Hybrid Chief Accountant bei City of Charlottesville, VA

About the Department

• For a general summary of benefits offered by the City, please click the 'benefits' tab on this posting, or visit https://www.charlottesville.gov/1047/Employee-Benefits.
• The City of Charlottesville manages its own retirement system which offers both a defined benefit and a defined contribution option.  While the City does not participate in VRS, the City has a Portability Agreement with VRS and there are certain provisions that must be met. For questions pertaining to the Portability Agreement, please contact the City's Benefits Administrator at 434-970-3462.

Position Duties

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The essential functions of the job are not limited to those listed in the job description.  The City retains the discretion to add to or change the duties of the position at any time.

• Supervises the work of accountants in Finance to ensure that financial records are kept in a way to successfully report financial results. 
• Supervisors, monitors, trains, coaches, and evaluates the performance of subordinate staff; provides input or makes determinations on interviewing, hiring, and disciplinary action, in accordance with established personnel policy and procedures.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely production of the City's annual financial reports, including and not limited to, the Comprehensive Financial Report, Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts transmittal, Single Audit and Federal Census of Local Governments. Assists Accountants in completion of assigned tasks when necessary.
• Responsible for accounting and maintaining the City’s General Fund.
• Analyzes financial postings and prepares year-end journal entries for payroll, tax revenues, state disbursements, and expenditures accrued to the newly ended fiscal year per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Works with the Comptroller to ensure new reporting data elements capture requirements for governmental and government-wide reporting both for governmental and business-type activities, including data impact on financial statements.
• In the absence of the Comptroller, performs ERP system accounting period closing functions, or ensures that these functions are successful. Works with Accountants to clear up discrepancies, before monthly accounting periods are closed.
• Works with external auditor staff in answering questions about transactions and directs questions to Accountants or the Comptroller as needed.
• Works with City staff to provide answers related to financial information as requested. Prepares and disburses customer and/or client accounting documents and correspondence and resolves inquiries by customers, clients and/or the general public for assigned areas of responsibility.
• Responsible for knowing and following accounting pronouncements issued by various regulatory bodies, such as the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) including best practices of the GFOA and recommends revisions to established policies and procedures as indicated. Determines how reporting from new GASB pronouncements will be handled within the General Ledger, and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report components such as statements, notes, and required supplementary information.
• Manages the general ledger posting, reconciliation, and clearing of accounts and journal entries, of outside departments and programs.  Analyzes general ledger account details and works with Accountants to correct anomalies.
• Assists staff in preparation of audit work papers and “Prepared by Client” items for annual audits. 
• Reviews and approves journal entries of Accountants in the absence of the Comptroller.
• Works with Comptroller completing the GFOA checklist completion before Annual Comprehensive Financial Report is submitted for review.
• Trains new Accountants, as needed.
• Responsible for appropriate use and maintenance of City equipment, tools and other resources, including work time. 
• Regular and reliable attendance.

• Attends training annually to keep abreast of accounting standards and changes, maintains CPE's as necessary for credentials.
• Performs additional duties to support operational requirements as apparent or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Candidates may qualify by demonstrating the required knowledge and skills outlined for the job through experience(s) other than formal education.

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field AND 8 years of governmental accounting experience, including 5 years of experience preparing a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for a state or local government.

• Associate degree in accounting, finance, or related field AND 10 years of governmental accounting experience, including 5 years of experience preparing a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for a state or local government. 

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of the specific requirements listed above.

• Required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug screen.

• Certification from a government finance officers association, such as GFOA, VGFOA, or another state or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP system.
• Experience training others or leading group projects.

• Extensive comprehensive knowledge of accounting theory, principles, and practices. 
• Thorough and advanced knowledge of the laws, ordinances and regulations governing municipal finance.

• Advanced: ability to read, understand, and interpret financial reports and financial policies and procedures.

• Advanced: ability to develop materials such as researched financial information, editorials, journals, speeches, manuals, or critiques. Ability to tailor writing to specific audiences and explain complex thoughts and ideas in writing.

• Advanced: ability to apply fundamental concepts of theories, work with advanced mathematical operations methods and functions of real and complex variables.

• Advanced:  Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with co-workers, city staff, financial agencies, auditors, and vendors. Makes recommendations regarding policy development and implementation. Contact may involve support of controversial positions or the negotiation of sensitive issues or important presentations. Evaluates customer satisfaction, develops cooperative associations, and utilizes resources to continuously improve customer satisfaction.

• Requires Limited Direction: normally completes work according to their own judgment, requesting supervisory assistance occasionally. Special projects are managed with little oversight and assignments may be reviewed upon completion. Performance reviewed periodically.

• Advanced: high level skills and extensive knowledge in approaches and systems, which affect the design and implementation of major programs and/or processes organization wide. Independent judgment and decision-making abilities are necessary to apply technical skills effectively. Expert level of skill of agency's systems and software with the ability to manipulate, write own reports, customize data and teach others.Expert knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.

• Manages and reviews financial transactions, accounting, budget, and purchasing documents; and does research to audit documents. May recommend budget allocations.

• Supervises, assigns work, monitors, instructs, and evaluates performance for a regular group of employees. Provides significant input or makes decisions on hiring, discipline, work objectives, goals, and assignments.

• Time pressures.
• Organization and time management skills.
• Frequent change of tasks.
• Performing multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Tedious or exacting work.
• Working closely with others as part of a team.
• Works effectively with sensitive and confidential information and issues.
• May require dealing with angry, frustrated and/or upset individuals.

Other Qualifications

Physical Demands:

• 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. 
• Frequently maintains stationary position. 
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. Occasionally moves about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. 
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand.  Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Typically requires use of standard office equipment and telephone, and related software and hardware; and any other equipment as appropriate or as assigned.

• Work is performed in an office environment where there may be exposure to computer screen for extended periods of time, monitor glare and dust.    
• The noise level is usually moderate.