Accounting Technician - Finance

Salary: $30.45 - $37.56 Hourly
Location : Rochester MN 55904, MN
Job Type: Regular FT
Job Number: 20240138
Department: Finance
Opening Date: 10/31/2024
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The City of Rochester invites applications for the position of:
Accounting Technician
Finance Department
The City of Rochester is committed to a community where all members feel a sense of belonging. We commit to recognizing the diversity of our community members, listening to ALL voices and providing equitable services to create an inclusive place to live, play and work.
We believe EQUITY should be at the center of all our work. We strive to represent our community in our teammates, as we know that diverse and inclusive teams are more innovative, and have an empowering impact on the work, progress and culture of our community.
It takes us all working together .
Nature of Work
Under general supervision, the Accounting Technician performs a variety of technical and clerical accounting tasks in the preparation, maintenance and processing of accounting records and financial transactions including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger accounts, bank deposit preparation, revenue collection, and submission of various reports to Federal and State entities.
The incumbent will exercise individual judgment, using knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and a thorough understanding of the policies and procedures of the Finance Department and City organization.
2024 starting salary is $30.45 per hour, with advancement to $37.56 per hour.
To have your application considered in the first round of reviews, please apply before November 15, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The work below is representative of the scope of work performed within this job classification. Individual job duties will vary based on work assignment or location.
*General Ledger Accounting

• Maintain the integrity of the City's financial systems and its reporting processes.
• Perform reconciliations on City bank accounts; perform reconciliations of various other software programs maintained outside of the primary accounting system.
• Prepare necessary journal entries to record financial transactions of the City.
• Assist in preparing various reports (financial, statistical, or operational) on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis or as requested.
• Responsible for the maintenance of records including debt management, property taxes, sales tax, grants, purchase orders, encumbrances, budget, investments, and others.
• Complete detailed accounting work in Finance areas such as general ledger, month-end and year-end closings, and journal entries.
• Assist in maintaining specialized computer programs and/or systems unique to the City divisions.
• Provide technical support to assigned supervisory personnel; research and compile technical information as needed.

*Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable

• Process payments to vendors.
• When appropriate, confirm application of Sales tax to invoices, or apply Use tax as needed.
• Examine cash receipts, daily revenue journal entries, and daily cash summaries from all departments for appropriate coding and reconcile to daily deposit receipts; monitor cash over/short.
• Create and maintain spreadsheets to track accounting transactions and histories.
• Research and respond to inquiries from various City staff as it relates to vouchers and invoices, sales tax, and proper use of public funds.
• Process unclaimed property information.

Banking and Cash Management

• Monitor City bank activity, bank account deposits, along with checks received via the mail; receipt into the accounting system (ERP), ensuring proper coding; prepare bank deposits as necessary. Communicate effectively with City departments to research coding questions.
• Upload positive pay files and ACH files to the City's primary banking institution.
• Manage Federal or State requests for funding (drawdowns for example) for supported departments.
• Process receipt of investment income.
• Create appropriate journal entries and track status of non-sufficient fund (NSF) payments received by the City.
• Review for accuracy, completeness, and approval of W-9's submitted by department liaisons and activate new vendors in the primary accounting software.
• Work with vendors and City's primary banking institution to set up and troubleshoot ACH privileges as a payment option.
• Reconcile and process payment of debt obligations.

Administrative Office Support

• Greet and direct internal and external customers in a respectful and professional manner.
• Answer incoming telephone calls and direct calls to appropriate staff as necessary.
• Address questions regarding departmental services and/or procedures; provide information, make referrals and take action as requested and appropriate.
• Route unresolved questions regarding departmental services and/or procedures to the appropriate staff as necessary.

