Accountant I

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a vibrant waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our racially and culturally diverse community. If you are interested in working for the progressive City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for the Accountant I position.

An Overview
The City of Alexandria’s Finance Department is looking for a motivated, curious, and detail-oriented Financial Reporting Accountant I to join our team. As a member of the Accounting Division’s Financial Reporting team, is a key member of the financial reporting team, which is responsible for supporting the annual financial audits and the accurate preparation of the City’s comprehensive annual financial report, in addition to other critical financial reporting tasks and deliverables. To this end, the Financial Reporting Accountant conducts complex research, analyzes financial data, and troubleshoots and resolves reporting and record keeping issues in our enterprise resource planning system (ERP), Munis. The Accountant I works under the general supervision of the Financial Reporting Manager.

What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate is a collaborative, detail-oriented, and insightful financial professional who possesses some knowledge of local government general ledger accounting, financial reporting, and some familiarity with General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and is passionate about providing Alexandria residents, businesses, visitors, and City staff with great customer service. Additional knowledge, skills, and abilities include:

• Knowledge of the principles of accounting;
• Knowledge of financial systems used in large organizations;
• Ability to quickly grasp the concepts of analyzing financial data;
• Ability to prepare, and experience preparing, financial reports;
• Ability to utilize various financial systems for data entry, reporting and analysis;
• Ability to contribute to the creation of accurate, complete, and timely financial reports;
• High level of comfort and skill using Microsoft Excel for financial analysis (e.g. pivot tables, vlookup)
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.

The Opportunity - Examples of Work

• Participates in the production of accurate, complete, and timely monthly, annual, and ad hoc financial reports, as a member of the financial reporting team;
• Conducts financial research using the City's ERP (Munis) and manipulates financial data in Microsoft Excel;
• Analyzes, reviews, and resolves financial issues to ensure accuracy of accounts and adequacy of documentation;
• Collaborates with the Finance team and departments to ensure accurate completion of journal entries in the General Ledger;
• Plays a key role in the customer service function of our division by responding in person, on the phone, via email, or via traditional mail to stakeholders;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

About the Department
The City of Alexandria's Finance Department is a fast-paced, diverse, and customer service focused operation that is responsible for: the assessment, collection, and enforcement of all City taxes, the management of cash flow and investments, accounting for and reporting the City’s financial position, processing payroll, executing a fair and competitive procurement environment, assessing all real and personal property in the City, managing the City’s risk and safety programs, and managing the City’s pension plans. The Finance Department has seven divisions and in fiscal year 2020 is operating with a total budget of $13.9 million and 108.25 FTE positions.

The goal of the Finance Department is to treat all employees, citizens, and business owners professionally, with fairness and compassion.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university, or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; experience with financial reporting; experience utilizing general accounting systems in a large organization; experience working in local government or a related role.