Senior Financial Analyst

The City of Kent Finance Department is looking for a Senior Financial Analyst to join the Payroll team. This position will be responsible for assisting with semimonthly payroll processing, responding to a variety of inquiries and payroll processing matters, preparing and submitting state and federal tax reports, and providing support to others in the use of the payroll system and processing.​ A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a closely related field and three (3) years of experience in municipal or government accounting or financial analysis are ideal qualifications.

There is one full-time position available, represented by the AFSCME union.

An unranked eligibility list may be established from this recruitment to fill future Senior Financial Analyst vacancies that arise within the next 12 months.

The recruitment process for this position will include at least one panel interview.

Applications will be accepted through Wednesday, October 21st.

**Please note that you must attach your cover letter and resume to your application in order for your application to be considered complete. Uploading your resume to auto-fill portions of the application does not automatically attach it to your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for this position. If you experience technical difficulties, please contact our office Monday-Friday, between 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM at (253) 856-5270 and we will do our best to assist you.** 

SALARY:

$7,876.00- $9,603.00 per month, depending on experience

For a listing of benefits, please use the following link: Employee Benefits | City of Kent (kentwa.gov)

Additional information may also be found in the AFSCME contract, which you can access at Human Resources | City of Kent (kentwa.gov)

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Under the direction of the Division Manager or Supervisor, perform a full range of technical and analytical duties, while providing related customer service to internal and external customers.

Work is characterized by senior professional financial, technical, and analytical accounting duties and responsibilities requiring a significant level of accuracy.  Duties could include, but are not limited to, analysis and research, assisting with month-end and year-end closing processes, forecasting, trend analysis, maintaining and enhancing various information technology systems, preparing complex reports and processing of payroll operations. The incumbent is also responsible for use of complex spreadsheets and other financial models to validate and track work performed. Work is often subject to tight deadlines requiring the incumbent to work well under pressure.

Work is performed under limited supervision. Supervisor sets the overall objectives and resources available. Incumbent and supervisor work together to develop deadlines, projects, and work to be completed. Incumbent plans and carries out the assignment, resolves most conflicts that arise, coordinates work with others, and interprets policies on own initiative in terms of established objectives. Incumbent keeps supervisor informed of progress, potentially controversial matters, or far-reaching implications. Work is reviewed in terms of feasibility, compatibility with other work, and/or effectiveness of results.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

If assigned to Financial Planning:

Foster strong working relationships with City personnel to facilitate effective communication, assistance and recommendations regarding all aspects of the operating and capital budgets – development, requests, reductions, positions, reallocation, monitoring, year-end and project closing.

Assist with the preparation of monthly, quarterly and year-end reports, supplemental budget adjustments, the biennial budget and mid-biennium adjustments. Prepare a variety of other statistical reports regarding costs, labor, revenue, expenditures, capital and projections; assist with special projects such as developing performance measures and/or analyzing project costs.

Develop and maintain spreadsheet models for multi-year forecasts of revenues and expenditures taking into account historical trends, maintenance and operation costs, projected debt service, capital costs, City policies, labor agreements, and state and federal laws. Provide narratives of major components, changes, assumptions and trends.

Create, update and enhance a variety of complex costing models for salaries and benefits and cost allocation plans, such as city-wide general government services, engineering, overhead, and internal services allocations.

If assigned to Payroll:

Accurate processing of semimonthly payroll. Analyzing, troubleshooting and assisting others to research and resolve issues related to pay and deductions. Accurately and effectively communicating payroll related information.

Effectively responding to staff and other agencies on a variety of inquiries and payroll processing matters. Provide support to others in the use of the payroll system and processing. This may involve training, preparation, and research on payroll-related taxes and transactions.

Review, research and calculate adjustments and retro-payroll payments in coordination with department personnel.

Prepare and submit monthly, quarterly, and annual state and federal tax reports, including employer’s quarterly federal tax return (Form 941), annual return of withheld federal income tax (Form 945), wage and tax statement (Form W-2), and unemployment. Audit and reconcile payroll transactions for tax and benefit purposes.

Research, audit and resolve retirement benefit issues for State Retirement programs such as: eligibility, rehire, current benefit questions, excess benefit calculations, dual membership, and restoration.

If assigned to Accounting:

Assist Accounting Supervisor and Accountant with preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).  Prepare statements, notes to the financial statements, statistical information, and schedules for the ACFR. 

Facilitate the month-end closing process and coordinates with team in the year-end closing process.  This includes the preparation, tracking, monitoring, review and posting of journal entries.   Provides training and support to staff in Finance and other departments. 

Prepare a variety of journal entries including property tax receipts, construction work-in-progress, revenue accruals, excise tax payments, utility tax allocations, etc.

Perform a variety of professional accounting duties such as account analysis and reconciliation.  Ensure compliance with and assist in the implementation of changes in accounting standards.

Maintain chart of accounts; prepare financial reports and statements in accordance with federal, state, and local requirements.

