Accounting Technician - Accounts Payable

CITY OF KETCHIKAN

SPECIFICS
October 11, 2023

TITLE: ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN – ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

DEPARTMENT: Finance DIVISION: Accounts Payable

STATUS:
Regular

Full-Time
HOURS/DAYS:

Monday – Friday

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

GRADE / STEP: 344 A – K DUTIES: See attached job description

HOURLY:
$20.79 - $24.11

DOQ
UNION STATUS:

YES

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. Additional college level
coursework in accounting, bookkeeping, or a related field is desirable. Two years

of increasingly responsible clerical accounting or bookkeeping experience.

ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS

Position is open until closed

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY CLOSING DATE

WHERE: Local Only Statewide Pacific NW National
PUBLICATIONS: Ketchikan Daily News; Local Job Service; City Website

APPLICANT PROCESSING INSTRUCTIONS

FOR APPLICATION AND COMPLETE JOB DESCRIPTION CONTACT:

THE CITY OF KETCHIKAN, 334 FRONT STREET, (907) 228-5631 OR ON-LINE AT:

http://www.ktn-ak.us/jobs

CITY OF KETCHIKAN IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

CITY OF KETCHIKAN

ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN – A/P

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the

class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under general supervision, performs essential accounts payable tasks for the City of Ketchikan and

Ketchikan Public Utilities, and maintains associated records and accounting controls.

The Finance Department provides efficient and effective services including collecting and disbursing

City funds, reporting useful information, and courteously providing related services to the City, its

citizens and customers. The Accounting Technician – A/P provides assistance and support in the

accounts payable and general accounting functions of the City and works independently to achieve

assigned goals or end products. The Accounting Technician – A/P must perform these duties in a manner

that reflects positively on the City and the Department.

This represents the intermediate or journey level of technical accounting work. The Accounting

Technician – A/P provides generalized support to the general accounting system by performing the more

routine, structured, and less specialized accounting tasks. The Accounting Technician – A/P differs from

the higher level class of Accountant in that the latter performs the full range of professional accounting

duties requiring a broad and specialized knowledge of accounting theory, principles, and practices

typically acquired by graduation from a four-year college with a major in accounting.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or

may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and

changing business practices.

1. Prepares, maintains, and/or verifies a variety of accounting, financial, and statistical records, ledgers,

logs, and files; gathers, assembles, tabulates, enters, checks, verifies, balances, adjusts, records, and

files financial data; codes data according to prescribed accounting procedures; reviews information

to ensure accurate reporting; resolves discrepancies; establishes and maintains various files and

records.

2. Generates and prepares a variety of financial, accounting, and statistical statements, analyses,

documents, and reports required for management reporting by utilizing both manual and

computerized spreadsheet applications; assists other accounting staff and departmental management

in the preparation of reports and presentations to City management; researches and gathers

information from a variety of sources for the completion of forms or the preparation of reports.

3. Performs a full range of customer service duties related to area of assignment; provides information

to the public, other governmental agencies, and City staff requiring the use of independent judgment

and the interpretation of a variety of policies, rules, and procedures.

4. Provides technical assistance and expertise to other staff; provides training in completing assigned

tasks.

5. Prepares and inputs recurring monthly journal entries; prepares other journal entries to transfer

expenses that have been improperly coded to the correct account; verifies that funds are available for

transfer; keys in changes to the adopted budget, such as transfers and amendments, throughout the

year, to update the accounting system; and other miscellaneous entries as required.

6. Prints and distributes month-end and year-to-date expenditure reports; responds to requests for

financial information from employees of other departments and provides assistance in resolving

accounting problems; prepares monthly and year-to-date reports.

7. Maintains a numeric vendor identification file and assigns the appropriate number to all invoices.

8. Enters source data into the computer system for all purchase order encumbrances, invoices, and

vendors in an efficient and timely manner.

9. Assembles voucher check copies with their related documentation.

10. Processes all accounts payable incoming mail and records billed information on associated purchase

orders; maintains a tickler file for all pending transactions and forward original invoices to

departments for payment approval.

11. Reconciles vendor statements with accounts payable records and makes direct contact with vendors

for any account adjustments required.

12. Assists departments in providing basic research regarding posted expenses.

13. Ensures compliance with federal regulations associated with IRS reporting requirements of

miscellaneous income; initiates vendor contact as necessary to obtain the required information.

14. Responsible for periodic review of all vendor records and analysis of vendor information to

determine taxation eligibility in preparation for filing annual income reporting statements; completes

all functions associated with the annual reports.

15. Maintains accounts payable archive files.

16. Performs duties of the Accounts Payable Coordinator position during his/her absence.

17. Responsible for the administration of the vehicle fuel card system and cellular phone system for all

City of Ketchikan departments.

18. Develops, recommends, implements, and evaluates refinements to accounting functions, processes,

and forms through automation and other means to increase efficiency.

19. Distributes incoming mail for all City Hall departments on a daily basis.

20. Provides backup to other positions as necessary.

21. Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a

short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

Basic accounting or bookkeeping principals, practices and terminology.

Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software

applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Methods and techniques of coding, verifying, balancing, and reconciling accounting records.

Mathematical principles.

Principles and practices used in establishing and maintaining files and information retrieval systems.

Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.

English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Governmental accounting principles and procedures.

Ability to:

Perform mathematical calculations and computer data entry with speed and accuracy.

Interpret and analyze financial and fiscal documents, accounts, and records.

Quickly learn operating policies and procedures.

Interpret and apply oral and written instructions, policies, and procedures.

Plan and organize own work and work space.

Organize and maintain data and files.

Use independent judgment.

Analyze data and draw logical conclusions.

Adjust to changes in workload, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, establish priorities, and meet

deadlines.

Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and

database applications.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely
provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities

would be:

Education/Training:

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. Additional college level coursework in

accounting, bookkeeping, or a related field is desirable.

Experience:

Two years of increasingly responsible clerical accounting or bookkeeping experience.

License or Certificate:

Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver’s license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the

essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to

perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting; frequent contact with other

municipal employees and occasionally with the general public and other government agencies.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office

setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch,

reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate

office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a

computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
Grade: 3-44

Union: Yes/GGU

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Date Approved: June 3, 1993

Date Amended: August 10, 1998

Date Amended: June, 2007 (Johnson & Associates)

Date Reviewed: August 2019

Human Resources Manager Approval

City Manager Approval