Accounting Technician 1

Job Description

Grade : GS.04 Hourly : $16.34 - $19.74

Work Hours : Monday - Friday, 8 : 00 A.M. - 4 : 30 P.M. (EST)

• Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.

Work Location : 101 E. 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN

FLSA Status : This is an Non-Exempt position.

Department : Finance

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY :

Incumbents in this classification are responsible for preparing and processing accounts payable documents for City departments or agencies. Works under limited supervision, however the work is completed within standard operating procedures or guidelines.

SERIES LEVEL :

The Accounting Technician 1 is the first level of a three-level accounting support series.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS :

The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

Receives, reviews, processes and calculates a variety of receipts, billings, invoices, statements, new account information, grant awards, contracts, timecards, purchase orders, vouchers, releases, employee data, payments, fees and / or other related information which may include coding data, entering information into a database, processing transactions and changes, running reports, filing paperwork, and performing other related duties.

Responds to inquiries and requests for information over the phone and in person which includes taking and transmitting messages; looking up and communicating account balances and / or performing other related activities.

Performs a variety of clerical activities in support of daily operations which may include filing, copying, faxing, typing standard documents, preparing, sorting and distributing mail; entering data; routing vendor invoice copies to departments and / or performing other related activities.

Enters a variety of information into applicable databases and / or spreadsheets; reconciles applicable accounts; performs adjustments to correct data entry errors.

Researches and verifies a variety of information related to employees and / or customer accounts; identifies and resolves discrepancies.

Prepares, updates and maintains a variety of financially related correspondence, reports, notices, billings, records, spreadsheets, schedules, payroll data, 1099s, and / or files.

Monitors contract agreements to ensure vendor compliance with commodity price arrangements.

Monitors departmental expenditure patterns with vendors to ensure compliance with City and State purchasing laws.

Monitors departments to ensure correct utilization of City commodities contracts.

Monitors the collection of funds due to the City.

Serves as a liaison between vendors and applicable internal department(s) and agencies to resolve payment problems and issues.

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.

Performs other duties as assigned.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any) :

Finance Department Specific Duties Responsibilities include the preparing and / or processing the computerized payment files and paperwork necessary to make payments for goods & services purchased by all Chattanooga City departments and agencies. This position is within the City's Finance Department and is the central Accounts Payable division for the City. All invoices for the City flow through this division prior to payment. Each invoice is verified as to validity within a complex framework that includes verification of preparatory work done by personnel in other departments. This preparatory work includes computerized financial system receipts whereby department personnel certify the receipt of goods and services and is a prerequisite to invoice payment.

Various department personnel, including Accounting Technicians 1 & 2, Fiscal Technicians, Inventory Technicians and Administrative Support Assistant 1 & 2, perform the first steps for payment initiation in accounts payable by way of preparation of electronic receiving documents within the City's financial system, paper payment requests and purchase card transactions.

These preliminary steps set the stage for payment of invoices by the Accounts Payable staff.

Work prepared by the other departments is reviewed for accuracy and completion prior to initiating the final steps for invoice payment. Accounts Payable staff communicates needed corrections to personnel in other departments.

Goods and services are paid utilizing five methods. (1) Purchase Orders & Blanket Order Contract Releases - All payments processed via this method will include a 3-way match within Oracle of (a) the PO or Release with (b) an Oracle Receipt and (c) an Invoice. PO line items, Receipt line items, and Invoice line items must match on quantity and price. (2) Payment Vouchers - This payment method is primarily limited to refunds of deposits or overpayment of fees, taxes, and licenses by 3rd parties and is verified as to accuracy and validity utilizing various methods per our procedures. Decisions as to accuracy and completeness of the information are made prior to recommending sign-off by the CFO or designee. Accounts payable personnel are empowered to recommend payment or request additional information as appropriate. (3) Purchase Cards - This payment method comprises a small percentage of the total expended by the City. (4) Interfaces - Invoices created by the City's payroll system or the Property Tax system

to pay third parties based on information verified by other departments. (5) Data uploaded using the interface tool for refunds to a one time vendor in order to avoid set up of single use vendors.

All five of these payment methods require full working knowledge of a complex set of operating procedures, and of various computer systems including the Truist Bank system as well as Microsoft Office and Google Mail and Document systems. The Finance Department goal is to pay 82% of invoices within 30 days of the invoice date.

Maintain electronic records, as appropriate, of all vendor invoices and statements. Organize files in a manner that highlights (1) invoices ready to pay (waiting on receiving), (2) invoices that need follow-up with the vendor, and (3) invoices that need follow-up with the departments.

Accounts Payable staff must be aware of invoices approaching the 30-day timeline. Accounts payable staff are empowered to reach out to vendors or other departments for corrections, clarification, as needed.

Maintain a thorough knowledge of departments and vendors in order to evaluate the validity of the list of POs and Contract Releases. On a continual basis, there are about 5,000 of these in the system comprising $150-$200 million of budgetary obligations. Accounts Payable staff is empowered to recommend closure of encumbrances that are determined to be duplicates, over-estimates, or no longer needed for a host of reasons. The encumbrance listing is constructed to assist in identification of vendors for which there should be invoices which have not yet reached Accounts Payable.

Determine if invoices are ready for payment, based on accuracy and completeness of invoices, adherence to pricing contracts, authorized department approvals, and matching as described above.

Request personnel in other departments to make corrections or modifications to their work if needed. These employees include but are not limited to Fiscal Analysts, Executive Assistants, Administrative Support Specialist, Accounting Technician 1 & 2, Fiscal Technician, Inventory Technician, and Administrative Support Assistant 1 & 2.

Contact vendors for invoices or for invoice corrections.

Contact departments to expedite payments.

Provide instructions and training of the accounts payable processes and procedures to personnel of other departments, including but not limited to Fiscal Analysts, Executive Assistants, Administrative Support Specialist, Accounting Technician 1 & 2, Fiscal Technician, Inventory Technician, and Administrative Support Assistant 1 & 2.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS :

High School Diploma or GED and two (2) years related experience, or training sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of this job or any combination of equivalent experience and education.

All employees must maintain Tennessee residency from the date of hire.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS :

None

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL S :

Knowledge of basic accounting principles; applicable terminology in assigned area of responsibility; applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations; bookkeeping principles and practices; cash handling procedures; customer service principles; mathematical principles; account research techniques and modern office equipment.

Skill in reconciling accounts; keyboarding; operating a computer and related software applications; providing customer service; handling cash; applying local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations; entering data into computerized systems; filing; performing mathematical calculations; handling multiple tasks simultaneously; analyzing information and accounts for discrepancies; operating modern office equipment; communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, vendors, and the general public, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction, and Working Environment. This job operates in a professional office environment, meeting and training rooms under generally favorable working conditions. Work is sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying up to 10lbs. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS :

Safety Sensitive : N

Department of Transportation - CDL : N

Child Sensitive : N

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

KM250056

Salary : $16 - $20