ACCOUNTANT III (for Water Works)

What Milwaukee can offer YOU. 

Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is an urban hub bursting with energy. Milwaukee provides a casual sophistication – big city appeal without the big-city hassles. We are accessible and affordable, and our residents are welcoming. Milwaukee has evolved through the years, bringing together its unsurpassed old world charm with a breathtaking Art Museum, top-flight arts and cultural attractions, professional sports, lakefront festivals, recreational opportunities and great restaurants.  

The City of Milwaukee offers a collaborative, positive work environment where each employee contributes to making the city the best place possible to live and work.  The City offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a top rated pension plan, health and dental benefits, paid time off including vacation, 11 holidays and sick leave accrual, and much more.

The Accountant III serves as the lead worker to the accounting staff of the Milwaukee Water Works in the following specialty areas: GAAP accounting, audits, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), accounting for debt service and grants and budget.

• Prepare the basic annual financial statements:  Statement of Net Position, Statement of Revenues, Expense and Changes in Fund Net Position, and Statement of Cash Flows.      
• Prepare and coordinate the development of the department’s audit work papers and act as the primary contact person for the auditors.      
• Work with the Comptroller’s Office staff to assemble, coordinate and submit both the department’s audit report and portions of the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).       
• Assist in the preparation of the department’s annual budget, including assembly of backup documents and work papers; serve as the primary contact for departmental managers and other City departments.       
• Work with the Budget Office and Legislative Reference Bureau staff to coordinate, assemble and submit the department’s budget and other required documentation.  
• Process the Milwaukee Water Works Safe Drinking Water (SDW) Loan applications and follow up with all required submittals, documentation and recordkeeping on e-grants.       
• Prepare and coordinate the development of the Milwaukee Water Works General Obligation loans and other grant work papers and work with other city departments and managers to ensure complete reporting for loans and grants.      
• Process principal and interest payment requests according to debt service schedules.       
• Prepare monthly spending reports comparing section budgets with year-to-date expenditures, and other operational reports.  Maintain work papers and support for these reports.  Supply additional information to assist managers in analyzing spending patterns, variances, etc.       
• Prepare cash flow estimates and related information for rate increase proposals and other analysis/reporting topics.       
• Maintain all petty cash work papers and support for Milwaukee Water Works petty cash funds and complete semi-annual reports.  Process replenishment requests.  Act as custodian for the Business Section’s petty cash fund.  

Reasonable accommodations requested by qualified individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.  

1.       Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or a closely related field.

2.       Two years of professional, full-time experience in general accounting and financial analysis.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To receive credit for college, transcripts are required and must be received by the application period closing date. College transcripts should be attached to your online application. Applications without transcripts attached will be considered incomplete and will be rejected. 

Your transcript must be legible and include the following information:  the university or college name, your name, the degree completed (if applicable) and the date the degree was completed.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

·        Public utility accounting experience.

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), accounting theory and practice.        
• Knowledge of accounting standards for government entities such as the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB).      
• Knowledge of financial management and other software programs including spreadsheet and word processing.       
• Knowledge of basic statistical tools such as mean, median, variance, etc.       
• Knowledge of grant processing practices and principles.      
• Oral communication skills to clearly convey technical information and provide instructions to team members.       
• Interpersonal and customer service skills to communicate effectively with different levels of personnel inside and outside the organization to explain budget requirements, spending reports and variances, status of loan application, etc.       
• Written communication skills to create business correspondence and reports and write footnotes to financial statements.      
• Analytical skills to research and review information to determine trends and variances and offer solutions.      
• Problem solving skills to consult with managers about how to analyze their budget versus spending patterns.       
• Ability to analyze and develop budgets.      
• Ability to research new accounting developments and translate implications of adoption/implementation.
• Ability to work well independently and function as part of a team when necessary.       
• Ability to prioritize to accomplish work by deadlines.       
• Attention to detail to ensure accuracy in work and compliance.      
• Ability to assign and review the work of others.

THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job related and will consist of one or more of the following: education and experience evaluation; written, oral, or performance tests, or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to oral and performance examinations. Oral examinations may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.

INITIAL FILING DATE - The examination will be held as soon as practical after September 13, 2016. Receipt of applications may be discontinued at any time after this date without prior notice.  However, recruitment may continue until the needs of the City have been met. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time, and place of the examination. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of Milwaukee will not provide alternative test administration. The applicant is responsible for attending all phases of the job selection process at the time and place designated by the City of Milwaukee.

NOTE: For current information regarding the status of the City of Milwaukee’s residency requirement, please visit the Department of Employee Relations’ Website: http://city.milwaukee.gov/DER.  Please call 414.286.3751 if you have questions regarding your individual circumstances as part of the application and/or selection process.

• APPLICATIONS and further information may be accessed by visiting www.jobaps.com/MIL.  
• Applications and transcripts should be submitted no later than the deadline listed above.
• If you would like assistance completing an application, please contact the Department of Employee Relations at (414) 286-3751 or staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov.
• The Department of Employee Relations is located in City Hall, 200 E Wells St, Room 706, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Benefits

The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Group Life Insurance
• Tuition Benefits
• Paid Vacation
• 11 Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave and other paid leaves

For full details of the benefits offered by the City of Milwaukee, please visit www.city.milwaukee.gov/Benefits2016.

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.