Perform monthly reconciliation of the City’s bank account. 

If assigned to Accounts Receivable:

Maintain the LID (Local Improvement District) system; billings, payments, foreclosures, updates and reconciliation. Calculate and adjust interest and principal to appropriate tax lots to meet property segregation regulations.  Process Notification of Foreclosure while working with internal and external stakeholders to determine ownership. Post, balance and make adjusting entries to the general ledger.

Responsible for accounts receivable and LID collections. Effectively explain why property was subject to the assessment.  Balance, reconcile and audit accounts receivable and LID subsidiary ledgers with the general ledger. Post invoices to general ledger.

Calculate, review, reconcile and pay King County property tax bills and leasehold excise tax returns for the City of Kent.

Balance and reconcile miscellaneous asset and liability accounts to the general ledger.

If assigned to Utility Billing:

Perform work within strict timelines ensuring all due dates are met when completing month end billing. Coordinate all activities with external service providers and other city departments in generating and sending  utility statements to customers.

Provide technical assistance and information to internal personnel to resolve billing issues, implement system enhancements and upgrades to the Utility Billing System. Maintain system integrity by completing rate changes, monitoring new account set up, adjustments, billings, bankruptcies, month end reporting, and reconciliations. Schedule and provide training where necessary. 

Update and maintain complex automated processing systems to process utility billing, and other related financial transactions in an integrated software environment. Work with other city departments to ensure Customer Service is getting all needed information to correctly bill utility customers.

Communicate with and provide technical expertise, assistance and training to internal personnel, government agencies and customers to provide information, explain accounting policies and procedures and recommend corrective actions to provide solutions to challenges. Also provide yearly rate changes.

Actively support the vision, mission, values, and goals of the department and city.

PERIPHERAL DUTIES:

Perform other duties as assigned.

SUCCESSFUL INCUMBENTS FOR THIS POSITION WILL:

HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Government Accounting Standard Board Statement (GASB), Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS), and Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS)
• Municipal financial analysis and research methods and techniques
• Municipal government policies, procedures, organization, operations, objectives, and structure; and applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances
• State, local sales, and use tax rules, rates and regulations related to accounting in government operations
• Research, budgeting, and forecasting methods and techniques
• City, state, and federal wage, salary, and benefit requirements

BE SKILLED IN:

• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment including, but not limited to, integrated systems, personal computers, and related software (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Sharepoint, Adobe Acrobat, and Word in Windows environment)
• Using personal computer programs to develop complex spreadsheet models, graphs, and reports
• Performing financial analysis and forecasting; applying and interpreting statistics
• Using research and analytical methods, practices, and procedures to define and resolve issues
• Reading, analyzing, interpreting and explaining government rules, regulations, codes, policies, technical journals, financial reports, legal documents, operating and procedure manuals, general business periodicals, professional journals, etc. as it relates to the position
• Analyzing and understanding a variety of complex and technical reports and financial documents
• Communicating effectively both orally and in writing
• Using effective interpersonal skills in a tactful, patient, and courteous manner
• Providing technical expertise and information regarding financial principles, practices, and policies
• Providing instruction and assistance to others in resolving difficult and unusual problems related to budget, accounting, payroll and/or other financial discrepancies
• Correct English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary as it pertains to the job

HAVE THE ABILITY TO:

• Work effectively on several projects concurrently
• Establish and maintain trust, confidence, and effective working relationships with co-workers, elected officials, managers, supervisors, employees, brokers, financial and investment managers, vendors, and the public
• Compose, proofread, and edit general correspondence, routine and complex reports, contracts, and tax and financial policies and procedures
• Maintain records and prepare reports
• Quickly synthesize data from a wide variety of sources into rational for decisions
• Identify, obtain, implement, and utilize the most comprehensive sources of data about financial markets
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide; compute fractions, ratios, percentages, and proportions; calculate and apply complex accounting formulas
• Prioritize, plan, and organize work to meet schedules and timelines
• Work confidentially with discretion
• Work independently with limited direction
• Collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Prepare and present financial information before the public, City employees, managers, and/or officials.

SKILLS FOR THE POSITION MAY BE GAINED THROUGH EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE or a COMBINATION, SUCH AS:

Education:   Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or closely related fields; and

Experience:  Three (3) years of professional experience in municipal or government accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, payroll or related experience.

LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Incumbent must demonstrate exceptional knowledge and skill in utilizing computer applications such as Excel spreadsheets. The ability to handle large amounts of data and correlate such data as necessary to audit, track and solve discrepancies is required.
• Must successfully pass a position specific background inquiry.

MACHINES, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT USED:

Typical business office machinery and equipment including, but not limited to, personal computer including spreadsheet, database, and word processing software, printers, telephone, fax machine, copy machine, and calculator.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

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; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to type on a keyboard. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, color, and peripheral vision; depth perception; and ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is performed in a typical office environment, subject to multiple interruptions by telephones and interoffice activities. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to individuals who are difficult, irate or hostile. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in the office.