Senior Accountant$68,000 to $80,000 Annually - Salary Exempt Position SummaryPerforms advanced governmental accounting, payroll-finance, reconciliation, reporting, and analytical work supporting the County's financial operations. The position has primary responsibility for the Finance Department's portion of County payroll processing, including financial review, payroll submission, reconciliation, accounting, tax and payment processing, post-payroll reporting, and resolution of payroll-related financial discrepancies. The position also administers assigned grants, special revenue, capital projects, and other governmental or proprietary funds and prepares financial records, reports, and analyses within established internal controls and under the supervision of the Accounting Manager. Essential Functions- Maintains accurate and timely financial information and prepares assigned analyses, reconciliations, schedules, and reports for review.
- Coordinates with departments regarding project status, funding, budgets, expenditures, and required documentation and escalates unresolved or material issues.
- Reviews grants, intergovernmental agreements, funding terms, and applicable guidance for accounting and reporting requirements; obtains legal or grantor interpretation when terms are disputed or unclear.
- Tracks grant, special-revenue, capital, and other assigned project revenues and expenditures and documents allowability, coding, budget, match, deadline, and reporting issues.
- Prepares and enters supported journal entries within assigned access and approval workflows; does not approve the employee’s own entries when independent review is required.
- Prepares required financial reports and public-notice support for grants and special funds under management and legal review as appropriate.
- Supports development and monitoring of the Capital Improvement Program, capital budgets, grants, and special-revenue budgets and trains departmental designees on approved procedures.
- Supports vendor onboarding, requisitions, purchase orders, interagency transactions, annual audit, budget preparation, and financial reporting using approved controls and complete documentation.
- Administers the Finance Department's responsibilities within the County payroll cycle following completion of Human Resource Services and departmental timekeeping and employee-data processes.
- Reviews preliminary payroll registers, control totals, earnings, deductions, employer liabilities, funding distributions, accounting codes, and payroll exceptions for financial accuracy and completeness before final payroll submission.
- Performs the Finance review and submission of payroll after required approvals are completed and coordinates correction of financial discrepancies, rejected transactions, balancing issues, or other exceptions identified during payroll processing.
- Reconciles gross payroll, net payroll, taxes, deductions, employer contributions, benefit-related payments, deferred-compensation payments, payroll clearing accounts, bank activity, labor distributions, and general-ledger activity to payroll system reports and supporting documentation.
- Prepares and records payroll-related journal entries, accruals, corrections, reallocations, and other authorized accounting transactions in accordance with established approval and segregation-of-duties controls.
- Prepares, reviews, and submits authorized payroll tax deposits, returns, payment records, and related federal and state payroll reporting within required deadlines.
- Prepares and distributes post-payroll financial reports, reconciliations, labor-distribution reports, liability reports, payment documentation, and other payroll-related financial information required by Finance, Human Resource Services, departments, auditors, or other authorized users.
- Processes and reconciles approved benefit-plan, retirement, deferred-compensation, garnishment, and other payroll-related remittances based on authorized payroll deductions and established responsibility assignments.
- Coordinates with Human Resource Services to research and resolve payroll discrepancies, retroactive adjustments, voids, corrections, overpayments, underpayments, deduction issues, and other payroll matters requiring both employee-data and financial review.
- Supports payroll year-end close, payroll account reconciliation, W-2 balancing and reporting, audit requests, and other year-end payroll-finance activities assigned to Finance.
- Maintains complete payroll accounting records, reconciliations, approvals, reports, payment confirmations, tax documentation, and audit trails in accordance with County records-retention, financial-control, and confidentiality requirements.
- Performs payroll-finance functions based on approved employee, timekeeping, compensation, deduction, benefit, and other source information provided through authorized County processes. The position does not independently determine employee eligibility for compensation, leave, benefits, classification, employment status, or other Human Resource Services matters, but identifies discrepancies and coordinates correction before or after payroll processing as appropriate.
Additional Responsibilities- Supports audits, budget development, year-end close, records production, emergency continuity, and process-improvement activities within assigned authority.
- Prepares ad hoc financial reports, analyses, schedules, reconciliations, and data extracts for the Finance Director; documents sources, assumptions, limitations, and review status and routes official interpretations or external representations for approval.
- Performs other related duties consistent with the position’s purpose, classification, County policy, internal controls, and applicable wage-and-hour requirements.
