PRINCIPAL ACCOUNT CLERK

The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) provides quality water supply, water pollution control, mapping, and household hazardous waste collection to eight member municipalities: Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor. Additionally, the MDC provides drinking water to portions of Farmington, Glastonbury, East Granby and South Windsor, known as the MDC's non-member towns.

JOB SUMMARY

This is highly responsible financial and administrative position involving the processing and review of complex financial transactions.

Work involves responsibility for performing a variety of financial and administrative duties requiring auditing or pre-auditing of transactions. Duties include the processing of bills and receipts. This position also has the responsibility for monitoring multiple budgets, billing customers, entry of financial data, processing invoices, posting transactions to the general ledger, and making important recordkeeping and processing decisions requiring judgment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Pre-audits budget coding and other data on requisitions prior to issuing purchase orders. Processes fund encumbrances.
• Pre-audits invoices, transactions, and receiving reports to assure compliance with contract specifications.
• Compiles and analyzes data from payroll, meter readings, work orders system and other operational areas as necessary.
• Generates monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual user billings.
• Processes invoices for payment, payment proposals and payroll taxes, and researches purchase orders for proper funding. Accepts, processes, and posts payments. May be responsible for making decisions in regard to account adjustments, reversals, or credits.
• Audits, posts and balances reports from data processing.
• Update sewer user files and reconciles annual sewer user files.
• Maintains electronic and/or paper records, data and files. Processes billing accounts. Sets up and processes new accounts in an activity such as water user accounts.
• Prepares monthly, quarterly and/or annual reports and metrics requiring knowledge of the activity and recordkeeping system involved.
• Provides information to customers, vendors and others. Handles difficult inquiries requiring in-depth knowledge of the activity, operations and recordkeeping system.
• Assists customers with billing inquiries, invoice issues, and payment questions.
• Performs related work as required.

Prior experience in accounts receivable/collections or working in a customer service call center a plus. Ideal candidate is proficient in conflict resolution and negotiating skills and must be comfortable discussing sensitive matters such as past due balances with customers during inbound or outbound calls.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Works under the general supervision of a supervisory or administrative employee.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Associates degree, including some course work in accounting at the college level, plus four (4) years of progressively responsible account clerical experience including public contact. Must have a valid driver's license.

Ideal candidate will possess prior experience in Accounts Receivable/Collections or working in Customer Service Call Center, be proficient in conflict resolution and negotiation skills. Must be comfortable with discussing past due balances during inbound and outbound phone calls.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of account clerical procedures and techniques.
• Knowledge of MDC billing processes and financial systems.
• Knowledge of general office and recordkeeping procedures.
• Knowledge of the operations of standard office machines and a computer terminal and personal computer.
• Knowledge of business English.
• Skill in mathematical computation.
• Skill in keyboard operation including a computer terminal and typewriter.
• Ability in oral co