Accountant I

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (“The HARRIS CENTER”) is looking for a Accountant I to join our team. Responsibilities include analyzing trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments and obligations. Reports organization’s finances to management and offers suggestions about resource utilization. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular funding stream. Relies on professional judgment and experience to plan and accomplish goals. Serves as liaison between funding stream on behalf of agency. Works under minimal supervision with moderate latitude for use of initiative and independent judgment.

Your role in action:

• Prepares routine monthly journal entries for assigned accounts and ensures that all account activity is recorded accurately and timely.
• Performs analysis of general ledger reconciliations and accrual entries thoroughly and timely. Reviews entries, verifies amounts and compares balances as to reasonableness, and interprets trends or deviations from expected results.
• Prepares account reconciliations and accrual entries thoroughly and timely. Reviews entries, verifies amounts and compares balances for reasonableness for deviation from source documents. Proposes with correcting entries as needed.
• Prepare financial and program required reports and collect necessary data, supporting documentation and statistics.
• Ensure that budget for financial and program is current and accurate.
• Maintain complete and accurate files, including supporting documentation, for all reports, journal entries and analysis.
• Review of expenses and revenues incurred/received to ensure compliance with GAAP and program requirements.
• Cooperates with internal and external auditors in conducting audits and explaining accounting practices, program requirements, and preparing requested schedules and providing explanation to questions.
• Communicates regularly with various internal and external personnel to facilitate collection and analysis of financial data.
• Answers questions posed by agency personnel and recommends procedures to address issues.

What qualifications will you need:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting required.
• CPA, other professional certification, or Master’s degree preferred but not required.

Experience:

• 0 – 3 years of experience in accounting necessary to gain expertise needed to fully understand account analysis and maintain a variety of accounting reports.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and automated accounting systems and accounting methods.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to interpret and apply accounting theory.
• Ability to analyze and consolidate accounting data.
• Ability to work accurately and timely with numerical detail.
• Ability to utilize computer applications (Word, Excel, etc.) at an intermediate level.
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills, communication and organizational skills.
• Must be able to multi-task and have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

What we have to offer:

The Harris Center not only offers a competitive salary but also a suite of excellent benefits designed to enrich your life both professionally and personally. Imagine a future with a robust retirement plan complemented by our generous company matching – a testament to our investment in your long-term financial well-being. Experience the unique advantage of our prior service credit, accelerating your journey towards a more substantial Paid Time Off accrual, empowering you to enjoy well-deserved breaks.

Enjoy Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals through Tickets at Work, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program supports your overall well-being.

Take advantage of significant financial relief through student loan forgiveness as a valued member of The Harris Center team. As a qualifying entity, our employees are eligible for various student loan forgiveness programs, designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education.

What else you should know:

• This posting is associated with position #1087.

About us:

The HARRIS CENTER is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Authority serving Harris County, Texas. As the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, The Harris Center provided care to over 96,000 people in fiscal year 2023!

As part of its mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and IDD needs in the third largest county in the United States, The HARRIS CENTER provides a full continuum of services at 86 different sites across Harris County. In addition, services are provided in more than 40 different languages as well as sign language to better serve what is one of the most diverse and multi-cultural communities in the nation.

By utilizing the unique expertise of its more than 2,500 employees, The Harris Center is committed to meeting the behavioral health and IDD needs of Harris County residents and giving them hope to live to their fullest potential.