Accounting Intern

Department: Finance 

Division: Accounts and Control

Full-Time/Part-Time/Seasonal: Part-Time

Workweek: 20 hours per week 

The City of Jersey City is seeking an Intern for the Accounts and Control Division for the Department of Finance. The Internship is a learning experience that will allow the student to explore an interest in serving the community in a positive and vital way through financial monitoring, with exposure to what could be a future career path. The goal of the internship is to apply knowledge acquired in the classroom to real-world situations, as well as gain the skills and experience to prepare the student for a successful career in accounting. Orientation and training is provided. Interns must be available Monday through Friday. Schedule/hours to be determined in accordance with the City and Student’s needs.

Job Duties

• Assist with month-end financial reporting and closing
• Work under supervision of other accountants
• Assist with bank statements reconciliation
• Perform general ledger reconciliation
• Assist with the preparation of ad hoc and other internal reports
• Ensure the completion of assigned tasks in line with established deadline
• Study the government accounting policies and processes of the City and abide by them
• Compose, input, file and scan Journal Entries
• Assist in voucher processing in preparation for the city’s council meeting
• Perform research in files and the City Financial System
• General office support including data entry, filing, scanning etc.
• All assignments are confidential and may involve time sensitive deadlines
• Submit a signed log of hours completed for time worked
• Other duties as assigned.

Must be a current college or city college student in good academic standing, enrolled in an accredited two or four year college or university. Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 grade scale or a 3.5 on a 5.0 grade scale.

• Strong understanding of local government functions
• Ability to multi-task and juggle multiple assignments, often on deadline and with short lead time
• Strong organizational, research, and oral and written communication skills

Preferred Area of Study: 

Students majoring in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Technology or a similar field with related coursework. Students in Graduate and Master’s program are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Skills: 

• Facility for numbers.
• Basic understanding of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
• Basic Accounting Knowledge.
• Advanced knowledge of Excel.
• Comfortable with performing simple accounting functions: Bank reconciliation, journal entries etc.
• Interested in learning government accounting systems and functions.
• Detail oriented, able to follow directions, and take initiative when needed.
• Must be able to handle confidential information with solid judgment and discretion.
• Understanding of compliance, auditing procedures is helpful.