Financial Specialist I

About the Role

This position performs a variety of financial functions within the Wastewater Planning & Monitoring Division, supporting the complex, decentralized Wastewater Management Program operating at three locations: Wastewater Collections (Burke, VA), Wastewater Treatment (Lorton, VA), and Wastewater Planning and Monitoring (Fairfax, VA). The role involves preparing and responding to complex technical audits, reconciling financial data, producing mission-critical reports, and serving as a liaison between accounts, revenue sections, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and responds to various complex technical audits, including the sewer system annual external financial audit, internal audit, and financial audit of Fairfax Water.
• Reconciles and reviews grant revenue for both Wastewater and Stormwater; follows up on outstanding wholesale customers' invoices and reconciles revenue from PUBSAT to FOCUS postings.
• Prepares complex financial adjustment entries for the Integrated Sewer System's ACFR (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report) and assists with year-end financial statements.
• Performs monthly reconciliation of sewer taps on revenue received and monitors the number of new sewer taps sold per category.
• Produces mission-critical reports with mid-level complexity using spreadsheets or databases; compiles monthly reports from PUBSAT-DPW Sewer Application Tracking System and analyzes PUBSAT reports to support sewer system capacity availability.
• Generates reports with complex financial and statistical information for the Integrated Sewer System's CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report).
• Researches accounts, gathers information, and makes independent decisions regarding billing adjustments in accordance with county codes, regulations, and policies.
• Serves as a liaison between the accounts and revenue section and sewer customers, billing agents, builders, developers, and county agencies; investigates inquiries from sewer customers, other agencies, and the Board of Supervisors.
• Maintains certification and processing skills in FOCUS; manages and performs accounts receivable activities in FOCUS.
• Prepares entries related to revenue and monitors the Sewer System’s revenue, which totals approximately $250 million annually.
• Ensures the integrity and accuracy of financial records by performing detailed reconciliations, identifying errors, and preparing corrective entries.
• Participates in the year-end closing process, including the calculation and recording of revenue accruals, grant accruals, and related reconciliations.
• Serves as a liaison between Wastewater Management divisions and other County departments; provides backup support to the Financial Specialist IV.
• May require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites.

Requirements

• Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to:
  • Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in accounting; or
  • A bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field supplemented by at least 6 credit hours of basic accounting principles and concepts.
• Four years of increasingly complex technical administrative experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Administrative Assistant IV or higher level (applicable for the bridge class).
• Valid driver’s license.
• Successful completion of a criminal background check, credit check, and driving record check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Demonstrated ability to successfully solve problems in a team-based environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• One year of experience preparing accounting entries, analysis, and reconciliations.
• Three years of experience in MS Office Suite applications.
• One year of experience and proficiency using SAP or similar ERP financial systems.
• One year of experience downloading and manipulating data from SAP or a similar ERP.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
• Ability to lift up to 10 lbs.
• Ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing, for engagement with colleagues and customers via phone, video conferences, and in-person meetings.
• Ability to drive county vehicles to various locations throughout Fairfax County.
• Ability to produce organized and legible handwritten, typed, or computer-generated documents.
• Position is generally sedentary but requires the ability to stoop, bend, and reach.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including a defined-benefit retirement plan.
• Medical, life, and disability insurance.
• Paid leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
• LiveWell Program, promoting physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial wellness.