State of Maryland

An Employee Benefits Financial Analyst Expert DBM is the expert level of professional accounting and fiscal analysis work in the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Office of Personnel Services and Benefits within the Employee Benefits Division (EBD).   Employees in this classification function as technical financial systems experts having comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in performing professional accounting work that involves examining, analyzing, and interpreting data records, financial reports, and accounting systems by applying generally accepted accounting principles in order to maintain the accurate and compliant nature of periodic reporting in support of the State Health Insurance Fund and the EBD Operating Budget using General Accounting Division (GAD) guidelines.  Employees in this classification possess an extensive and broad competence in health benefits and wellness programs accounting and fiscal management.  Employees in this classification may supervise lower-level Employee Benefits Financial Analysts and/or paraprofessional fiscal and support staff.

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a Fiscal Services Administrator or other designated administrator.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Employee Benefits Financial Analyst Expert DBM is differentiated from the Employee Benefits Financial Analyst III DBM in that the Employee Benefits Financial Analyst Expert DBM functions as technical financial systems experts under managerial supervision while the Employee Benefits Financial Analyst III, DBM performs the advanced level of health benefits and wellness programs financial accounting and management work under general supervision.

Performs the expert level of cost accounting and systems accounting work in the preparation of financial records, reports, and statements for use by management in the EBD;

Applies, as technical financial systems experts, the principles of cost accounting and systems accounting to develop and implement detailed accounting systems not available in the general accounting systems of EBD;

Reviews and authorizes detailed costs and systems changes for inclusion in the general accounting system, as technical financial systems experts working under a high-level of independence;

Accounts for and maintains accounts payable/EBD disbursements by processing weekly and other periodic claim invoices for the State’s Self-Insured Health plans, such as BlueCross BlueShield PPO, EPO, POS; United Health Care PPO and EPO; Dental PPO; prescription drugs (Rx) and FSA accounts;

Interprets and applies funding source laws and regulations to specific agency fiscal matters; Documents and defends decisions made in the areas of cost accounting and systems accounting;

Accounts for and processes administrative fee payments for the State’s Self-Insured plans monthly and ensures accuracy of these combined payments;

Accounts for and reviews and approves member refund requests;

Reviews and approves vendor payment submissions;

Reviews, analyzes and accounts for transactions to the Working Fund Accounts by authorizing payments of claims for Self-Insured Health plans ensuring proper accounting of State funds; and monitors and maintains sufficient cash flow in these accounts to cover timely payments;

Performs reconciliation of EBD financial activities to monthly DAFR reports to ensure proper recording of receipts, disbursements, and required adjustments;

Prepares a variety of complex reports, spreadsheets, and statistics;

Prepares invoice reports for the State’s Health, Dental, and Prescription Drug programs for active, retired, direct billed and satellite employees as a management tool used by the division and department during the legislative budget process for budget forecasting and annual rate setting;

Prepares, posts, and balances required “program adjusting entries” for health insurance accounts, reconciliation discrepancies, and inter-agency adjustments of health insurance premiums as necessary;

Prepares detailed and the most complex analysis of income and expenditures by program and vendor in order to provide detailed status and cash balance of the State’s health programs on a calendar and fiscal year for self-insured and HMO vendors;

Interacts, as needed, with representatives of the State’s Comptroller’s Office, General Accounting Division, State Treasurer’s Office, Banking Services Division, Central Payroll, Central Collections Unit, FMIS Desk, and Satellite agencies for the purpose of problem resolutions and coordination of deposits, transmittal or journal entries;

Interacts and has personal contacts with accounting personnel of health insurance vendors concerning payment status of premiums, administrative or capitation fees;

May work with and provide legislative auditors and other outside auditors with details of procedures, accounting practices, documentation and explanations of accounting transactions recorded, and reconciliations of department records with FMIS R*Stars records;

May review and analyze changes in legislation, available resources, overhead, staffing and accounting methods to project the effect on the cost of services;

May determine the financial basis for recovering actual overhead costs as well as cost and comparative analysis reports for evaluating the effectiveness of cost identification;

May develop and modify data bases from which fiscal and accounting staff can extract journal entries, ledger accounts, trial balances or financial statements by computer;

May formulate and recommend installation of specialized automated accounting systems;

May provide guidance and direction to lower-level professional and paraprofessional accounting staff;

May prepare data entry forms and computer user manuals to guide division staff in electronic accounting record-keeping;

May test the adequacy of automated accounting systems by evaluating the reliability and effectiveness of internal controls;

Performs other related duties

Knowledge of the theory, procedures and methods of cost accounting, systems accounting, or federal fund accounting;

Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, theory, procedures, and methods;

Knowledge of business administration and management practices;

Knowledge of fiscal control reporting policies and procedures;

Knowledge of accounting systems, charges, and reporting requirements as related to State, federal, or commercial health care and prescription drug providers;

Skill in designing, modifying, and implementing accounting methods and procedures to increase the reliability and efficiency of operations in the areas of cost accounting, systems accounting, or federal fund accounting;

Skill in interpreting and applying funding source laws and regulations;

Skill in documenting and defending decisions made in the areas of cost accounting, systems accounting, or federal fund accounting;

Skill in designing, modifying, and implementing accounting methods and procedures to increase reliability and efficiency of operations;

Skill in identifying and correcting non-conforming entries made to internal and external accounting systems;

Skill in applying fiscal policies in the establishment of fiscal control measures;

Skill in preparing, analyzing, and interpreting financial reports and statements;

Skill in interpreting and applying State and federal laws, policies, regulations, and rules to agency accounting operations;

Skill in using computerized fiscal applications and software to include spreadsheet software and data base applications;

Skill in managing work time efficiently and effectively under deadlines;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to supervise or lead professional and/or paraprofessional accounting and fiscal staff;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other accountants, agency fiscal staff, agency management personnel, information processing personnel, payroll personnel, representatives from fiscal control agencies, auditors, and federal officials.

Education:   A Bachelor's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Four years of experience examining, analyzing, and interpreting accounting systems, records and reports by applying generally accepted accounting principles.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with thirty credit hours in accounting and related courses, including or supplemented by three credit hours in auditing for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Master's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university for one year of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute one year of professional auditing experience for one year of the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in the Accounting Officer classification or Financial Management specialty codes in the accounting field of work on a year-for- year basis for the required experience and education.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Management Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Management Service positions.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102 Annotated Code of Maryland, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.