Supervisory ResponsibilitiesThis position has no supervisory responsibilities. The employee may train staff or coordinate financial processes without exercising personnel authority. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Knowledge of governmental accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, internal controls, records retention, and applicable County financial policies appropriate to the assigned role.
- Ability to analyze complex financial information, identify discrepancies or control weaknesses, maintain audit-ready support, and communicate conclusions accurately.
- Ability to use financial-management systems, spreadsheets, office software, and reporting tools accurately and securely.
- Ability to protect confidential financial, banking, vendor, employee, taxpayer, and security information and disclose records only as authorized.
- Ability to organize competing statutory, audit, budget, payroll, grant, reporting, and operational deadlines.
- Ability to apply segregation-of-duties, approval, access-control, audit-trail, procurement, and fraud-prevention requirements.
- Thorough knowledge of payroll accounting, gross-to-net payroll reconciliation, payroll liabilities, payroll clearing accounts, general-ledger interfaces, tax deposits and filings, deduction and employer-contribution reconciliation, and payroll-related financial controls.
- Ability to review complex payroll registers and financial reports, identify discrepancies, trace differences to source transactions, reconcile payroll to banking and general-ledger activity, and document corrective action.
- Ability to administer deadline-driven payroll-finance processes requiring accuracy, confidentiality, segregation of duties, independent review, and complete audit trails.
- Ability to interpret and apply payroll-finance procedures while distinguishing accounting responsibilities from Human Resource Services determinations involving employee eligibility, compensation authorization, benefits, leave, and employment status.
Minimum QualificationsEducationBachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field. ExperienceAt least five (5) years of progressively responsible accounting, auditing, governmental finance, or payroll-accounting experience, including demonstrated responsibility for complex reconciliations, financial reporting, and accounting controls. Experience must include substantive payroll-accounting, payroll reconciliation, payroll-processing, or closely related financial responsibility. County or municipal government experience is preferred. A CPA or master's degree in accounting or finance may substitute for up to two years of the general accounting experience requirement but does not substitute for demonstrated payroll-finance competency. Equivalent CombinationAn equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities may be considered, subject to Human Resource Services review. Preferred Qualifications- County or municipal governmental accounting experience.
- Local Government Finance Officer Level I and Level II certifications through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Required Licenses and CertificationsCredential | Required By | Maintenance Requirement | None identified | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Work Schedule and AvailabilityFull-time professional schedule with recurring payroll, tax, reporting, reconciliation, audit, month-end, and year-end deadlines. Payroll processing requirements, fiscal deadlines, audits, system issues, or other operational needs may occasionally require work outside normal business hours. Physical and Environmental RequirementsRequirement | Frequency | Job-Related Context | Sit or stand and use a computer, telephone, and standard office equipment | Frequently; for extended periods | Review financial records, prepare analyses and reports, administer systems, and communicate with staff and stakeholders. | Read and compare detailed printed and electronic information | Frequently | Evaluate budgets, ledgers, reconciliations, agreements, reports, supporting records, and regulatory guidance. | Exchange complex information orally and in writing | Frequently | Explain financial matters, document decisions, train or direct staff, and coordinate with departments, officials, auditors, banks, advisors, and the public. | Walk, bend, stoop, reach, or climb stairs | Occasionally | Retrieve records and supplies and attend meetings within County facilities. | Lift or carry routine files, equipment, or supplies up to 20 pounds | Occasionally | Moves records, office supplies, presentation materials, or routine equipment associated with financial, payroll, audit, and administrative functions. |
Work EnvironmentWork is primarily performed in a climate-controlled office and routinely involves confidential financial information, prolonged computer use, competing deadlines, and interactions with employees, officials, vendors, auditors, financial institutions, and the public. Occasional travel to other County facilities, banks, meetings, or records-storage locations may be assigned. DisclaimerEffingham County will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable performance of the essential functions of the position, consistent with applicable law. This job description summarizes the position's primary duties and requirements. It is not an exhaustive list of every task, responsibility, or qualification. Duties may be modified or assigned based on operational needs, subject to applicable law and County policy. Employment RelationshipThis job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the employee assigned to this position. It is not an employment contract and does not create a guarantee of employment for any specific duration. Employment with Effingham County is at will and may be terminated by either the employee or the County at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable federal or state law, County ordinances, personnel policies, and any other legally binding employment protections.
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