Accountant II

This is complex professional accounting work in the City’s centralized accounting division.

Employees perform various assignments of more than average difficulty in financial records keeping and processing.  Tasks include review of transactions for accuracy, completeness, and conformance with established procedural criteria, and completion and processing of documents.  This class is distinguished from the lower level by the widely varying nature of assignments, scope of activities, discretion exercised, experience and expertise in completing assignments and/or the complexity of problem solving necessary to process and balance transactions.  A higher level employee is usually available to provide assistance in particularly demanding technical assignments and to complete the most difficult financial record-keeping and accounting tasks. Although established criteria and procedures generally exist, employees must exercise significant  initiative and independent judgment in evaluating transactions, determining appropriate courses of action, and ensuring that attendant records are maintained and processed accurately and on a timely basis.  Employees might also perform general clerical tasks.  Work is performed under general supervision and reviewed through observation, conferences, examination of completed documents, and internal and independent audits.

Codes, checks, and processes purchase requisitions, purchase orders, invoices, and other forms; checks ledger for funds available; recommends movement of funds to cover shortages based upon review of usage; prepares budget amendments and general ledger file maintenance to make needed adjustments; utilizes computer to submit requisitions and retrieve account balances and inventory levels; contacts vendors and others to determine order, receipt, and payment status for goods and services; reviews payment provisions of capital improvement contracts and prepares documents to initiate payments in accordance with contract requirements and established procedures; compiles and presents financial data and prepares expenditure projections for budget preparation; maintains records for special accounts; computes and renders bills; receives and deposits money; records receipts and disbursements and balances accounts with central accounting records. Reviews time cards for proper coding of program and activity areas and contacts appropriate personnel to ensure that data is balanced; reviews payroll attendance records and personnel actions and balances payrolls; verifies accuracy of various pay calculations; maintains departmental job cost records; verifies job cost/payroll reconciliations completed by departments; contacts departmental personnel to explain errors found in balancing payrolls and verifying job cost reconciliations and to ensure that errors are corrected. Reviews budget amendments submitted for completeness, proper documentation and propriety; batches and balances budget amendments for submission to data processing; reviews data submission records and contacts budget personnel to ensure correction of computer rejections. Coordinates and participates in physical counts of fixed assets and departmental inventories; completes routine journal entries, file maintenance and other forms to adjust records based upon count findings and departmental requests for addition, transfer, and deletion of assets and stock. Reconciles and balances such transactions as accounts receivable and interdepartmental billings to general ledger activity reports; prepares journal entries, file maintenance and other forms to adjust entries in order to balance accounts; prepares daily revenue reports by recording and balancing entries from various data submission records; coordinates records retention. Performs related work as required.

Considerable knowledge of:  office records keeping practices and methods; business mathematics; standard office practices, procedures, and equipment usage.    

Working knowledge of:  financial records keeping and accounting principles.    

Ability to: acquire knowledge of rules, regulations, procedures, and functions of the assigned area; maintain accurate and complete operating records; review transaction documents for accuracy, completeness and conformance to established procedures; maintain files; prepare reports; perform mathematical operations with speed and accuracy; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public.    

Skill in: the use of standard office calculator and computer.

Mostly sedentary, indoors, requires extended use of computer, typing and viewing monitor.

Possession of one or more of the following certifications is preferred: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO), Certified Public Pension Trustee (CPPT) or an equivalent certification relevant to the area(s) of responsibility. Possession of a valid drivers license may be required.

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

Employees may be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, holidays and overtime as needed. During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION: Please register before you begin the application process. This will enable you to view and re-use information from previously submitted applications to complete and submit any future applications. Please make certain your application is complete and the information you provide clearly demonstrates that you possess the minimum job qualifications as stated in the job announcement. Resumes can be submitted in support of an application, but not in lieu of an application. Resumes and copies of certifications or other required documents may be attached to your online application.