Accountant

About the role

Harris County Housing & Community Development provides life-enhancing projects and programs to residents of Harris County. Our services include spurring community investment through the provision of homebuying programs, partnering with community members and housing developers to build diverse housing options that uplift communities and offer other assistance that support community building. The position requires the performance of a wide variety of daily accounting duties and analyses associated with subrecipient contracts/agreements.

Accountant Overview

Accountants in the Housing and Community Development Department are assigned with the administration and control of grant expenditures and tracking during the full life cycle of each grant. Primary responsibilities for this position will include managing and monitoring grant budgets as well as assisting in seeking reimbursement of expenditures from the granting agencies.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Prepares and processes budget transfers and related transactions
• Aids in preparation of reimbursement requests from the granting agency and prepares journal entries
• Performs reconciliations of budgetary and reimbursement request information
• Ensures all accounting transactions are supported with adequate description and documentation
• Tracks progress of projects and activities to ensure the accuracy of financial systems and ensure budgets are adhered to
• Establishes and maintains various in-house spreadsheets and logs supplemental to the department's accounting systems
• Collaborates with other divisions and responds to requests for information
• Coordinates with the Harris County Auditors department to ensure accurate and timely invoice coordination and vendor credit/debit memo postings
• Coordinates purchases throughout the various programs, services, and fund types working with Harris County Auditors and Purchasing departments to process and monitor procurement activities
• Aids in special projects

Requirements

• Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance from an accredited college or university Two (2) years of accounting/financial analyst experience OR Associates degree in Accounting or Finance from an accredited college or university Four (4) years of accounting/financial analyst experience OR High school diploma or GED equivalency Six (6) years of accounting/financial analyst experience
• Licensure: Valid Driver's License (Texas upon hire)
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Thorough working knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for governmental and not-for-profit entities Strong understanding and working knowledge of job/project ledger accounting and budgeting and its correlation to the general ledger Strong knowledge of grant requirements with an emphasis on knowledge of 2 CFR 200 and HUD CDBG-DR regulations Ability to plan and organize work, perform under pressure, and meet deadlines. Proficiency in the use of MS Office Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external sources and keep management informed

Preferences

• Preferred Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Preferred Experience: Experience with a large complex accounting system; preferably PeopleSoft. Experience with Pivot Tables and V-Lookup functions. Familiarity with grant and fund accounting.

General Information

• Position Type, and Typical Hours of Work: Full-Time | Grant-funded Monday - Friday | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Work Environment: The work is primarily sedentary with occasional required travel to training events or meetings. The job is performed in a professional office environment. No special safety precautions are required.
• Physical Demands: This is primarily a sedentary role; however, working with files is required. This would require the ability to lift up to 10 pounds and bend and stand as necessary.