Perform other related duties as assigned.
*ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
An associate's degree from an accredited college or university in business, accounting, or finance or a closely-related field and two years of full-time clerical and/or technical accounting experience.
OR
A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or related field of study.
Desirable Qualifications
Valid driver's license
If this work interests you but you are unsure if you meet all the job requirements listed above, please apply anyway! Your experience is likely more applicable to the role than you think, and the City is interested in candidates who can bring not only technical expertise but a variety of lived experience to the team.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the following represents the physical and environmental demands for this position. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions with or without accommodation.
In consideration of the overall amount of physical effort required to perform this position, the work is best described as Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Work performed during annual or quarterly inventory/cycle counts, may be classified as Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
Physical demands that may be required continuously (2/3 or more of the time), frequently (1/3 to 2/3 of the time), and occasionally (up to 1/3 of the time) are noted below:
Continuous demands: sitting, fine dexterity, and simultaneous use of the hands and wrists.
Occasional demands: standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, reaching, handling, kneeling, crouching, crawling, bending, twisting, climbing, and balancing.
Sensory requirements necessary in the performance of the essential functions of this position include: sight, hearing, and touch.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT AND RETIREMENT SUMMARY
01
The following supplemental information may be used as a scored evaluation of your knowledge, skills and experience. Be certain that the choices you make correspond to the information you have provided in your application and resume. You must be honest and accurate in answering the supplemental questions and do not type "see resume". You may also be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in a work sample or during an interview for this position. By completing this supplemental questionnaire you are attesting that the information you have provided is true and accurate. Any information provided may be reviewed by the hiring manager. Any misstatements or falsification of information will eliminate you from consideration or may result in dismissal. Do you understand and agree with this statement?

• Yes
• No

02
What is your preferred name?
03
Which of the following best describes your level of education?

• High school diploma or equivalent G.E.D.
• Less than 2 years post-secondary training
• Completion of an Associates degree or accredited 2 year program
• Completion of an accredited Bachelor's degree
• Completion of an accredited Master's degree

04
Which of the following best describes your field of study beyond high school?

• Business
• Accounting
• Finance
• A closely-related field
• None of the above

05
Which of the following best describes your years of full-time equivalent employment experience in a position where accounting and/or related clerical work was your primary area of responsibility?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 to 2 years
• 2 to 3 years
• 3 to 4 years
• 4 to 5 years
• More than 5 years

06
Which of the following best describes the size of the organization, in terms of annual budget, where you obtained a majority of your years of full-time employment experience?

• Less than $1M
• More than $1M, but less than $10M
• More than $10M, but less than $50M
• More than $50M, but less than $200M
• More than $200M, but less than $500M
• More than $500M
• N/A

07
Does your accounting-related or clerical employment experience include any of the following? (Select all that apply)

• Auditing
• Grants
• Budgets and Financial Reporting
• Purchase Orders
• Reconciliations
• Reporting and calculation of sales and use tax
• N/A - None of the above

08
Which of the following best describes your years of full-time equivalent employment experience working with cash management and banking duties?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• More than 1 year, but less than 3
• More than 3 years

09
Does your cash management and banking experience include any of the following? (Select all that apply)

• Monitoring banking activity and reconciling information
• Preparing cash and check deposits
• Receipting deposits received via postal mail.
• Uploading positive pay files to a primary banking system
• Creating journal entries to track NSF payments received
• Processing receipts of investment income and preparing vouchers for investments
• Reviewing forms (such as a W-9) for accuracy and completeness
• N/A - None of the above

10
Which of the following best describes your years of full-time equivalent employment experience with accounts payable and accounts receivable?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• More than 1 year, but less than 3
• More than 3 years

11
Does your accounts payable/accounts receivable experience include any of the following? (Select all that apply)

• Determining the appropriate sales tax implications on various purchases and receipts
• Reviewing claims and vouchers for appropriateness, documentation and accuracy
• Verifying budget coding and departmental approval
• Approving for payment
• Reviewing cash receipts and daily cash summaries for appropriate coding and reconcile to daily deposit receipt; monitor cash over/short
• Reviewing and monitoring accounts receivable for appropriate accounting codes and corrections and make necessary corrections, as required
• N/A - None of the above

12
Tell us how your professional, educational and lived experiences would help you be successful in this role.
13
Which of the following best describes your level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel?

• No experience
• Limited - I am somewhat familiar with its functionality
• Moderate - I have used it to organize data and/or create graphs and charts
• Extensive - I use Excel as a regular part of my job and can create formulas, pivot tables, etc.

14
Please indicate any of the functions that you are able to successfully perform in Excel: (select all that apply)

• Formatting
• Data Filtering, Validation
• Importing/Exporting Data
• Pivot tables
• "If, then" statements
• Logical statements (not, or, true)
• Vlookups
• Using formulas - sum, average, count
• None of the above

15
Did your employment experience include working with any of the following accounting software? (Select all that apply)

• Oracle, People Soft, and/or JD Edwards
• SAP
• QuickBooks and/or Peachtree
• Other (List below)
• N/A - None of the above

16
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: If selected as a finalist, are you willing to undergo a background investigation which may include, but not limited to: verification of employment and educational records, identification verification, driver's license record and a criminal history?

• Yes
• No

Required Question