Associate Accountant

Introduction

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.

• Monday - Friday.
• Location: Headquarters in Newington, CT.
• Full Time, 40 hours/week.
• Schedule to be determined based on the operational need of the unit.
• Hybrid (in-office/telework) and alternate work schedules may be available.

• Supervises professional employees of a lower grade.
• Schedules, assigns, oversees, and reviews the work of assigned staff; provides training as required.
• Conducts annual Employee Performance Evaluations.

• Oversee processing of card applications, issuance of cards, coordinating cardholder limit adjustments, card cancellations and fraud review/response, and issuance of monthly cardholder statements
• Provide training for new cardholders, reconcilers, and backup program coordinators.
• Assist cardholders in resolution of account issues, declined cards, and billing errors.
• Oversee monthly verification of P-Card transactions in Core-CT Financial module; and monthly reconciliation of P-Card logs with monthly statements for all Department cardholders, ensuring purchases are appropriately documented, follow Department policies, and are in compliance with state regulations.
• Act as Department liaison with Office of the State Comptroller, Department of Administrative Services, and Auditors of Public Accounts for all P-Card related issues and monthly P-Card audits.
• Independently analyze and interpret P-Card related audit recommendations to determine appropriate action/response.
• Prepare annual, quarterly, and monthly projection of budgetary requirements for P-Card program, ensuring sufficient funds are encumbered for Department monthly transactions by maintaining purchase orders as appropriate.
• Oversee review of monthly U.S. Bank National Association invoices for approval and payment.
• Coordinate monthly journal entries to Core-CT General Ledger to ensure all P-Card transactions are recorded to appropriate funding source / accounting string.
• Prepare mandated quarterly reporting of P-Card transactions with Set-Aside vendors.
• Serve as Department Fuel Card Coordinator, acting as liaison with state fuel card vendor on related matters.
• Oversee all Department procedures related to P-Card and Fuel Card programs.
• Compile and review data on P-Card expenditures through extensive Core-CT EPM reporting and analysis.
• Provide management with recommendations on P-Card related matters.
• Provides oversight of the Department’s Travel Coordinator function. This includes overseeing the staff responsible for processing of all Department Travel Authorization Requests, ensuring compliance with appropriate state and Department policies and guidelines.
• Independently monitor operating budget transactions through extensive Core-CT EPM reporting and analysis.
• Identify budget, commitment and/or expenditure errors and coordinates appropriate correction in financial system (i.e., budget journals, change orders, journal vouchers, spreadsheet journals).
• Develop ad-hoc Core-CT EPM reports to assist in critical management review of agency operations.
• Prepare and analyze complex budget and expenditure reports, as required.
• Develop and maintain written unit procedures and ensures proper implementation.
• Make recommendations on policy development and standards related to budgeting, correction, and reporting aspects of Core-CT.
• May assist in development of the Department’s Biennial Operating Budget Request.
• Apply accounting knowledge by making recommendations for improvements to unit accounting related procedures and financial system reporting.
• Perform related duties as required.

Selection Plan

• Meet Minimum Qualifications: In order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee, who has worked for the state for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
• Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
• Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
• Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

• Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates— such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information”.
• Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
• Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
• Stay Connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
• This employer may participate in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I‑9 information to confirm work authorization.

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Brittney Woodley at brittney.woodley@ct.gov. Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency this class is accountable for performing the most complex accounting tasks within a variety of accounting programs and systems. This class may also be accountable for lead or consultative responsibility.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Establishes and implements accounting sub-systems such as procedures for paying and collecting activities, procedures for issuance of grants, loans or subsidies, establishment of rates or schedules of fees, establishment of account charts for classification of transactions; 
• Maintains fiscal controls by authorizing non-routine expenditures based on management priorities and policies, examining data and making recommendations regarding timing and amounts of expenditures; 
• Manages various phases of budget preparation and control such as preparing estimates of costs of existing or new programs, offices or divisions, preparing budget requests, appropriation schedules, monthly budget reports and year end budget reports; 
• Administers fiscal aspects of grant programs by reviewing funding applications for approval, researching and preparing estimates of costs of proposed grant programs, interpreting grant contracts for approval of grant expenditures, analyzing grantees financial records and reports for compliance with grant expenditure requirements; 
• Monitors fiscal aspects of contract administration by reviewing and interpreting contracts for approval on non-routine expenditures, preparing or approving schedules of fees in regard to specific contracts; 
• Determines priorities; 
• Provides staff training and assistance; 
• Conducts or assists in conducting performance evaluations; 
• Acts as liaison with other operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures; 
• May coordinate unit workflow; 
• May assign and review work; 
• May establish and maintain unit procedures; 
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of 
• professional accounting principles and practices including governmental accounting and budgeting; 
• Skills 
• interpersonal skills; 
• oral and written communication skills; 
• Considerable ability to 
• analyze and evaluate financial records, methods and procedures; 
• devise and install accounting procedures and systems; 
• Supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Seven (7) years of experience in accounting or auditing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been at the level of an Accountant, an Auditor or an Accounts Examiner with responsibility for the exercise of independent analysis and judgement in the application of professional accounting principles and practices.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training in accounting or a closely related field may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
• A Master's degree in accounting may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
• Certification in any of the following may be substituted for one (1) year of the General and Special Experience: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in Accounting.
• Experience with Core-CT Financial system, including Purchasing/E-pro module and EPM Reporting.
• Experience with State Purchasing Card program.
• Experience with state employee travel policies and procedures
• Experience using Microsoft Excel (including spreadsheet development, and data management); as well as Word, Outlook, and Teams.

Conclusion

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT