Principal Accountant - City of Birmingham

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

01/27/2025

Note: This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System.

Grade 27

The pay range for the listed pay grade varies depending on the employing agency. Click HERE and then select the desired agency to view the pay range for that employer.

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The City of Birmingham is seeking experienced Principal Accountants to provide strategic leadership and oversee the daily financial operations within a department. Principal Accountants will be responsible for managing a range of financial functions, including accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR), banking, general ledger (GL), grants, and budgetary accounts. They will ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations, including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards. Key duties include preparing and substantiating financial statements, overseeing internal and external audits, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and guidelines. The role may involve supervising accounting staff such as Accounting Assistants, Accountants, and Senior Accountants, with work primarily conducted in an office environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position. You must meet at least one of the following options:

Option A:

• At least a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Experience performing accounting functions such as preparing general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, financial statements, payroll, or budgets.

• Experience reviewing and/or reconciling financial accounts (e.g., bank statements and activity, cash transactions, general ledger accounts).

• Experience with periodic financial reporting (e.g., balance sheets, income statements, transaction process reports, daily cash reports).

• Experience assigning and reviewing the financial work of others (e.g., verifying financial data for accuracy).

Option B:

• At least a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Senior Accountant in the Merit System.

COMPENSATION:

Application for this position will be considered for the following Merit System employing agencies:

• Birmingham          $62,857 - $97,531

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES: 

• Sets objectives for and oversees the AP process for a department or jurisdiction.

• Sets objectives for and oversees the AR process for a department or jurisdiction.

• Oversees internal and external audits of financial records, including acting as the point of communication, distributing audit-related tasks, and implementing changes identified during the audit.

• Oversees the maintenance of banking records and informs decisions regarding what banks to utilize.

• Prepares, monitors, and administers departmental or organizational budget by reviewing spending trends, expenditure reports, analyzing financial data and ensuring expenditures are within annual budgetary limits.

• Provides strategic direction for the department and oversees the daily financial operations to ensure compliance to federal, state, and local guidelines and laws (e.g., Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)).

• Performs the financial closing process at the end of an accounting period (i.e., monthly, quarterly, yearly).

• Oversees the maintenance of the GL by reviewing and approving subordinate's journal entries, auditing the GL for accuracy and completeness, creating journal entries and GL adjustments, and reconciling the GL to other financial records.

• Researches and prepares grant proposals then oversees grant funds, including creating policies to administer the grant, maintaining grant financial records, and producing grant reports.

• Procures and/or manages inventory (i.e., supplies and equipment) to ensure the products and services are available to meet the operational needs of each department.

• Facilitates the new contract approval process and enters contract parameters into accounting software once approved.

• Engages in activities designed to ensure professional development, awareness of dev