Salary: $41,057.00 – $59,122.00 Annually
Location : Portsmouth, VA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: FY2023-00407
Department: Social Services
Opening Date: 07/20/2023
Closing Date: 8/3/2023 11:59 PM Eastern
General Statement of the Job & Essential Functions
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
Under general supervision, prepares and processes financial information specific to programs offered through the department. Reports to the Accounting Manager.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Performs routine to complex bookkeeping activities involving research, analysis, preparation, and data entry; processes purchase orders, invoices and payments for departmental program services and purchases; performs reconciliations, and ensures transactions are recorded accurately and in a timely manner.
Researches and resolves discrepancies; provides information to staff regarding appropriate funding streams; monitors budget appropriations, encumbrances, expenditures, and city funded initiatives in compliance with federal, state, and local fiscal guidelines.
Ensures agency payment obligations for foster care, companion and day care services, employment services and general relief payments for the aged and disabled are processed; provides accounting support activities for the Foster Care and Children’s Services Act (CSA) program.
Verifies recipient identification and disseminates EBT cards; maintains detailed records of transactions and financial records, and processed checks and payments; retrieves information for external audits; performs fiscal year-end duties to include organization, storage preparation and physical inventory.
Interacts with the public to obtain and provide information and assistance in a variety of circumstances; may screen and respond to inquiries and complaints; provides information on policies and procedures; and responsible for establishing, coordinating, and/or maintaining financial documents.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Knowledge of Job: Has considerable knowledge of state and local fiscal regulations, policies, and procedures with respect to accounts payable. Has considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures. Has considerable knowledge of arithmetic, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. Has considerable knowledge of the policies and procedures, organization, and function of the department. Is skilled in the operation of common office equipment, including computer-drive word processing, spreadsheet and file maintenance programs. Is able to screen communications and, based on content, handle independently or route to proper source. Is able to correct spelling, grammatical, punctuation and typing errors. Is able to use independent judgment in organizing and establishing format. Is able to gather information from a variety of sources and draft documents. Is able to establish and maintain moderately complex files. Is able to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the public.
Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under “Essential Job Functions.”
Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, city policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.
Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time? off requests.
Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self?reliant and self?starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.
Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment. Seeks expert or experienced advice when necessary.
Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, representatives from organizations, and the public to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees and the public.
Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions of time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings and deadlines.
Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly work place.
Education, Experience & Special Requirements
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
High school diploma or the equivalent, and 3-5 years of bookkeeping, clerical accounting, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
An acceptable general background check, to include a local and state criminal history check and sex offender registry check.
Individuals in this position cannot be listed as having a founded child abuse or neglect complaint.
In the event of a declared emergency in the city of Portsmouth, individuals in this position are required to work shelter duty and may be called on to perform duties as required to provide for the safety and care of the citizens of the community.
Physical Demands
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office machinery and equipment including computer, printer, calculator, facsimile machine, copier, multi-line telephone systems, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for sedentary work. Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.
Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information and receiving assignments and/or directions from other personnel.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of checks, reports and records. Requires the ability to prepare letters, purchase orders, payment requests and checks using prescribed formats, and conforming to all rules punctuation, grammar, diction and style. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence. Ability to make presentations.
Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational thinking to define problems and to deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, explain procedures, and follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently.
Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide and utilize decimals and percentages.
Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment and using hand tools.
Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items and office equipment. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.
Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. The work environment is not normally stressful. However, the employee must be adaptable to performing under stress.
Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking – expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing – perceiving nature of sounds by ear).
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTSThe City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.
The city of Portsmouth offers a complete and comprehensive benefit package to full-time employees including: medical, dental, vision, legal, Flexible Spending Accounts, basic and optional life insurance, short-term disability insurance, Virginia Retirement System (includes a mandatory 5% employee contribution), holidays, vacation, sick leave, deferred compensation plan, and Chartway Credit Union. To learn more details, visit
01
Please select the highest level of education completed.
- Less than High School
- High School Diploma or GED
- Some College
- Associates/Vocational/Technical
- Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
02
Do you have 3-5 years of clerical accounting experience?
- Yes
- No
03
How many years of experience do you have maintaining detailed financial records and transactions?
- 1-2 years of experience
- 2-3 years of experience
- 3-5 years of experience
- 5 or more years of experience
04
Describe your experience in accounting and bookkeeping.
05
Describe your experience with monitoring budgets.
Required Question