Accounts payable accountant

Full job description

Arizona Department of Education

The Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ACCOUNTANT

Job Location:

Accounting Section

Phoenix Location

Posting Details:

Salary: $53,900 - $57,200

Grade: 19

Closing Date: 06/11/2024

Job Summary:

• Under the direction of the Accounting Supervisor, this position is responsible for maintaining a fiscal services system for state appropriations and federal grants of the agency’s fiscal management section including examining a variety of financial documents for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or other specific accounting requirements. Applies the principles, theories, and concepts of accounting to a specific system.
• This position:
• Reconciles reports and financial data, and identifies apparent inconsistencies or errors;
• Carries out assigned steps in accounting analyses, such as researching amount variances between systems;
• Reviews fiscal documents and verifies for accuracy, timeliness, and proper preparation;
• Gathers and compiles data and writes reports summarizing financial transactions and status of accounts for a given period;
• Makes entries and revisions to agency accounts, ledgers, and financial records;
• Monitors funds from the federal government to ensure proper matching of state and federal expenditures;
• Examines and verifies such fiscal transactions as billing invoices, payments, payroll or other financial documents; and
• Reviews, monitors and controls amount expended from budget(s) to assure that expenditures do not exceed funds available.
• Rare in-state travel is required for this position.

The Arizona Department of Education currently utilizes a hybrid work environment, with up to two days of remote work (contingent upon business needs). Candidates should apply with an ability and willingness to work in-office up to five days per week as business needs necessitate.

Job Duties:

• Process accounting transactions involving federal grants and state appropriated funds in AZ360 (Arizona Financial Information System) and other interfacing financial systems
• Utilize accounting reports, contracts, operating procedures, and guides to verify accounting information is appropriately coded
• Develop, implement, modify, and document record keeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology
• Maintain personal and group inboxes, monitoring logs, and other shared data, ensuring transaction and communication requests are being addressed, processed, and resolved timely
• Provide expeditious and friendly customer service to Local Education Agencies (LEAs), suppliers, internal/external customers, and agency leadership in alignment to performance measures
• Provide changes/updates in guidance to all affected parties
• Analyze, prepare, and reconcile daily, monthly, and yearly financial and encumbrance reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards
• Report variances to Accounting Supervisor and/or Accounting Administrator
• Monitor and verify federal and state funding for allowable expenses and available funds
• Survey operations to ascertain accounting needs and to recommend, develop, and maintain solutions to business and financial issues

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge in:

• Fiscal principles, concepts, practices, methods, and techniques of fund accounting, internal control structures, and fiscal management
• Methods and techniques of automated accounting systems and data processing as it relates to accounting practices
• Analyzing and preparing financial reports
• Time management and priority setting techniques
• A Bachelor's degree in an Accounting or a related field (preferred) or equivalent experience to substitute for the degree, is required.

Skills in:

• Analysis, interpretation and reconciling of financial data
• Work techniques required to maintain accounting records through automated accounting systems
• Communication, both orally and in writing
• Training and reviewing the work of others
• Work organization and completion
• Applying accounting principles and practices
• Excellent customer service
• Intermediate skills in using Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Teams, and Word

Ability to:

• Work independently and understand complex financial information in a large agency
• Read and understand federal regulations, Arizona Revised Statutes, applicable agency manuals, and policies and procedures
• Effectively manage time
• Pay great attention to detail
• Assess customer needs and deliver desirable outcomes

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans

Retirement:

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

Contact Us:

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling or emailing . Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.