Fiscal Specialist II- Finance, Division of Accounting

Salary : $75,903.00 - $146,160.00 AnnuallyLocation : Ellicott City, MDJob Type: Full TimeJob Number: 25-00538Department: FinanceDivision: Finance - Bureau of AccountingOpening Date: 02192025Closing Date: 352025 11:59 PM Eastern POSITION SUMMARYCLASS DESCRIPTION Howard County:Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community. Howard County Government:Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, best practices and sustainability. It is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2024, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 63 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) - the most awards in the state of Maryland, and the fifth highest in the nation, as compared to more than 3000 counties. NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policy making. What are we looking for?We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations. What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government. We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged! We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs. As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.POSITION SUMMARY:Performs professional accounting work. Responsible for applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and procedures to analyze financial information. Prepare accurate and timely financial reports and statements, including CAFR and ensure appropriate accounting control procedures. Prepare and evaluate reconciliations of various balance sheet accounts. Develop and propose recommendation for improved departmental procedures based on GAAP and GASB regulations.STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:$36.49 - $41.17$75,903 - $85,638CLASS DESCRIPTION:Performs intermediate professional level financial administrative work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes examining and evaluating administrative and operational programs, financial reporting systems, and agency budgets; performing accounts and records audits; planning, developing, analyzing, and monitoring fiscal records and budgets; and preparing financial statements. Monitors budgeting activities and records of major departments. May supervise cashiers and oversee County banking operations. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.Prepare reconcile, and evaluate assigned balance sheet accounts on a monthly and quarterly basis including but not limited to the following: Reconciling the County's General Collections bank accounts to the SAP general ledger.Reconciling the Payroll account and withholding for FICA, Social Security, Federal and State taxes, etc. to SAP general ledger and ADP support.Reconciling all customer payments, for shared septic, leases, fire inspection, and landfill to the SAP general ledger.Reconciling the County's Goods ReceiptInvoice Receipt (GRIR) account for all county purchases and the Division of Fleet.Reconciling Other Short-Term Receivables for all County funds to SAP general ledger detail.Close water and sewer developer contracts and processes refund payments related to these contracts.Process payments for Major Water & Sewer Developer Agreements and prepares related year-end adjusting entries.Facilitate annual departmental budget reviews and distributes monthly budget reports to County departments. Monitor and analyze departmental budgets and make recommendations as needed. Analyze financial data to prepare financial statements including monthly and annual accounts, to identify the County's financial status and ensure financial records are maintained in accordance with accepted policies and procedures. Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and year-end closing processes. Establish and monitor the implementation and maintenance of accounting control procedures. Resolve accounting discrepancies and irregularities thereby ensuring all financial reporting deadlines are met. Independently analyze and evaluate the effects of financial activity in assigned balance sheet accounts and ensure all established financial reporting deadlines are met. Assess current practices and procedures and make recommendations for improvements to departmental procedures related to general ledger financial activity in compliance with GAAP and GASB regulations. Evaluate, prepare, and process journal entries as requested by County departments or as needed to accurately record financial activities in the general ledger. Ensure accurate and appropriate recording and analysis of revenues and expenses. Other duties may be assigned. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:This job has no supervisory responsibilities. MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATIONEXPERIENCEBachelor's Degree and two (2) years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:Bachelor's Degree with major course work in accounting and experience in governmental accounting preferred.Possess strong working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages.Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or other related professional certification is preferred.Detail oriented and must possess strong communication and analytical skills.Ability to multi-task.Ability to work independently.Experience with SAP or other Enterprise Resource Planning systems a plus.PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift andor move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, andor boards of directors.Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted. Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks. At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identityexpression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at . Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application. The following is a summary of the benefits available to Howard County employees who hold full-time benefit-eligible positions. Employees in positions covered by a bargaining agreement should consult their union contract for other specific benefits. Additional details are also available in the Employee Manual and in summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources or at FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: Under the County's flexible benefits plan called CountyFlex, employees may elect to enroll in medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, and healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. Employee contributions to these benefits are made on a pre-tax basis. Information concerning enrollment options, plan rates and a benefits comparison chart are available in the Office of Human Resources.GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE: Employees receive a group term life insurance benefit equal to 2 times their annual salary at no cost. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is included. The County pays the entire cost for this benefit. Employees may purchase additional coverage under the CountyFlex benefits plan.PAID LEAVE BENEFITS: Annual and Disability Leaves are accrued over 24 pay periods each year. Personal leave is credited on January 1st each year. Use of Annual, Disability andor Personal Leave requires supervisory approval.ANNUAL LEAVE: During the first 5 years of employment, employees accrue the equivalent of 13 days per year. From years 6 through 10, the accrual is the equivalent of 16 days per year. From years 11 through 20, the accrual is the equivalent of 19 days per year. From year 21 on, the accrual is the equivalent of 21 days per year. Annual leave may not be used during the first 6 months of employment. A maximum of 40 days may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.DISABILITY LEAVE: Employees accrue the equivalent of 1 day per month (12 days per year). There is no maximum accrual. This leave may be used for the disabling illnessinjury of the employee, spouse or minor child or for a serious medical condition approved under F.M.L.A. Absences of over 3 days must be substantiated by a physician's certificate.PERSONAL LEAVE: Employees receive 6 personal leave days each calendar year to be taken during the calendar year. Employees hired after April 30th receive 4 days of personal leave that year; those hired after August 31st receive 2 days; and those hired after November 30th receive no personal