Manager I - Rapids

About the role

The Accounts Payable Manager for the Rapids and Grants Team performs routine (journey-level) managerial and operational oversight of daily voucher payment activities, specifically overseeing the processing of invoices for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Accounting Section.

Responsibilities

• Exhibits leadership.
• Provides vision and technical guidance.
• Fosters a positive environment and ensures productive behavior.
• Serves as subject matter expert.
• Sets priorities.
• Ensures infrastructure allows for: continuity of operations, effective and efficient operations, quality work with accurate output, timely completion, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and current procedural documentation.
• Responsible for audit responses within area, follows section and agency audit protocol, reviews responses, ensures corrective actions are achievable, monitored, and completed and obtains leadership approval before submission.
• Proactively resolves known issues; escalating as needed to Accounting Section leadership in writing.
• Position is a working manager; fills in and/or ensures critical/core tasks are performed.
• Supervises Accountant IIIs, ensuring staff receive appropriate training, guidance, and support.
• Establishes performance standards, conducts evaluations, and leads coaching or corrective action as needed.
• Develops staffing schedules and approves leave to ensure coverage and continuity of operations.
• Leads team meetings, reinforces policy changes, and promotes a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Maintains systems and controls necessary to provide accurate accounts of expenditures for agency programs.
• Monitors turnover and recommends improvements to leadership.
• Oversees the preparation and accuracy of weekly and monthly reports submitted to the Claims Unit Manager, Accounting Director, and CFO.
• Reviews data trends to identify operational improvements or staffing needs.
• Represents the Accounts Payable Unit at meetings and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to resolve issues and ensure alignment with agency goals.
• Identifies areas in payment processing or adjustment workflows requiring improvement.
• Develops recommendations to enhance efficiency and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Prepares cost-analysis documents, including Action Memos, to justify additional staffing or temporary support during peak workloads.
• Provides managerial backup to other supervisors as needed.
• Participates in disaster response and continuity of operations (COOP) assignments, which may require alternate work hours or temporary reassignment.

  Requirements

  • Knowledge and understanding of accounting processes and procedures.
  • Knowledge of Texas Government Code, Texas Administrative Code, and federal laws and regulations relevant to state government payments of Vendor and Grant Payments and of the principles and practices of public administration and management.
  • Knowledge of and ability to interpret state and federal laws and regulations relevant to DSHS program areas.
  • Knowledge of DSHS services programs, services, and procedures.
  • Ability to review and interpret accounting information for accuracy, completeness, and relevance and to make recommendations based on the analysis.
  • Advanced skills in Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, Access, and Outlook.
  • Checks accounting operations in progress, and reviews and audits completed financial records for accuracy and conformance with legal and departmental procedures and regulations.
  • Ability to use complex automated accounting systems including HHSAS/CAPPS Fin, and USAS.
  • May assist in planning accounting and administrative support work procedures.
  • May provide guidance to others.
  • Ability to meet established deadlines.
  • Maintains systems and controls necessary to provide accurate accounts of expenditures for agency programs.
  • Ability to prepare concise reports.
  • Advanced problem-solving skills related to administrative/accounting policies and procedures.
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, direct, and coordinate accounting activities of the Agency.
  • Ability to work independently with general supervision.
  • Ability to interact in a professional manner with agency employees and non-employees and establish effective working relationships with people at various levels of expertise to complete goals and objectives.
  • Ability to function under time and scope pressures and to manage multiple and competing priorities.
  • Ability to direct and organize projects with general supervision.
  • Skills in communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
  • Skill in composing and drafting executive level reports.
  • Skill in developing, implementing, and monitoring accounting policies across the DSHS system.
  • Skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to payment processes, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Skill in the use of computers and software, such as: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
  • Ability to convene groups and direct staff.
  • Ability to analyses new programs or legislative directives to determine if they fit within current grant payment policies and processes and identify potential administrative problems; develop and recommend implement solutions and modifications to resolve the problems.
  • Ability to analyze large volume of monthly production data from CAPPS each month and determine if tasks need to be reassigned, processes need to be adjusted or training issues need to be addressed and develop a plan of action to address these issues.
  • Ability to manage an accounting payment operations unit, plan, assign and supervise the staff; establish production goals and objectives; communicate effectively with diverse levels of management.

    Qualifications

    • GED and bachelors or 4 years accounting experience.
    • No registrations, licenses, certifications required.

    Skills

    • Knowledge of accounting processes and procedures.
    • Knowledge of Texas Government Code, Texas Administrative Code, and federal laws and regulations relevant to state government payments of Vendor and Grant Payments and of the principles and practices of public administration and management.
    • Knowledge of and ability to interpret state and federal laws and regulations relevant to DSHS program areas.
    • Knowledge of DSHS services programs, services, and procedures.
    • Ability to review and interpret accounting information for accuracy, completeness, and relevance and to make recommendations based on the analysis.
    • Advanced skills in Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, Access, and Outlook.
    • Checks accounting operations in progress, and reviews and audits completed financial records for accuracy and conformance with legal and departmental procedures and regulations.
    • Ability to use complex automated accounting systems including HHSAS/CAPPS Fin, and USAS.
    • May assist in planning accounting and administrative support work procedures.
    • May provide guidance to others.
    • Ability to meet established deadlines.
    • Maintains systems and controls necessary to provide accurate accounts of expenditures for agency programs.
    • Ability to prepare concise reports.
    • Advanced problem-solving skills related to administrative/accounting policies and procedures.
    • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, direct, and coordinate accounting activities of the Agency.
    • Ability to work independently with general supervision.
    • Ability to interact in a professional manner with agency employees and non-employees and establish effective working relationships with people at various levels of expertise to complete goals and objectives.
    • Ability to function under time and scope pressures and to manage multiple and competing priorities.
    • Ability to direct and organize projects with general supervision.
    • Skills in communicating effectively both orally and in writing.
    • Skill in composing and drafting executive level reports.
    • Skill in developing, implementing, and monitoring accounting policies across the DSHS system.
    • Skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to payment processes, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
    • Skill in the use of computers and software, such as: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
    • Ability to convene groups and direct staff.
    • Ability to analyses new programs or legislative directives to determine if they fit within current grant payment policies and processes and identify potential administrative problems; develop and recommend implement solutions and modifications to resolve the problems.
    • Ability to analyze large volume of monthly production data from CAPPS each month and determine if tasks need to be reassigned, processes need to be adjusted or training issues need to be addressed and develop a plan of action to address these issues.
    • Ability to manage an accounting payment operations unit, plan, assign and supervise the staff; establish production goals and objectives; communicate effectively with diverse levels of management.