2A13
ACCOUNTING MANAGER

This is managerial level accounting work in the City's central accounting division directing either the General Accounting, Verification and Procedures, or Grants Accounting Section. An employee in this class directs, through subordinate supervisors, the maintenance and preparation of general and subsidiary ledgers for City funds or the processing and verification of all City payment documentation or the accounting and reporting of grant funding for City agencies and programs. The employee responsible for General Accounting operations directs the preparation of the annual financial report in accordance with established guidelines for governmental accounting and financial reporting. The employee responsible for the Verification and Procedures Section directs the processing of encumbrance and payment documents received from all City departments and agencies and the review of payment documents to ensure they are in accordance with applicable accounting standards and guidelines. The employee responsible for Grants Accounting directs the City's grant accounting and administration system for compliance with regulations promulgated by the federal government. Work includes extensive contact with numerous City officials in other departments and agencies to resolve problems pertaining to difficulties in section activities. Establishing section standards and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency in section operations and conformance to generally accepted accounting procedures and standards is a significant aspect of the work. Work is performed under the general direction of an administrative superior.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met in order for a position to be allocated to this class)

• The position must be responsible for directing either the General Accounting, Accounting Verification and Procedures, or Grants Accounting Section of the Finance Department's Accounting Division.
• The position must direct section operations through subordinate accounting supervisors.

• Directs, through subordinate supervisors, accounting personnel engaged in maintaining the general and subsidiary ledgers for City funds and preparing and generating financial statements and reports concerning such data; directs, through a subordinate supervisor, accounting data processing work monitoring and controlling computerized accounting systems and maintaining the integrity of accounting data in the system; directs subordinate staff in the study, analysis, development, installation, and modification of accounting systems and procedures for departmental accounting operations.
• Ensures the recording and maintenance of City financial data to general ledgers, subsidiary ledgers and support schedules is done in accordance with the standards, guidelines, and requirements of general and governmental accounting; supervises the preparation of the City's annual and special financial reports; reviews constituent accounting statements for format, accuracy, proper cross references, and adequacy of explanatory notes; ensures that proper accounting controls are in place through the proper application and implementation of City accounting policies and procedures.
• Anticipates accounting needs; sets priorities and deadlines; coordinates the work of personnel in assigned units; assures that accounts and reports are processed in conformity with professional and institutional standards and guidelines from municipal accounting and reporting; implements and participates in the development of changes to accounting procedures as required; ensures that all financial data published from the City central accounting systems is accurate and in accordance with promulgations issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
• Manages the City's central computerized accounting system and is responsible for the city's central financial accounting system; has responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of all data collected and stored in the City's central financial accounting systems; makes personnel and processing changes necessitated by computerization; oversees the gradual phase-in and refinement of computer systems.
• Supervises the City's centralized processing of contracts, purchase orders, encumbrance documents, payment vouchers and vendor invoices in accordance with municipal accounting procedures; assures timely payment to vendors; reviews documents, certifies and reports the availability of funds for municipal purchases; confers with departmental officials to resolve errors or omissions in procedure or documentation; reviews and certifies accuracy of schedules and reports.
• Analyzes accounting practices as they relate to the City's payment process in order to accelerate the process and otherwise to increase efficiency; updates processing procedures, especially in terms of automated processing; develops and implements standard rules and regulations in the processing of financial payment transactions.
• Directs, through subordinate supervisors, the activities of a grants analyst staff engaged in the analysis of grant programs, analyzing and monitoring departmental grant accounting operations and performing accounting and recording functions regarding the grants awarded; reviews staff recommendations and determines actions required to implement these recommendations pertaining to grant opportunities, applications, and operations; reviews accounting and audit reports; resolves accounting and auditing problems; directs the assignment of accounting codes and account numbers.
• Works to implement computerization of the City's financial accounting process as it relates to section operations; serves as part of implementation committees in establishing new guidelines and procedures; develops recommended processes for the interfacing of relevant data between Finance and other departments connected to the system; confers with representatives of other departments connected to the system to coordinate interfacing of data.
• Receives complaints from other City departments and agencies and from vendors regarding the accounting process pertaining to the section; investigates and identifies source of problems encountered to resolve accounting problems.
• Provides guidance to City management officials pertaining to the accounting operations; serves in an expert capacity in providing information to various departments and agencies in accounting activities; attends meetings with other City officials to provide expert information and to meet departments' accounting or payment processing needs.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the techniques, practices and proper applications of systems and procedures analysis in public accounting.
• the principles, standards and practices of the accounting profession.
• computer technology, word processing equipment, and modern office techniques.
• the standards, guidelines and requirements for governmental accounting as established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
• the principles and practices of public administration and their application to a large accounting operation.
• supervisory methods and techniques.

ABILITY TO:

• direct the work of a staff of professional and clerical personnel.
• direct a large accounting program.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, external department officials and the public.

EDUCATION

• Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting.

  AND
  GENERAL EXPERIENCE
  

• Five years of accounting experience.

  AND
  SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE
  

• Two years of experience as a section supervisor in the City central finance agency which has involved directing accountants engaged in reviewing, recording and analyzing a high volume of transactions for a city- wide accounting operation.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department which has included a bachelor's degree as an educational minimum and the specific experience indicated above.

NOTE:
Classes which typically meet the requirements for this class are Accounting Section Supervisor I and Accounting Section Supervisor II.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

PAY RANGE: EP26
Class Established: 5/1982

Latest Spec. Revision:
  CSC - 11/1996 ; Ad Board - 3/1997

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