Accounting Director chez City of Clarksville, TN

About the Department

This is the third of five levels in the Accounting series. Incumbents manage a large finance and accounting function for the city or the accounting function for a specific, large City department such as electric or gas and water. Responsibilities may include compiling and preparing an annual budget; managing budgets; cash flows; analyzing financial data and making recommendations regarding operations; preparing and reviewing necessary grant reporting and annual financial reports; monitoring and implementing changes in financial policies and accounting procedures; reviewing financial statements and reports; and supervising lower-level employees.

Position Duties

Essential Functions:

• Manages staff to include: prioritizing and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; ensuring staff are trained; ensuring that employees follow policies and procedures; maintaining a healthy and safe working environment; and making hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.

• Manages activities of the accounting function for the City or a large City department, which includes coordinating, administering, updating, and evaluating processes, procedures, systems. and standards; and ensures compliance with Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, codes, and/or standards.

• Reviews internal financial reports, worksheets, general ledger entries, and other documents created by subordinates; identifies, researches, and directs the resolution of issues; ensures deadlines are met; and responds to questions from senior management.

• Assists in preparation for the City's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other financial reports in preparation for the annual audit. Prepares and reviews reports, worksheets, and audit materials; responds to auditor questions, and resolves identified issues.

• Assists in the preparation, review, and approval of City budgets.

• Works with the City’s outside agencies to ensure effective collaboration.

• Responsible for daily cashflow management, optimizing cash balances and forecasting future cash needs.

• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance,  or a related field.

• Six (6) years of accounting experience.

• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the job's essential duties.

License and Certifications

• Certified Municipal Financial Officer (CMFO) (Preferred)

Other Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Managerial principles.

• Financial management principles, practices, and procedures.

• Budgeting principles.

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

• Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) principles.

• Internal financial control practices.

• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws. rules, and regulations.

• Automated financial systems.

• Report preparation techniques.

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Skill in:

• Monitoring and evaluating employees.

• Prioritizing and assigning work.

• Managing a City department's financial operations.

• Evaluating and implementing accounting procedures and systems.

• Implementing procedural improvements.

• Reading, comprehending, and analyzing financial statements.

• Preparing and submitting quarterly and annual reports for various governmental entities.

• Organizing, evaluating, and presenting complex financial data.

• Applying Federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations.

• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with subordinates, coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction.

Physical Requirements:

The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: 

• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination sound. 

• Mental Acuity: Making rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.

• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. 

• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.

• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.

• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time. 

• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

• Visual ability 1: sufficient to perform an activity like preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.

• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.