the below link. 

Finance Accountant 1, 150