Accountant l - City of Liberal

ACCOUNTANT I

Accountants are responsible for major elements of the general accounting and budgetary system such as development of accounting and reporting, Capital Improvement Projects, and the City's Bonded Debt or for assistance of the accounting function in the Finance department. The requirement of a conceptual grasp of complex accounting systems or sub-systems, as well as new systems development, distinguishes this class from the Accountant I Level. Employees filling these positions also assume the role of expert in their area of responsibility and advise representatives of other operating departments on fiscal matters. Considerable independence is exercised in the development of procedures used in compliance with general policy.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Coordinates auditing, scheduling, and updating annual and quarterly budget estimates;
• Keeps current accounts of all bond funds and operating funds related to the capital budget;
• Evaluates and revises accounting procedures relative to central control of capital improvement projects;
• Monitors purchasing and accounting for fixed assets;
• Participates in the operation of a financial reporting system that funds community based programs;
• Produces financial statements for City funds;
• Analyzes and interprets fiscal and accounting records and prepares accurate and complete financial statements;
• Writes financial and administrative reports and documents.
• Decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:
• Accounting theory, principles, and practices and their applications.
• Federal accounting and reporting techniques as applied to Federal grants.
• Principles and practices of statistics as applied to financial and operational activities.
• Complex governmental accounting systems, and new system development.
• Major elements of the general accounting and budgetary system.
• Personal computers and word processing and spread sheet software applications.
• Internal controls and auditing.

Ability to:
• Produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper English sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Work cooperatively with other City employees and the public.
• Communicate orally with co-workers, customers and the public in face-to-face one-on-one settings, or using a telephone.
• Observe, compare or monitor data to determine compliance with prescribed rules, laws, regulations and procedures.
• Work independently to develop procedures used in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Comprehend and make inferences from written material in the English language
• Analyze and interpret fiscal and accounting records.
• Make arithmetic calculations (Examples: adds, subtract, divide, multiply, and figure percentages and averages).

Working Conditions:
• Office Environment; exposure to computer screens.
• Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for walking, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time; extensive use of computer keyboard.
Additional Requirements:
• Some positions will require the performance of other essential and marginal functions depending upon work location, assignment or shift.

ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:
A Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, or closely related field and one (1) year of professional accounting or auditing experience; governmental accounting experience is highly desirable or any combination of education, training, or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.