Accounting Clerk - Accounts Payable

Job Description:

SUMMARY

Working under the direction of the City Utilities Manager of Financial Operations, the Clerk will manage the requisitions and payment processing for the Financial Services Department, Engineering department’s professional services and City Utilities construction contracts. The Clerk will be responsible for grant, state and federal spending tracking and financial compliance. The Clerk is expected to exercise good judgment, independence, initiative, and professional expertise in conducting day-to-day operations. All work duties and activities must be performed in accordance with the City and Utility's safety rules and operating regulations, policies and procedures as well as federal, state, and local regulations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the ability to interact with the public, City employees, and outside agencies with patience, tact, respect, and professionalism and the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Requisitions/Purchase Orders

• Responsible for the requisitions and subsequent purchase order paperwork for the Financial Services Department, all City Utilities construction contracts and Engineering departments key professional service contracts, including.
• Prepares requisitions, includes gathering and attaching required paperwork in financial system and maintains log.
• Reviews change orders for accuracy and submits necessary amendments/revisions to purchase orders.
• Obtains and submits W-9’s for new vendors, as necessary.

Accounts Payable

• Responsible for key account payable functions within the financial system for City Utilities and other outside partners (i.e. SRF), including.
• Reviews invoices for accuracy in billing (professional service agreements and construction contracts).
• Creates payment vouchers for Engineering projects and Financial Services department in financial system and maintains payment voucher log.
• Prepares payment vouchers for City Utilities billings.
• Prepares and submits required disbursement paperwork for Board of Works approval;
• Maintains property and easement activity listing for 1099 and other misc. reporting;
• Maintains files and record retention of account payable files.
• Tracks retainage payable for construction contracts and disbursement of retainage.

State, Federal and Grants

• Acts as the key financial contact for State, Federal and Grant coordination.
• Prepares proper paperwork for compliance and payment distributions for these funds.
• Maintains tracking on costs on these projects and submits necessary paperwork for compliance.
• Masters SRF and other grant guidelines and ensure sufficiency of submittals.
• Prepares monthly SRF bond utilization and tracking for management.
• Works with Financial Accountant to reconcile monthly SRF disbursements with the bank statement, and prepares the check run and wire information for SRF payments.

Utility Bills

• Manages and Maintains all City Utility accounts with various utility vendors.
• Works with engineering, maintenance and plants to start, stop and transfer services on respective locations.
• Works with utilities providers on banking information, auto draft, account maintenance, changes to service.
• Tracks monthly charges and usage and reconciles to bank withdraws in appropriate budgetary line.
• Prepares monthly payment vouchers and wire information for utilities payments for month-end bank reconciliation.

MARGINAL FUNCTIONS

• Picks up and processes Financial Services mail.
• Answers and transfers, as necessary, Financial Services main phone line.
• Performs general counter and reception work for department.
• Reconciles the Allen County Recorder escrow account and books monthly transactions in the financial system.
• Assists with audits, including State Board of Accounts audit, Internal audits and other external audits.
• Assists with monitoring and initiates billing for multi-agency projects with reimbursement components.
• Monitors and ensures SOPs for this job position within the finance department are current and comprehensive.
• Performs other duties as required.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The incumbent is responsible to manage their performance in accordance with this job description and the performance expectations provided to them by management. If at any time the incumbent is unsure of their role or specific responsibilities, it is the incumbent’s responsibility to refer to their job description and ask for clarification from their supervisor. Management will work with the incumbent, as needed, to ensure performance expectations are clearly communicated and performance goals are achieved.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Any combination of education/experience equivalent to a Associate’s Degree in accounting or related field and three (3) years Accounts Payable bookkeeping experience;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite products;

OTHER KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and/or ABILITIES

• Specialized knowledge of commonly used accounting principles and methodologies including accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets and the general ledger;
• Computer literacy;
• Communication skills conducive to maintaining optimum working relationships;
• Organizational skills detail-oriented to accurate data classification, recording and tracking;
• Communicates effectively both orally and in writing;
• Must be able to use critical thinking and independent judgement in handling confidential and sensitive issues.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Contacts occur throughout the work with coworkers, other departments, the general public and financial officials in order to give or solicit information, explain procedures, interpret departmental policy and coordinate activities.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

The incumbent is expected to work with generally accepted but not always clearly applicable guidelines with a wide variety of complicated general accounting procedures. Incumbent's tasks are of substantial intricacy involving variables or considerations with inter-relationships in accounting techniques. Incumbent uses considerable judgment in the interpretation and application of general accounting standards and precedents. Incumbent must demonstrate an ability to comprehend and analyze organizational and procedural problems and make sound recommendations and conclusions.

The incumbent makes substantial contributions involving non-routine decisions and recommendations while performing assigned duties. The general objectives and boundaries are indicated. Problems encountered during work causing questions about objectives and boundaries are discussed. Decisions and recommendations are reviewed for attainment of objectives and compliance with Utility policies.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Indiana driver’s license if City vehicle is used.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.