Champaign County
Job Description

Job Title: Senior Accountant
Department: Auditor
Reports To: Chief Deputy Auditor/Accounting Manager
FLSA Status: Exempt
Grade Range: I
Prepared Date: August, 2009

SUMMARY Performs professional accounting and auditing of various expenditures for all County departments.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Reviews and audits or directs the reviewing/auditing of all invoices and other claims for payment generated by County departments.

Verifies that expenditures follow the policies of the County Board for purchasing and travel, and ensures that expenditures are recorded against the appropriate accounts and follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Verifies that adequate budgeted funds are available for payments and schedules the issuance of accounts payable checks.

Audits, or directs the audit, of purchases and requests for materials in excess of $5,000.00. Verifies that orders are charged to appropriate accounts, ensures that adequate funds are available and then encumbers the funds for orders.

Reviews detailed monthly expenditure reports for each department, prepares adjusting entries as required and audits reports for coding errors and duplicate payments.

Reviews, develops and implements modifications to County auditing procedures in order to improve existing procedures, assures conformity to policy, to increase effectiveness and efficiency of auditing and reporting and to tighten internal control procedures to safeguard County assets.

Performs as an advisor to County departments regarding proper accounting procedures, transfer of funds, budget status and problems with vendor statements. Advises Department Heads and appropriate departmental staff regarding implementation of changes in accounting and reporting procedures.

Determines which vendors are subject to Internal Revenue Service reporting. Requests, maintains and updates W-9 files for all vendors with the County; prepares and files Federal 1099 forms and reports. A spreadsheet of all credit card purchases is maintained to manually determine vendor name, address information, dollar amounts, filing status and TIN information. This is then merged manually with the automated vendor 1099 program.

Supervises Administrative Secretary in regards to procedures for typing approved manual checks. Oversees the stamping, sorting and mailing of accounts payable checks and sorting reports in a timely manner.

Reviews and audits monthly phone bill for most County departments. Directs Administrative Secretary to review for possible errors and then to apply charges to department budgets.

Monthly reports are prepared in accordance with statutory requirements and then forwarded to the County Board for approval of payments. These reports include Purchases Not Following Purchasing Policy, Emergency Purchases and The Expenditure Approval List.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Supervises Accountant regarding Accounts Payable functions. Supervises the Administrative Secretary in areas of preparing and mailing checks, separating reports, and processing the monthly telephone bill.

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy supplemented by one to three years of government accounting and auditing experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, employees and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS As required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk; or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the primary functions of this job. Normal office conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.