Senior Accountant (Grant-Funded)

Nature of Work

This is a skilled professional position, dealing with confidential, and complex financial tasks to include accounting, auditing, and budgeting. The Senior Accountant will work with other SMCPS accountants and share in the responsibilities for numerous accounting functions of the school system. These areas include but are not limited to local and state capital construction projects, internal fiscal compliance, school activity funds, inventory and fixed assets, grant accounting and budgeting, and bank reconciliations, for St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). The employee is responsible for all financial transactions of these matters to include journal entries, forecasting, invoicing, expenditure approval, and budgetary adjustments as well as reporting the results thereof. This person must have the ability to communicate well, both verbally and in writing, to community members, site administrators, and state and local agencies. This position will be responsible for training office and school-based staff in regard to fiduciary oversight of Federal and State grants.

Essential Functions

• Ability to professionally relate to and collaborate with co-workers, students and community members
• Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to use technology effectively to complete tasks
• Ability to report to work daily and on time
• Ability to organize, supervise, coordinate, and establish priorities of tasks to be completed
• Ability to work independently in the absence of detailed instructions and to follow complex oral and/or written instructions
• Ability to communicate courteously and tactfully with staff, students, parents and the community in a timely manner
• Possess excellent time management skills and ability to take initiative and make decisions within assigned responsibility in a challenging, fast-paced professional environment and be flexible in work responsibilities and hours
• Possess knowledge of the programs, policies, and procedures of the St. Mary’s County Public School System
• Possess the ability to travel between central administration and various school and office sites

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages the fiscal elements supporting facility usage activities
• Reconciles capital construction accounts, and other financial records
• Prepares asset, liability, and capital account entries by compiling and analyzing account information
• Provides fiscal guidance to assist grant administrators in the preparation and execution of restricted funds
• Responsible for grantor site access and reporting to State and Federal agencies on behalf of SMCPS
• Conducts on-site reviews of fiscal operations in schools and offices for compliance with policies, regulations, and laws
• Provides monthly accounting of income and expenditures for capital construction programs and grant programs
• Provides training to internal staff in accrual basis accounting, internal fiscal controls, and financial report preparation and interpretation
• Maintains and updates School Activity Fund financial accounting and reporting procedures manual
• Develops and maintains Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for assigned responsibilities
• Acts as the lead fiscal contact for assigned program audits
• Allocates and prorates indirect charges and fringe benefits to Federal, State, and Local programs
• Provides monthly accounting of income and expenditures for restricted programs
• Calculates accounts receivables, accounts payables, and other balance sheet entries
• Responsible for the calculation and reporting of matching and maintenance of effort (MOE) data
• Performs high volume and multifaceted monthly bank reconciliations for payroll and general disbursements accounts
• Performs complex journal entries to include year-end accruals and deferrals
• Prepares short and long-term financial projections for restricted programs
• Regularly monitor the status of the appropriation of grant expenditures to prepare categorical transfers of grant funds, completing necessary corrective actions
• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets financial data for State and Federal grants
• Possesses knowledge of Federal and State grant financial reports, and prepares and submits grant applications
• Participates in audits, providing requested information, review, and makes recommendations and procedural changes to ensure Federal and State grant compliance
• Depreciates fixed assets and prepares disposal reports for surplus equipment
• Conducts annual physical inventory inspection and assists with all required year-end reporting
• Assists with updating SMCPS Policy and Regulations in the area of fiscal services
• Acquires and maintains considerable knowledge of federal and state guidelines for restricted and construction projects
• Substantiates financial transactions by auditing documents
• Represents the school district at professional meetings and conferences as required as well as maintaining professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops
• Acts as a help desk for questions regarding school activity financial procedures
• Reviews and improves financial procedures for capital construction programs
• Examines and analyzes financial documents and accounts
• Maintains ledgers, journals, and/or other accounting documents and records for grants and capital construction programs
• Monitors and analyzes expenditures, including payroll, made by others to ensure compliance with requirements and deadlines
• Works closely and cooperatively with independent auditors, program auditors, Federal auditors, and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) auditors
• Prepares audit working papers to include schedules, reconciliations, and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA)
• Monitors purchase order status for fixed assets, proper coding, and grant compliance
• Reviews and improves financial procedures for fixed asset programs
• Monitors and analyzes expenditures made by others to ensure compliance with requirements and deadlines
• Communicates and participates in regular meetings with stakeholders
• Works with administrators on the development, submission, and reporting of subcontracts and subawards
• Prepares invoices for reimbursement of construction expenditures
• Monitors outstanding and stale dated checks
• Maintains financial security by following internal controls
• Maintains records required by policy, regulation, law, or good practice
• Maintains and updates the SMCPS Systems for Award Management (SAM) account
• Answers accounting procedure questions, specifically as they pertain to grant funding, by researching and interpreting accounting policy and regulations
• Keeps the supervisor informed of activities performed and problems requiring action
• Performs other related and non-related as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree required with a major or concentration in accounting, business administration, finance, or a related field
• Five (5) years of professional experience in accounting, auditing, budgeting, or related practical field
• Knowledge of GAAP and modified accrual basis accounting
• Pursuant to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing, a credit report or credit history for purpose of consideration of employment with St. Mary’s County Public Schools will be required in this fiduciary position
• Must possess a valid driver’s license with no more than four (4) Maryland current points.
• The applicant must not be convicted, pleaded guilty or nolo contendere, or received a probation before judgment or stet docket entry for any alcohol or controlled substances offense under federal or state law for a minimum of five (5) years prior to the use of Board-owned vehicle (Board Policy EEBA)

Preferred:

• Master of Business Administration or CPA
• Two (2) years of experience in governmental accounting
• Familiarity with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
• Experience with complex bank reconciliations
• Prior experience with internal or external auditing
• Prior experience with Federal Awards and the Single Audit Act

Term of Employment

Full-time twelve-month position.

Salary Grade Range

The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on EASMC-ESP salary schedule for twelve-month seven-hour employees – Range 37.

Bargaining Unit Eligibility

EASMC-ESP