Accounting Specialist Supervisor (WWS BOD)

This announcement will remain open until a sufficient number of applications are received and may close at any time.

About the Role

The Water & Wastewater Services Business Operations Division is seeking a self-motivated Accounting Specialist Supervisor. This entry-level supervisory position requires general accounting experience and involves performing general accounting work, preparing accounting reports, working on revenue protection activities, collecting delinquent water and wastewater utility account payments, entering journal entries for approval, and ensuring that accounting transactions comply with accepted accounting standards, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Contact customers to obtain utility payments and establish payment arrangements.
• Monitor "sewer-only" accounts to ensure customers are connected to utility systems and current with monthly payments.
• Process utility refunds for Water and Wastewater Services (WWS).
• Monitor third-party payment contracts between WWS and municipalities.
• Research and resolve un-cashed and stale-dated checks.
• Prepare spreadsheets for new WWS "sewer-only" customers to ensure compliance with utility connection and payment procedures.
• Use the WWS Peace Energy billing system to cross-reference delinquent accounts and transfer balances to existing customer accounts.
• Interact with internal and external customers in person, over the phone, and via email to prevent utility accounts from becoming 120 days delinquent.
• Process payments, review supporting documentation, input transactions, assist with difficult payments, and oversee production levels and efficiency.
• Review, create, update, and implement procedures.
• Attend to inquiries from customers, management, and vendors; research and correct errors relating to payments; resolve payment matters for staff and other agencies; respond to public records requests.
• Create reports from the accounting database for reconciliation of ledger accounts, vendor accounts, and for use in responding to various inquiries; generate reports for production statistics.
• Review and direct workflow by assigning duties for payment processing to staff; amend and/or create operating procedures as needed; research, gather information, and provide responses to inquiries and problems; report progress and production statistics to manager.
• Assign duties, review work, and resolve problems for subordinate staff; provide training to staff and other agencies' staff to foster efficient payment processes; complete performance appraisals and discipline.
• Maintain inventory of and order office supplies for the Division; assist in acquiring office equipment by researching economical and efficient items for purchase.
• Maintain responsibility for high-dollar payments in County purchases of goods and services; stay abreast of state guidelines for record retention and secure Division records.
• Provide exemplary customer service when interacting with coworkers, other agencies, and individuals outside the County.
• Perform related work as assigned.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of experience in accounts payable, accounts receivable, bookkeeping, or a closely related field, including six (6) months of lead work or supervisory experience.
• A valid Florida Driver's License in good standing for the duration of employment.

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree or higher in Business, Public Administration, or a closely related field (preferred).
• Certified Collections or Debt Specialist certification (preferred).
• Certified Bookkeeper (CB) (preferred).
• Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP) or other recognized Customer Service Certification (preferred).
• At least one (1) year of experience handling delinquent account collections and/or skip-tracing (preferred).
• At least one (1) year of experience using Peace Plus or similar utility billing software (preferred).
• At least one (1) year of experience conducting title searches (preferred).
• At least one (1) year of experience using PeopleSoft or similar financial management software (preferred).

Skills

• Financial Acumen: Interprets and applies key financial indicators to make better business decisions. Assembles and interprets financial data and metrics relevant to the role, drawing insights and adhering to budgetary guidelines.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high-quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to solve problems. Determines critical data, probes for root causes, and uses systematic problem-solving methods.
• Plans and Aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. Outlines clear plans, aligns work with relevant groups, and reduces bottlenecks.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. Measures and tracks performance, helps the team learn from success and failure, and enforces goals, policies, and procedures.
• Manages Conflict: Handles conflict situations effectively. Takes a positive approach, delivers viewpoints candidly and sensitively, and seeks guidance on managing conflict.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of different audiences' needs. Disseminates knowledge and updates precisely, demonstrates interest in others' comments, and creates rich documents and reports.
• Nimble Learning: Learns through experimentation when tackling new problems. Relishes new challenges, seeks input, and investigates mistakes to learn from them.

Work Environment

Physical Demands: Performs sedentary work involving walking or standing some of the time and exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Unavoidable Hazards: None.