SENIOR DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTING bei Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

About the Department

Plans, directs, and oversees various functional areas of the Accounting Department, such as payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit and collections, general accounting, project accounting, management and reporting and analysis, and financial information systems. Responsible in establishing and maintaining internal controls. Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures, and contractual or bargaining agreements. 

Position Duties

• Establishes and implements agency-wide accounting policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls
• Ensures regulatory compliance with federal and state laws, collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), and agency policies
• Responsible for preparation and analysis of all external financial reports
• Manages Metro's annual financial and compliance audits, and other internal and external audits
• Authorizes fund transactions, including transfers across accounts, withdrawals under letter of credit for grants and subsidies, issuance of checks, and cash working funds
• Establishes and monitors the department's long-range goals, budgets, schedules, and strategies
• Develops, enhances, and maintains systems of internal controls to protect agency assets
• Provides day-to-day leadership and direction, including distribution and evaluation of work, motivating, training and development, coaching and mentoring for career advancement, and advising and planning
• Advises senior management on Metro's financial and accounting matters, including any new accounting pronouncements and regulations for recording and reporting financial information/transactions
• Participates in long-term strategic financial planning
• Represents the department at meetings, conferences, and public events
• Maintains, upgrades, and enhances the various accounting systems applications
• Improves the accounting and administrative processes, as well as maintains the department's policy and procedures manuals
• Works on special projects as requested
• Communicates and implements safety rules, policies, and procedures in support of the agency's safety vision and goals; and maintains accountability for the safety performance of all assigned employees
• Contributes to ensuring that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and programs of Metro are carried out

  
  May be required to perform other related job duties

Minimum Qualifications

A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis. A typical combination includes:

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; Master's Degree in a related field preferred

Experience

• Five years of relevant management-level experience in accounting

Certifications/Licenses/Special Requirements

• CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and/or CMA (Certified Management Accountant) preferred

• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications (PQs) are used to identify relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) as determined by business necessity. These criteria are considered preferred qualifications and are not intended to serve as minimum requirements for the position. PQs will help support selection decisions throughout the recruitment. In addition, applicants who possess these PQs will not automatically be selected.
 
The following are the preferred qualifications

• Experience overseeing at least two functional areas of the Accounting Department, such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, general accounting, project accounting, and payroll for agencies with annual budget of at least $500 million
• Experience overseeing the timely delivery of financial information to support the requests made by the independent external auditors for the audit of financial statements or programs for agencies with at least $500 million in annual budget
• Experience establishing and implementing accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls to achieve departmental goals in agencies with annual budgets of at least $500 million

Other Qualifications

Knowledge of (defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)

• Theories, principles, and practices of governmental accounting, financial recordkeeping, reporting, and information systems, and budgeting
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to governmental accounting and financial recordkeeping for a public agency
• Regulations governing payroll and credit/collections
• Financial reporting requirements
• Concepts of internal controls
• Modern management theories and practices
• Financial applications, Enterprise Resource Planning systems, and payroll systems
• Applicable business software applications

Skill in (defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)

• Organizing, planning, and directing the work of accounting staff
• Performing and coordinating financial audits
• Setting and monitoring goals, strategic plans, schedules, and budgets
• Establishing and implementing policies and procedures
• Determining strategies to achieve goals
• Analyzing data and situations, identifying problems, recommending solutions, and evaluating outcomes
• Exercising sound judgment and creativity in making decisions
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Preparing complex comprehensive financial reports and correspondence
• Interacting professionally with all levels of Metro staff and external representatives and customers
• Organizing and managing time
• Exercising leadership
• Operating computers and general office equipment

Ability to (defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)

• Compile, analyze, and interpret complex data
• Plan staffing and financial needs
• Meet tight time constraints and deadlines
• Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, contracts, budgets, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Represent Metro before the public
• Make financial decisions within a budget
• Handle highly confidential information
• Direct, train, mentor, and motivate assigned staff
• Read, write, speak, and understand English

Special Conditions

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Metro provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions

• Typical office situation
• Close exposure to computer monitors and video screen

Physical Effort Required

• Sitting at a desk or table

• Operate a telephone or other telecommunications device and communicate through the medium

• Type and use a keyboard and mouse to perform necessary computer-based functions

• Communicating through speech in the English language required

(CA)