Accountant III (Office of Departmental Financial Services)

Accountant III (Office of Departmental Financial Services) Location Michigan :

Description

Be a Part of the City You Love! The Office of the Chief Financial Officer - Office of Departmental Financial Services Division is seeking to fill several Accountant III positions. Position Summary Accountant III is an experienced level accounting professional within the City of Detroit Office of the Chief Financial Officer that requires minimal direction and supervision. The Accountant performs complex accounting duties that are required to support timely and accurate financial statement reporting. The key services provided include, but are not limited to: preparing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting accounting data; operating, maintaining, and modifying accounting systems; using accounting information to recommend solutions to management problems and structuring of organization programs; managing, operating, and analyzing cost accounting systems in connection with functions, activities and financial operations; and designing, implementing, and assessing internal control processes and systems. Accountant III positions may delegate assignments to subordinate staff engaged in budget preparation, purchasing activities, payroll analysis, and grants management. Many of these services will be performed within the appropriate modules of the ERP Cloud that impact the operations of this position.

Examples of Duties

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plans, assigns and coordinates the work of Accountant I and II and other clerical and administrative staff
• Using ERP Cloud applications performs the following activities:
  • Creation of Financial Reports
  • Editing of reporting templates
  • Use of Business Intelligence Publisher templates and data models
  • Creation of Transactions Business Intelligence dashboard and reports
  • Analysis of data through SmartView and Account Monitor
• Performs complex accounting functions consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), standardized bookkeeping processes, accounting terminology, accounting techniques, and other financial rules and regulations
• Researches, analyzes, and implements accounting rules and regulations as stipulated by Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) or other regulatory agencies
• Evaluates fiscal accounting work including budget preparation, purchasing activities, payroll and general ledger analyses, grants, bonds, revenue, cost allocation, capital assets, expenditures, and other accounting activities
• Analyzes accounting systems or modifies and adapts conventional accounting and analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems
• Conducts searches and complex examinations of budget and financial records to provide factual data on the amount and type of funds available for submission to others within the employing entity who will use the data to prepare budget estimates and reprogramming actions
• Analyzes program operations for impact upon the accounting or financial management system
• Plans, coordinates, and conducts audits and develops reports on work processes and accounting systems
• Independently conducts the complete range of tax examinations and related investigations of a broad range of business taxpayers such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, fiduciaries, and sizable corporations
• Researches and analyzes information to establish the proper interpretation and application of pertinent tax laws
• Identifies accounting problems such as inadequate maintenance of fund controls, inaccurate records and reports, improper methods for document control, and lack of documentary evidence to support performance of regulatory reconciliations
• Compiles centrally requested cost reports and reports of variance from standards. Develops reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets
• Uses conventional accounting methods to reconcile payroll system and general ledger payroll data and to analyze internal controls over accounts receivable overpayments
• Persuades program managers and other officials in positions of decision- making authority with widely differing goals and interests to follow a recommended course of action consistent with established budget/financial management policies, objectives, or regulations
• Influences or persuades representatives of an audited organization to accept critical or controversial observations, findings, and recommendations when representatives of audit subjects are reluctant to agree that costly errors were made, that corrective action is required, or that suggestions for change will improve operations
• Influences and persuades taxpayers to comply with requirements for information to resolve outstanding problems and issues or to pay tax liability when the taxpayers or their representatives hold strong opposing views, and/or are hostile, skeptical, or uncooperative requiring the Accountant to use tact, persuasiveness, and diplomacy to obtain the desired results
• Provides skeptical and fearful individual and business taxpayers with information on agency products and services, and in-depth authoritative tax advice and assistance to increase compliance with tax laws and regulations through increased knowledge
• Provides experience in using the specific procedures of automated systems to find, review, or change accounting data in transaction files, ledgers, accounts, summary reports, and financial statements
• Designs new and changing system and program environments due to new laws, regulations, and standards
• Prepares, examines, or analyzes accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards
• Reports to management regarding the finances of establishment
• Computes taxes owed and prepares tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements
• Resolves issues where governing laws and regulations are highly interpretive and/or precedents are non-existent, obscure, or conflicting
• Reviews and posts journal entries, reconciles dates, and manages inter-agency billings and transfers required to support financial reporting
• Supervises the creation of accounting codes and structures to ensure accurate recording, reporting, and control in financial systems
• Develops new systems for tax examination, tax management control, and tax documentation systems
• Acts as a liaison between accounting staff, financial staff, information systems staff, and other key departmental staff in order to keep abreast of issues and initiatives that may impact accounting and financial information
• Reviews grant management, monitoring and administrative duties and activities (e.g. financial, set-up, post-award, closeout, etc.) to ensure timely expenditures and reimbursement, and regulatory and audit compliance
• Presents, prepares and explains to financial and non-financial managers, co-workers and clients including an analysis of the issues, problems and trends identified
• Assists in the preparation of the Consolidated Annual Financial Report (CAFR)
• Serves as an expert or authority in some aspect of accounting or in the application of accounting to some mission-related program(s)
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with major course work in accounting, finance, business administration, statistics, or a closely related field. Such education must include at least twenty-four (24) semester (36 terms) credits of coursework in accounting and statistics (21 hours in accounting and 3 hours in statistics).

Experience

Three (3) years of professional experience performing or auditing the systematic classification and evaluation of accounting data and the preparation of related financial and managerial reports are required. Accountant III must demonstrate proficiency with integrated word processing and spreadsheet functions.

License / Certificates

There may be a requirement for some positions to have or be working on achieving a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and/or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification.

Equivalency

Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Supplemental Information

Evaluation Plan:

• Interview: 70%
• Evaluation of Training, Experience & Personal Qualifications (TEP): 30%
• Total of Computerized Assessment, Interview and Evaluation T.E.P: 100%
• Detroit Residency Credit: 15 Points
• Veteran Points: 0-15 Points

LRD: 05/23/2025