Accountant I

Performs professional accounting and financial work for the County utilizing an integrated financial system. Performs detailed review, analysis, and reconciliation of financial activities, prepares financial reports, and completes financial assignments. Responsible for the general oversight of assigned departments. Performs related work, as required.

Performs accounts payable, accounts receivable, and other professional accounting work for the County utilizing an integrated financial system. Completes assignments with moderate supervision. Performs related work, as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Performs accounting functions by reviewing accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash receipts, preparing various reports and spreadsheets, and performing account reconciliations.

Reviews expenditure details for departments bi-monthly to ensure proper accounting.

Responsible for Purchase Card review.

Reviews and posts daily cash receipts.

Aids departments with researching and processing vendor payments.

Prepares and enters journal entries, as appropriate.

Identifies new capital assets and records capital asset transactions semi-annually.

Assists in the preparation of regular and special financial reports, including the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and other department-specific reports.

Prepares billings to internal and external entities.

Participates in the implementation of accounting system improvements, including subsystem implementations.

Responsible for records retention in accordance with Library of Virginia requirements.

Accomplishes all tasks as appropriately assigned or requested by management.

Participates in employee meetings and training, as needed.

Performs special projects as assigned.

Meets attendance requirements and maintains the highest level of dependability.

Consistently demonstrates ability to respond to changing situations in a flexible manner to meet current needs, and reprioritizes work, as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience:

Requires graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or closely related field and a minimum of zero (0) to two (2) years of experience, preferably in government, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and/or training sufficient to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Knowledge/Skills and Abilities:

Thorough knowledge of the theory, principles, and practices of accounting

General knowledge of accounting principles specifically related to governmental accounting

Ability to plan, organize, and review the activities of subordinate(s)

Ability to analyze and interpret financial data in order to solve complex accounting problems

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing

Ability to take direction and offer technical advice in the field of accounting.

Highly organized with ability to multi-task and complete a high volume of work assignments within tight time constraints with accuracy and attention to detail.

Ability to read and comprehend instructions and correspondence.

Proficiency in business English and spelling.

Proficiency in the use of MS Office applications, including advanced word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics applications with accuracy and reasonable rate of speed.

Ability to read and comprehend county, state, and federal policies, procedures and programs of limited scope and difficulty.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Ability to work cooperatively in a diverse professional team and / or independently.

Ability to establish / maintain effective working relationships with employees, county officials, vendors, external auditors and the general public.

Strong quality and service minded.

Certifications/Licenses:

Must begin the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association (VGFOA) Certificate program within 6 months of hire. CPA candidates are highly desirable.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided for individuals with disabilities.

This is sedentary work that occasionally requires the exertion of up to 25 pounds of force.

Ability to perform repetitive motions with fingers and hands on a regular basis.

Ability to speak and hear at normal spoken work levels to communicate verbally.

Visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer-generated data.

Environmental Factors:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is in an office environment and is not normally exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

The noise level is usually low.

Special/Additional Requirements:

Subject to a complete criminal history background search and drug screening with acceptable results.

Subject to pre-employment skills testing in Microsoft Office software and a 6-month probationary period.

Disclaimer:

Bedford County maintains a safe, drug-free workplace for its employees. Drug screening, driving record check, a criminal background check, and previous employer references are required for all positions as conditions of pre-employment.

Bedford County, VA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Bedford County is a certified Virginia Values Veterans (V3) employer. We are committed to implementing nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly skilled and dependable Veterans. The V3 Program is an official Commonwealth of Virginia Program, authorized under the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-2001.2)