Financial Specialist

About the role

The Financial Specialist performs and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional work related to financial and accounting activities of the Court, including ensuring compliance with appropriate guidelines, policies, and internal controls. The incumbent reports to the Financial Supervisor. Occasional travel may be required.

The office hours are typically 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional working hours may be required based on operational needs.

About the Southern District of Ohio

The Southern District of Ohio covers a broad geographic area encompassing forty-eight urban and rural counties from an imaginary line just north of Columbus south to the Ohio River. The District is comprised of over 260 individuals including twenty-six Judicial Officers, Chambers Staff, the Clerk’s Office staff, the U.S. Probation Office’s staff, and U.S. Pretrial Services Office’s staff, who are located in the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton Courthouses.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, reconcile, and review accounting records, consisting of a cash receipts journal, registry fund, and deposit fund, as well as subsidiary ledgers for allotments and other fiscal records. Perform basic accounts payable and accounts receivable duties. Maintain and review the accuracy and accountability of monies received and disbursed by the Court.
• Assist in the preparation, update, examination, and analysis of a variety of regular and non-standard reports as requested by court units, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, U.S. Treasury, financial institutions, or other organizations or agencies. Design, develop, and maintain spreadsheet formats and programs for analyzing financial information for the Court.
• Assist Clerk’s Office employees and the other financial specialist in creating and verifying deposit tickets daily.
• Process payments incurred by the Court. Perform reconciliation of monies deposited, transferred, and disbursed by the Court. Calculate and prepare financial statements according to established procedures.
• Receive, review, and process travel vouchers and travel advance requests from chambers and Court staff. Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. Communicate with individuals within the Court to respond to questions, problems, or insufficiencies with voucher submissions and the status of payment of vouchers.
• Review and reconcile Court travel card statements, and create and submit accurate payment vouchers including collecting, reviewing, and attaching supporting documents.
• Receive, review, and process jury vouchers from jury clerks. Check figures and documents for correct entries, mathematical accuracy, and appropriate supporting documentation. Communicate with jury clerks regarding deficiencies and request files necessary for processing. Upload and verify accuracy of processed payment files and communicate with certifying officer when the voucher is ready to be approved for payment.
• Ensure that appropriate internal controls are followed for disbursement, transfer, recording, and reporting of monies. Review vouchers for payments related to expenses incurred by the Court for appropriateness of payment. Assist with oversight of financial operations to ensure compliance with internal controls, policies, and procedures.
• Enter cases into Civil Criminal Accounting Module when judgments are received from chambers.
• Process victim restitution payments. Process incoming checks. Compile necessary information, produce, and submit payments for processing. Maintain ledger of restitution payments and ensure victims receive payments. Process returned checks and returned mail. Provide customer service to victims and their representatives. Work with U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Probation to reconcile criminal debt accounts and receivable records.
• Balance deposit funds with both manual and General Ledger daily.
• Prepare reports and forms by compiling information. Use accounting software and systems to record, store, and track information.
• Coordinate work efforts with other financial specialist in the financial unit.
• Comply with guidelines, procedures, and policies established by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the Court.
• Complete special projects as assigned and perform other related duties as required.