leave for that year. Personal leave may not be carried over.HOLIDAYS: Employees are paid for the following holidays: New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; President's Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday after Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day. OTHER PAID LEAVE: Other paid leave will be granted for approved jury duty, military leave, bereavement leave and official leave. Unpaid leave will be granted in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.RETIREMENT: Howard County sponsors a defined benefit plan for its employees. participation in the plan is mandatory. Employees are required to make contributions to the plan, which are taken on a pre-tax basis. Contribution rates are dependent upon the plan in which the employee participates (general plan, or police and fire plan). The County contributes an additional percentage sufficient to ensure that each plan is adequately funded. Complete details are available in the summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources.Howard County Retirement Plan: Employees contribute 3% of salary to the plan. Sheriff Deputies hired after 712021 contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan. All eligible Corrections Employees must enroll in the Corrections Employees Enhanced Benefit and must contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan.Howard County Police and Fire Employees' Retirement Plan: Sworn police officers and career firefighters must participate in this plan. Police employees contribute 11.6% of salary and Fire employees contribute 7.7% of salary to the plan. SOCIAL SECURITY: Participation is mandatory. Employees contribute at the current established rate.457(b) DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN: Employees are eligible to participate in an IRS 457(b) deferred compensation program. This plan allows employees to defer a portion of their income on a pre-tax basis. Contributions are invested at the employee's direction on a tax deferred basis. EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Employees experiencing problems that affect their personal lives and job performance may take advantage of confidential assessment and referral services. EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE: Employees may apply for reimbursement for tuition costs after completion of 6 months of employment. Prior course approval is required. The maximum annual reimbursement is $2500 contingent upon County funding.PAID PARENTAL LEAVE: Employees who have worked for the county for at least twelve (12) months are eligible for twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the qualifying birth of a child, or the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care. Leave must be used within the 12 months following the birth or placement. LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS: Employees who have completed 6 months of service are enrolled in the LTD plan. After 6 months of disability, plan may pay 60% of base monthly pay up to $2500 per month. The County pays the entire cost of this benefit. DISABILITY LEAVE BANK: Employees have established a Disability Leave Bank to which employees may donate disability leave in order to be eligible to receive salary and benefit protection when they are absent due to a serious disabling illness or injury and have exhausted all accrued leave. Employees are eligible to join the Bank after having completed 1 year of employment. Administration of the Bank, including the review and approval of claims for grants of time, is handled in accordance with the Bank's Rules and Regulations which are available in the Office of Human Resources. VOLUNTARY BENEFIT OPTIONS: Employees may elect to enroll in long term care insurance, critical illness insurance, short term disability income protection, and universal life insurance.CREDIT UNION: Employees may participate in the Tower Federal Credit Union through payroll deductions. Loans are also available to qualified applicants.01 The supplemental questions are a very important first step in our screening process. Therefore, you are required to complete these questions so that we may initially determine your eligibility for this position. A lack of detail and explanation in the supplemental questions and in your application may result in failure or disqualification for this position. This means you will be ineligible for further consideration in this recruitment process.Please check "yes" to show that you have read and understand this statement. Yes No 02 Are you willing to accept a salary offer within the salary hiring range commensurate with applicable experiencequalifications? $75,903 - $85,638 Yes, I am willing to accept the starting salary hiring range. No, I am not willing to accept the starting salary hiring range. 03 Do you possess a Bachelor's Degree with major course in Accounting and two (2) years of experience performing professional accounting work or an equivalent combination of education and experience? Yes No 04 If you possess two (2) years of experience performing professional accounting work or an equivalent combination of education and experience, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response. 05 If you possess governmental accounting experience, please indicate the number of years of experience below: Four years or more Three years or more Two years or more One year or more None 06 Please indicate your non-governmental accounting experience below: Four years or more Three years or more Two years or more One year or more None 07 Do you possess experience preparing, reconciling, and evaluating assigned balance sheet accounts on a monthly and quarterly basis? Yes No 08 If you possess experience preparing, reconciling, and evaluating assigned balance sheet accounts on a monthly and quarterly basis, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response. 09 Please indicate your experience working with a comprehensive integrated financial system such as SAP. Four years or more Three years or more Two years or more One year or more None 10 If you possess experience working with a comprehensive integrated financial system such as SAP please identify the system, state where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response. 11 Do you possess experience evaluating, preparing, and processing journal entries in order to accurately record financial activities in a general ledger? Yes No 12 If you possess experience evaluating, preparing, and processing journal entries in order to accurately record financial activities in a general ledger, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response. 13 How did you hear about this position? NEOGOVGOVT Jobs Linked In Maryland Association of Counties National Association of Counties CEAM ASCE Indeed Employee Referral Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Maryland Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) Handshake Career Fair Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Insight Global Other 14 If you indicated "Job Fair" or "Other" in the previous question, please indicate which job fair you attended and specifically how you became aware of this position. Otherwise, indicate "NA" (Not Applicable). 15 Are you a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Public Financial Officer (CPFO)? Yes No 16 Which of the following best describes your level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)? Beginner Intermediate Advanced None 17 I understand I am responsible for maintaining the accuracy of my contact information, including my street address, my e-mail address, and my contact telephone numbers. My failure to maintain accurate contact information may result in my not receiving information regarding this job announcement andor may result in my not being further considered for this employment opportunity. To update this information visit click on the "career seekers" link, and follow the prompts. Yes No 18 I certify that the information submitted in this application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that providing false, erroneous, andor misleading information may result in elimination from the hiring process and termination of employment if hired. I have read and understand the language outlined above. Required Question

Created: 2025-02-23