Accountant Office/On-Site #260715-0026AR-001

Position Highlights

• Facility: Western Connecticut Mental Health Network (WCMHN)
• Team: Fiscal Services
• Location: Waterbury, CT
• Schedule: Full-time (40 hours), 1st Shift, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

About Us

DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve. The WCMHN's mission is to provide a comprehensive and effective recovery-oriented system of mental health and addiction services that promotes self-sufficiency, dignity, cultural sensitivity and respect.

The Role

The position currently supports multiple programs and locations and is responsible for a variety of fiscal activities, including:

• Preparing, reviewing, and analyzing accounting records and reports.
• Assisting with budget development, forecasting, and expenditure projections.
• Performing account reconciliations and resolving accounting discrepancies.
• Reviewing financial transactions for compliance with agency policies, state regulations, and funding requirements.
• Supporting year-end closing activities and audit requests.
• Monitoring purchase orders, contracts, and encumbrances to ensure fiscal integrity.
• Utilizing financial systems to extract, analyze, and interpret financial data.

Examples of Duties

• Records complex and compound journal entries.
• Prepares balance sheets and financial statements involving multiple accounts.
• Analyzes and interprets accounting records and reports.
• Assists higher level staff in planning, design and implementation of accounting procedures or systems.
• Reviews expenditures and prepares or reviews financial statements.
• Assists in budget management by compiling and reviewing agency manager program budget proposals, preparing estimates and calculations of projected expenditures and quarterly allotments, and preparing monthly reports.
• Monitors fiscal aspects of grant programs by preparing or reviewing financial reports, reviewing expenditures for compliance with grant contracts, providing technical assistance to grantees in maintaining accounting records.
• Recommends accounting related improvements to business practices such as accounting controls and financial reviews.
• Utilizes electronic data processing (EDP) systems for financial records, reports and analysis.
• Assists in EDP experts in planning and implementation of financial aspects of EDP systems.
• May supervise bookkeeping (e.g., maintenance, balancing and reconciling of accounts), accounts payable and/or receivable functions or other accounting related paraprofessional or clerical functions.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skill and Ability

Knowledge of professional accounting principles and practices; governmental accounting and budgeting; basic auditing principles and practices.

Skills: interpersonal skills; oral communication and written skills.

Ability to: prepare, analyze and evaluate financial statements and other accounting records and reports; analyze and evaluate accounting methods and procedures; utilize EDP systems for financial management; read and interpret written materials.

Minimum Qualifications - General Experience

Six (6) years of experience in accounting or auditing.

Minimum Qualifications - Special Experience

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been at the paraprofessional level. Work at the paraprofessional level requires exercise of some independent judgment in applying basic accounting principles and may be compared to the level of a full charge bookkeeper.

Note: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of an Assistant Accountant.

Minimum Qualifications - Substitutions Allowed

• Successful completion of an Accounting Careers Trainee program approved by the Department of Administrative Services may be substituted for the General Experience and Special Experience.
• 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 as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor may be substituted for one (1) year of the General and Special Experience.
• Two (2) years of experience as an Assistant Accountant may be substituted for the General and Special Experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with professional accounting principles and practices.
• Experience preparing, analyzing and evaluating financial statements and other accounting records and reports.
• Experience analyzing and evaluating accounting methods and procedures.
• Experience with accounting standards and budgeting processes.
• Experience applying auditing principles and conducting audit-related reviews.
• Experience using electronic data processing (EDP) systems for financial and budget management.
• Experience interpreting and applying information from financial documents and related written materials.