Accounting Specialist II

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General Purpose of Job

This position will share responsibility for accounts payable and receivable to support the daily accounting activities of the Cooperative, its month-end process, year-end audit process and various special projects; general ledger transactions and reports, balancing, reconciliations; depreciation, tax reports, cash receipts and disbursements, fixed assets and asset management.

Minimum Required Qualifications and Competencies

The following includes the minimum job requirements and essential duties for this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Some job requirements may exclude individuals that cannot be reasonably accommodated or who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

Education
• Minimum: Two (2) year associate degree in accounting or related discipline.
• Preferred: Four (4) year bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration with a concentration in accounting with one year of related experience.
• Preferred: Completion of RUS Borrower Accounting course within 3 years of hire date.
• Job-related experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Experience
• Minimum: Three (3) years of experience with the following: accounts payable/accounts receivable and / or general ledger accounting.
• Preferred: Preferred: Experience within an electric utility or related industry.

Other Requirements
• Ability to operate a variety of office equipment, including a personal computer, printers, copy machines and telephone.
• Ability to work irregular hours for assignment completion and flexibility to change scheduling and report to work on short notice during emergency situations.
• Successful completion of pre-employment background check, physical and drug screen.
• Normal work hours shall be eight (8) hours between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Personal Protective Equipment - No

Living Requirement - No

Driving Requirements - No

Core Competencies
• Safety: Follows safety procedures diligently, identifies potential hazards, and takes appropriate action to maintain a safe working environment.
• Member Commitment: Provides exceptional service to members, actively listening to their needs and ensuring their satisfaction.
• Honesty & Integrity: Acts with honesty and integrity in all tasks, maintaining transparency and ethical standards.
• Work Ethic: Demonstrates a strong work ethic by consistently meeting deadlines and achieving high performance in all tasks.
• Inclusive Culture: Contributes to an inclusive culture by respecting and valuing diverse perspectives and collaborating effectively with all team members.
• Accountability: Takes responsibility for their actions and decisions, ensuring they meet commitments and deliver high-quality work.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with team members, sharing information and supporting collective goals.

Job Specific Competencies
• Technical Accounting knowledge and Expertise: Solid understanding of cost accounting principles, account balancing, and reconciliation. Strong grasp of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), financial reporting systems, and automated accounting tools. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and advanced Excel, as well as web-based software for accounting and tax reporting. Demonstrated ability to use a 10-key calculator efficiently.
• Attention to Detail and Accuracy: Strong planning, organizational, and documentation skills. Ability to prepare spreadsheets, manage moderately complex issues while escalating more challenging problems.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills for interacting with managers, employees, vendors, subcontractors, and government agencies, along with strong communication skills to prepare accurate correspondence, reports, and coordinate accounting matters across departments; bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred.
• Time Management, Workload Prioritization and Confidentiality: Exhibits the ability to meet deadlines, manage stress in dynamic environments, multitask effectively, maintain confidentiality, and exercise sound judgment and discretion in independent decision-making.

Verification
The above qualifications and competencies for this position may be verified through a combination of education, experience, interview questions and technical skills exercise(s).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required of the position given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of management to assign, direct and control the work of employees under supervision. The listing of essential duties and responsibilities shall not be held to exclude other duties that may be assigned based on the needs of the cooperative.

General Accounting:
• Journal entries-enter correcting and fixed journal entries as needed
• Audit schedules-maintain assigned audit spreadsheets to ensure accurate reporting to auditors, respond to external auditor inquires as directed.
• Account analysis-review general ledger accounts to identify data entry errors and budget trends
• Month-end entries-calculate/enter appropriate accruals and allocations for month-end closing
• Budgeting-perform data analysis for annual budget; prepare, analyze and distribute monthly budget reports to departments utilizing budget and accounting software
• GL account reconciliation-monitor and reconcile account transactions
• Write and update job scripts
• Maintain accurate records and retention in accordance with records retention policy

Accounts Payable:
• Invoice processing-match appropriate supporting documents and authorizations for invoice data entry; ensure appropriate taxes are paid or accrued in accordance with Florida tax code
• Payment process/check print-ensure legitimate business expenses are disbursed to the correct vendor with proper supporting documentation, approval and payment amount
• P-card transactions-review for appropriate supporting documentation, authorization and taxation
• Expense reports- review and enter employee expense reports for reimbursement
• Materials-monitor and resolve materials that remain uninvoiced

Shared disciplines as assigned:
• Plant Accounting-review and verify work orders submitted for closing to ensure proper coding and accuracy of material and labor against database; prepare reports to monitor accuracy, closing time frame, and Public Service Commission inspection audits; manage work order records
• Asset Management-Maintain general plant list and values; add and retire assets, manage general plant projects in coordination with department project managers; perform depreciation adjustments as appropriate; resolve project cost discrepancies
• Misc. Receivable-Prepare miscellaneous receivable invoices for damage claims, medical insurance, sale of materials, pole attachments, employee purchases; manage collections process
• Large Power-Utilize metering software to read substation meters; coordinate with meter tech services, Engineering and IT departments to troubleshoot system and reading errors; assemble and analyze data; provide reports to requesting parties
• Credit Balance Refund/Unclaimed property-process credit balance refund checks and manage reissue requests; maintain database, file report and remit payment for unclaimed property in accordance with state statutes; print capital credit checks
• Taxes - Property-budget for, prepare, file and pay property tax return; research and develop taxable property value of corporate property, plant and equipment and reconcile spreadsheets with general ledger for tax return preparation
• Sales and Use- Prepare property tax return; applicable fixed entries, maintain working knowledge of Florida sales tax code
• Franchise and Municipal-Calculate and remit; provide requested reports for audit by city

Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by or those an employee encounters to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Some requirements may exclude individuals that cannot be reasonably accommodated or who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. This position has general office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.