Accountant

PICKENS COUNTY

JOB DESCRIPTION – SEPTEMBER 2024

JOB TITLE: ACCOUNTANT

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF JOBThis position coordinates and administers grants for County projects or program funding, assists the Finance Director in maintaining the fiscal records and systems of the County, maintains accounts receivable and cash receipts for the Finance Department, reconciles county purchasing card transactions, and performs related professional and technical work as assigned. Ensures assigned work is in compliance with internal policies and procedures, standard accounting principles, practices, and procedures and applicable external federal and state laws, regulations, and guidelines. This position works within broad policy and organizational guidelines and does independent planning and implementation, reporting progress of major activities through periodic conferences and meetings. This position reports to the Accounting Manager.
ESSENTIAL TASKS:

The tasks listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional tasks related to the type of work of the class as necessary.
Meets with County department heads and other personnel to determine program and funding needs that can be met by use of grant funds.
Researches the availability of grant funds for various categories of County projects.
Directs the preparation of grant documents; assists originating departments in the preparation of accurate and complete grant applications.
Receives and coordinates execution of grant awards.
Performs a variety of accounting duties in the monitoring and administration of grant funds, including but not limited to tracking and projecting revenues and expenditures, collecting / depositing / auditing monies received, reconciling grant and program financial statements to the County’s financial records, calculating and executing fund transfers, preparing and tracking complex or extensive billings, verifying invoices, preparing requisitions for expenditures, payment or reimbursement, etc.
Maintains and documents internal accounting controls as required to ensure appropriate use of grant and other County funds.
Research and review accounting procedures and forms to ensure compliance with accounting standards and regulations; recommend modifications as appropriate.
Prepares periodic and special financial reports as required by granting agencies, the County, external auditors, and other agencies as required.

Assists with the preparation of the County’s annual budgets.
Prepares monthly bank reconciliations.
Reconciles monthly county purchasing card by reviewing transactions, auditing receipts for sales tax and ensuring the appropriate amount has been applied, enters the voucher and ensures payment is made in a timely manner, creates specialized reports and uploads journal entry into appropriate software, assists cardholders with allocation coding discrepancies, ensures cardholders have access to proper allocation codes in purchasing card software.
Prepares journal entries and enters/posts in financial software, files all journal entries and maintains throughout the year, provides needed entries for yearly audit, prepares Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), and schedules annual audit.
Prepares monthly and quarterly invoices and statements for retiree insurance and various other miscellaneous billings; apply applicable credits; responds to inquiries from customers; follows up on aged receivables and contacts past due customers to collect outstanding debts.
Reviews and distributes financial statements, as necessary.
Prepares and/or processes a variety of documentation associated with department operations, per established procedures and within designated timeframes, reviews various documentation for accuracy and completeness, distributes/issues various documentation.
Handles the responsibility of cash receipts for the Finance Department to include writing receipts, coding funds, preparing proper forms, and making deposits to the Treasurer’s Department.
Receives forms and funds for businesses submitting Local Accommodations Tax and Local Hospitality Tax to the county, develops and maintains specialized spreadsheet for tracking payments, follows up on aged receivables, contacts past due customers to collect outstanding debts and creates invoices for late fees, communicates with the Building and Assessor Departments to learn of new potential vendors and contacts those vendors to see if the accommodations or hospitality tax should be collected by them, educates new vendors on the ordinance and tax paying process.
Maintains fixed asset records and accounting.
Ensures assigned processes and transactions are in compliance with internal policies and procedures, standard accounting principles, practices, and procedures and applicable external federal and state laws, regulations, and guidelines. Refers to policy and procedure manuals, computer manuals, codes/laws/regulations, publications, and reference texts, etc.
Requires the ability to differentiate colors and shades of color; requires the visual acuity to determine depth perception, peripheral vision, inspection for small parts; preparing and analyzing written or computer data, etc.
Serves as a backup in the Finance department for uploading positive paycheck files to the bank and responding to positive pay and ACH exceptions.
Serves as a backup to accounts payable by assuming major responsibilities which includes but is not limited to: reviewing and auditing claim for payments/invoices for accuracy and compliance, resolving account discrepancies, entering vouchers and obtaining approval for check proof, printing, sorting and attaching remittances for checks and distributing appropriately, answering calls/e-mails to assist internal and external customers with invoices, payments, W-9’s, and certificates of insurance questions.
Provides administrative assistance to the Emergency Operations Center during times of disaster.
Completes special projects as assigned.
Receives and responds to inquiries, concerns, complaints, and requests for assistance from County personnel, elected officials and citizens regarding grant administration and special projects.
Performs routine administrative / clerical work as required, including but not limited to typing reports and correspondence, entering and retrieving computer data, establishing and maintaining record-keeping systems, copying and filing documents, sending and receiving faxes, answering the telephone, ordering supplies, etc.
Attends training, meetings, seminars, and/or workshops to enhance job knowledge and skills.
ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Perform general administrative/office duties as required, including creating reports and correspondence, entering and retrieving computer data, copying and filing documents, sending and receiving faxes, answering the telephone, establishing and maintaining filing systems, etc.
Performs other related duties as required.
ESSENTIAL SAFETY FUNCTIONS:
It is the responsibility of each employee to comply with established policies, procedures and safe work practices. Each employee must follow safety training and instructions provided by their supervisor. Each employee must also properly wear and maintain all personal protective equipment required for their job. Finally, each employee must immediately report any unsafe work practices or unsafe conditions as well as any on-the-job injury or illnesses.

INVOLVEMENT WITH DATA, PEOPLE, AND THINGS

DATA INVOLVEMENT:
Requires coordinating or determining time, place or sequence of operations or activities based on analysis of data or information and may implement and report on operations and activities.
PEOPLE INVOLVEMENT:
Requires giving information, guidance or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give directions or assignments to helpers or assistants.
INVOLVEMENT WITH THINGS:
Requires handling or using machines, tools, or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, fax machines, copiers, telephones, or other similar equipment; may service office machines, including adding paper and changing toner.

COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS

REASONING REQUIREMENTS:
Requires performing coordinating work involving guidelines and rules, with constant problem-solving.
MATHEMATICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Requires using mathematics involving the practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions; proportions, or measurements, logarithmic or geometric construction. May use algebraic solutions of equations and inequalities; descriptive statistics; deductive geometry, plane and solid, and rectangular coordinates; mathematical classifications or schemes.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:
Requires reading journals, manuals, and professional publications; speaking informally to groups of co-workers, staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, and people in other organizations; presenting training; composing original reports, training and other written materials, using proper language, punctuation, grammar, and style.
MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:
Requires doing professional-level work requiring the application of principles and practices in a wide range of administrative, technical or managerial methods in the solution of administrative or technical problems; or the coordination of entry-level managerial work; requires general understanding of operating policies and procedures and the ability to apply these to complex administrative problems; requires continuous, close attention for accurate results or frequent exposure to unusual pressures.

VOCATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE PREPARATION

VOCATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION:
Requires Bachelor's degree or education and training equivalent to four years of college education in accounting, business or public administration, or closely related field.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Requires over two years and up to and including four years.
SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES:
Must possess a valid state driver's license.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REQUIREMENTS

PHYSICAL AND DEXTERITY REQUIREMENTS:
Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to ten (10) pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:
The job risks exposure to no known environmental hazards.
SENSORY REQUIREMENTS:
The job requires normal visual acuity and field of vision, hearing and speaking ability, and color perception.

JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS

JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS:
Responsible for guiding others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.

ADA COMPLIANCE

Pickens County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.
DISCLAIMER: This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $28.47 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Salary : $28