Senior Fiscal Analyst

The City of Raleigh is looking for a highly competent and motivated individual to join the Accounting Division in the Finance Department to serve as a Senior Fiscal Analyst.  The Finance department supports City-wide operations and is a fast-paced work environment.  

From a strategic perspective, there are several overarching priorities:

• Deliver financial services that allow for fiscal integrity, fiscal stewardship and accountability while providing the highest level of service to customers.
• Deliver concise and accurate financial information that allows for timely decision-making, strategic risk mitigation and analysis and ensures collaboration to foster transparency and trust.
• Deliver efficient, streamlined business processes that facilitate ease of operations and that embrace the use of technology and adhere to new and changing regulations.
• Deliver a workplace culture of high performance, continuous improvement and innovation that encourages employee growth and inclusive collaboration.

The Accounting Division is responsible for the City’s general ledger, grants, accounting transactions/activities and financial reporting. The Senior Fiscal Analyst serves as a subject matter expert providing consultation on fiscal matters and will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with departments and positions throughout municipal government and external parties. This position ensures the City adheres to fiscal standards and requirement set by regulatory agencies as well as City policies and procedures. 

Key areas of responsibility for the Senior Fiscal Analyst include:

• Preparing and/or reviewing internal and external financial reporting in compliance with accounting principles
• Serving as a subject-matter expert for regulatory requirements
• Analyzing, monitoring, tracking, and reporting of federal and state grant activities, operating activities, and capital activities
• Complex accounting transactions
• Account and bank reconciliations 

About You:
The Senior Fiscal Analyst requires the ability to apply professional judgement.  Prior governmental accounting experience and/or CPA is preferred.   In addition, the ideal candidate will be independent, a creative problem-solver, a fast learner, and a strong communicator.  As a benefit, this position offers teleworking approximately 40% of the work week. 

About Us:
The City of Raleigh is the second-largest city in North Carolina and remains one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Raleigh is emerging as a large city with a population of approximately 500,000. It’s both the county seat of Wake County (the largest county in North Carolina) and the capital of the state. Driven by a strong economy and an outstanding quality of life, Raleigh is consistently ranked among the nation’s best places to live and operate a business.  A great economy, top educational institutions and exceptional health care facilities are some of the characteristics that attract people to the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill). This economic strength has been met with strong fiscal stewardship practices by Raleigh and a nationally competitive city property tax rate of approximately $0.40 per $100 of property valuation. The City has the strongest credit ratings available in the marketplace: Raleigh’s credit rating from the three national credit rating agencies (Moody’s, S&P Global and Fitch) is AAA/Aaa. This represents the highest credit ratings available and provides an independent view of the City’s overall financial well-being.

• Prepares or reviews detailed accounting transactions that post to the general ledger to ensure the City maintains compliant with accounting principles, State and Federal regulations
• Researches discrepancies, coordinating journals for corrections with departments, as well as year-end accruals as deemed necessary
• Prepares and/or serves as a reviewer for various schedules and financial statements related to the Finance Department’s two major fiscal reports - Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and Citizens’ Annual Financial Report (PAFR) as well as other external reports required throughout the year
• Ensures accurate and timely monthly, quarterly and year end reporting in accordance with applicable laws and GAAP/GASB accounting standards and other regulatory agencies as applicable
• Provides advanced professional financial analysis and program oversight for City grants, ensuring compliance with applicable policies, procedures, regulations, and requirements
• Participates in maintaining an accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end close process
• Supports and directs departments, serving as subject matter expert as assigned
• Evaluates the effectiveness of internal controls and helps develop, recommend, and implement program enhancements. Coordinates with budget and finance staff for policy and procedural changes
• Collaborates on revisions and recommendations for accounting policies and procedures, as well as special projects to drive efficiencies in operations and reporting
• Maintains an understanding of the ERP PeopleSoft accounting system and the interaction of sub-modules. Collaborates on strategic system design decisions involving these financial systems
• Supports data requests from the City’s external auditor and/or grantors
• Mentors and trains, helping management steer assignments and/or oversees work prepared by others in the City. This position does not have any direct reports and will report to the Chief Accountant.
   
   

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business or public administration and five years of professional finance, budget analysis or accounting experience which includes experience with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and/or public sector accounting and budgeting

OR
 
An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above, unless otherwise subject to any other requirements set forth in law or regulation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior working knowledge of:
  • Annual reporting process and financial statement preparation
  • Utilizing an Enterprise-Wide Financial System
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Knowledge of:

• Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulation, particularly those applicable to accounting, grant compliance, and Single Audit requirements
• Principles and practices of general accounting theory, financial reporting, and fiscal management
• Preparing complex financial statements, supporting schedules, and footnote disclosures
• Internal control frameworks and ability to assess and monitor financial controls
• Enterprise-wide software programs (ERP General Ledger and all associated modules)
• Techniques and methods for organizing, prioritizing, and monitoring work as needed
• Practices and methods of coaching and coordinating work with others
• Principles and methods of qualitative and quantitative research
• Principles and techniques of effective verbal presentations
• Customer service principles

Skill In:

• Carrying out job responsibilities in a self-directed and autonomous manner
• Good record keeping and fiscal planning
• Project management, monitoring, and compliance
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, codes, and regulations
• Overseeing the implementation and adherence to quality assurance and standards
• Gathering data, analyzing findings, and applying critical thinking. Articulating issues/recommendations
• Interpreting and preparing complex analytical, financial, and administrative data
• Authoring and preparing original reports, documents and presentations
• Researching industry trends, solutions and best practices. Ability to provide program enhancements
• Excel functions with advanced skillset, including pivot tables, V-lookup, and formulas
• Working effectively under pressure, with multiple deadlines while balancing changing priorities and work demands
• Facilitating group discussions and building consensus using persuasive reasoning.
• Providing technical guidance, direction, and education to program stakeholders
• Maintaining cooperative working relationships in support of financial management
• Exercising political acumen, tact, and diplomacy

ADA and Other Requirements: 
Positions in this class typically require: fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
  
Sedentary Work: 
Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. 
  
Working Conditions:
Work is routinely performed in an indoor, office environment.
  
Note:
This job classification description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) designation may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Salary : $57,866 - $109,194