Accountant
City of Fargo
Fargo, ND
Full-time
Accounting
Posted on January 3, 2025
Under direction, performs accounting activities duties including auditing, bank reconciliation, cash and investment reconciliation, account reconciliation, summary of transactions, journal entries and other special projects assigned by the Finance Manager, Assistant Director of Finance, or the Director of Finance. This job assists in preparing internal and external financial reports including annual reports, monthly financial statements, budget reports, and historical trend analysis and cost/benefit studies.
Scope of Responsibility :
The Accountant performs responsible professional accounting duties under the general direction of the Finance Manager.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities :
This job requires a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or a related field and two or more years of previous governmental accounting or auditing experience involving the preparation of financial statements and reports, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
Knowledge, skills and ability include:
Most work is performed in a normal office environment. Work requires significant computer use and keyboard time. Work requires use of telephone and other office equipment. There is high attention to detail, audit, financial statements, grant reporting and deadlines. Daily work may involve moving between buildings and rooms. Limited driving is required. The job may involve dealing with and calming individuals who are emotionally charged over an issue.
Activities include stooping, standing, walking, lifting, digital dexterity, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing/listening, seeing/observing, repetitive motions.
Light Work: Physical demands are normally those associated with light work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
Some requirements in this job description may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. All requirements are subject to modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and experience required. To perform this job successfully, the worker must possess the abilities and aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.
This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" employment relationship. The City Administrator retains the discretion to add duties or change the duties of this position at any time.
Scope of Responsibility :
The Accountant performs responsible professional accounting duties under the general direction of the Finance Manager.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities :
- Prepares various financial statements and reports.
- Works as a member of a team to assist in the preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) by collecting required information, updating report models, implementing changes indicated to meet or maintain conformance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Uniform Guidance (UG), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB);
- Maintains and updates budgeting and extended reporting for software system; provide "ad hoc" financial reports as requested by department staff;
- Complies fiscal and/or statistical data and prepares various state, federal or departmental reports to ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations; provides superiors with necessary information regarding department and/or city programs, activities and functions.
- Under direction of the Finance Manager, prepares journal entries, account reconciliations, cash and investment reconciliations, bank reconciliations, subsidiary ledger reconciliations, and financial statements for various programs and projects; develops and post adjusting journal entries as necessary for error corrections, program accounting, payroll posting, and recurring month-end entries.
- Maintains a list of city fixed assets and construction in progress and verifies accuracy of lists with applicable departments and obtains documentation for deletions or additions;
- Create and maintain audit work papers that support the ACFR and SEFA in formats acceptable to independent CPA's.
- Provide information required for annual audit;
- Identify and notify management of any discrepancies or inconsistencies in reporting systems and internal controls;
- Develops and recommends system/procedure improvements and/or modifications;
- Recommends changes when deficiencies are observed.
- Assists in the oversight and accounting for State, Local, and Federal Grants.
- Assists with the overall grant management process, such as completing grant reimbursement requests, monitoring and implementing new grant programs, budgeting, and reporting of grant funds;
- Prepares and maintains grant-related work papers required for annual audit and granting agency audits and assists in the creation, assignment, and monitoring of project tracking codes.
- Assist in the preparation of annual budget.
- May assist in the preparation of schedules and summaries presented in the Budget Book;
- Reviews requests keyed into budget software by departments for accuracy.
- Under direction of the Finance Manager, maintains financial records for City Employee, Police, and Fire Pension systems.
- Performs account reconciliation;
- Maintains investment transaction records;
- Maintains membership information and contribution history;
- Prepares monthly financial statements;
- Maintains and produces data required for actuarial studies;
- Produces annual benefit statements.
- Communicates courteously and professionally and maintains working relationships with others in carrying out job functions.
- Frequently interacts with others in the work unit and across departments to exchange detailed and/or technical information;
- Occasionally interacts with the public and vendors to exchange detailed and/or technical information.
- Performs all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices.
- Knows and follows department and city rules as well as sound work and safety practices in order to accomplish the job objectives and avoid injury or loss;
- Wears proper protective equipment when policy requires or conditions indicate a need exists and utilizes proper body mechanics and ergonomics while performing work;
- When potentially unsafe conditions are observed makes efforts to avoid or correct them if they are controllable and draws them to the attention of the responsible supervisor or safety representative in a timely manner.
- Performs other duties and activities as assigned.
This job requires a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance or a related field and two or more years of previous governmental accounting or auditing experience involving the preparation of financial statements and reports, or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
Knowledge, skills and ability include:
- Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Government Accounting Standards (GASB) and fund accounting procedures;
- Knowledge of principles, procedures and practices of grant administration under Uniform Guidance (UG), particularly record keeping and reporting;
- Knowledge of computer-aided accounting tools such as spreadsheets, graphics and other software packages.
- Knowledge of auditing procedures, bank reconciliation procedures, statistical analysis, and spreadsheet modeling;
- Skill in financial calculations, analysis and reporting;
- Skill in organization and prioritization of work;
- Skill in oral and written presentation;
- Skill in communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction;
- Skill in the use of computer-aided accounting tools such as spreadsheets, graphics and other software packages including Central Square Technologies, IBM Cognos, CAFR Unlimited, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Most work is performed in a normal office environment. Work requires significant computer use and keyboard time. Work requires use of telephone and other office equipment. There is high attention to detail, audit, financial statements, grant reporting and deadlines. Daily work may involve moving between buildings and rooms. Limited driving is required. The job may involve dealing with and calming individuals who are emotionally charged over an issue.
Activities include stooping, standing, walking, lifting, digital dexterity, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing/listening, seeing/observing, repetitive motions.
Light Work: Physical demands are normally those associated with light work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
Some requirements in this job description may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. All requirements are subject to modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and experience required. To perform this job successfully, the worker must possess the abilities and aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.
This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" employment relationship. The City Administrator retains the discretion to add duties or change the duties of this position at any time.
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