City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

Accounting Manager I

This position directs the activities of a division and/or section of professional accountants and clerical personnel engaged in preparing and maintaining financial accounting records and reports within a Department and/or Corporate Accounting function of the City.

1. Manages staff involved in preparing and/or reviewing financial transactions (or may prepare and/or review financial transactions) to ensure that transactions are processed in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), City policy, applicable laws and regulations, and sound business practices. 
2. Reviews, analyzes, and evaluates financial and accounting transactions, documents, reports, and statements for internal and/or external department staff. 
3. Reviews and/or prepares periodic internal and external financial statements, supporting schedules, and related notes, and periodic reports to regulators to ensure accuracy and compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and regulatory requirements.  
4. Manages section activities to provide coordination of year-end close, audit plans, schedules, and workpapers in preparation of the annual external audit, including preparation of the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), Schedule of Expenditures of State Awards (SESA), and other regulatory required reports. 
5. Reviews and/or prepares financial summaries and periodic reports for Budget Office.  
6. Provides expert assistance to department staff and other customers in designing automated or manual systems, implementing internal controls and accounting/ reporting procedures, designing/ preparing special reports, and interpreting financial data.  
7. Projects costs and revenues to determine appropriate rates and fees. 
8. Develops, reviews, and/or evaluates fiscal impact statements. 
9. Explains City policy and procedures to auditors and regulators and resolve audit differences.  
10. Researches special topics, including new accounting standards; prepares reports or presentations and develops recommendations for implementation of new accounting standard requirements.  
11. Carries out work plans to achieve program or section goals. 
12. Develops Conducts fiscal reviews; develops and reviews financial indicators for various funds. 
13. Analyzes market and economic conditions. 
14. Analyzes data to discover patterns and/ or discrepancies. 
15. Writes technical reports. 
16. Develops financial forecasts for department and/or City, including revenue/ expenditure/ cost estimates. 
17. Provides assistance in the issuance of debt and ensures transactions are recorded in accordance with GAAP; including long term, short term, and refundings. 
18. Provides assistance in the development of the Official Statement, rating agency materials, and debt schedules. 
19. Calculates/ monitors debt related ratios.

Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.

• Knowledge of the preparation process of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. 
• Knowledge of accounting practices and financial reporting concepts.
• Knowledge of preferred business practices.
• Knowledge of manual and automated financial systems.  
• Knowledge of the concepts for review and evaluation of internal control systems and auditing procedures.  
• Knowledge of supervisory and management theory and techniques. 
• Skill in analyzing, preparing, reviewing, and balancing routing fiscal transactions and general ledger accounts.
• Skill in managing large volumes of numerical data. 
• Skill in analyzing/ interpreting complex financial data and proposing viable solutions.
• Skill in effective oral and written communication. 
• Skill in resolving problems or situations requiring the exercise of good judgment. 
• Skill in the application of cost benefit analysis, present value theory, and computer fundamentals.
• Skill in determining needs, gathering, analyzing, and presenting data to provide accurate information for management use.
• Skill in anticipating and accurately predicting the results of alternate courses of action. 
• Skill in compiling division reports.
• Skill in preparing accurate and complex financial statements.

• Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field related to Accounting twenty-four (24) hours in accounting, plus five (5) years of accounting experience which includes one (1) year of lead/supervisory experience.  
• A Master's degree in Accounting or Business Administration may substitute for one (1) year of the accounting experience.  
• A CPA may substitute for the education requirement.