4055 Senior Accountant

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Varies

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Chief Financial Officer

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Senior Accountant performs professional accounting and administrative work involved in the daily organization, operation, and supervision of the University's and the Missouri State University’s Foundation's accounting systems, and exercises independent judgment and discretion in planning and carrying out the details of work procedures and methods. The Senior Accountant also assists the Director of Accounting and Controller in designing computer support systems and in establishing policies and procedures for the overall daily accounting functions for the office. The Senior Accountant receives an occasional spot check, but work is primarily reviewed through normal accounting systems and audits.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Accounting or a related field is required.

Experience: At least three years experience in accounting is required. Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is preferred.

Skills: High aptitude in accountancy and a good understanding of computers and their functions in accounting.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensures that the University's and/or the Missouri State University’s Foundation's departmental budgets are not overspent by reviewing and approving all University and Foundation expenditures.

2. Maintains control over budget accounts by assigning the correct budget numbers and expense codes.

3. Prepares monthly summaries and reports for internal use by compiling information and reconciling various ledger accounts.

4. Verifies and approves refunds from the accounts receivable system by reviewing the accounts for accuracy.

5. Prepares journal entries for the general ledger and various subsidiary ledgers by compiling, researching, and analyzing data regarding updates needed.

6. Ensures the timeliness of the general ledger and subsidiary ledgers by monitoring the work of the clerical staff and students.

7. Performs monthly reconciliations by reviewing the work of the accounting clerks and others to ensure their work is accurate and complete.

8. Prepares audit workpapers for the fiscal year audit by researching and analyzing the year-to-date accounting information.

9. Assists the Director of Accounting or Controller in developing a competent and efficient accounting staff by training the staff in new policies and procedures and supervising their daily activities.

10. Contributes to the overall success of the Office of Financial Services by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Senior Accountant is supervised by the Director of Accounting or the Controller and in turn supervises accounting clerks, temporary employees and students.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES REVISED DECEMBER 2005

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 4 - 2300 Points: Knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, methods and techniques of an administrative, managerial, or professional field such as accounting or auditing, financial management, business administration, human resources, engineering, social sciences, communications, education, law, or medicine. Knowledge permits the employee to complete assignments by applying established methods to recurring types of projects/problems susceptible to well-documented precedents or to schedule, plan, and carry out precedented projects. Alternatively, knowledge at this level might also permit the employee to carry out precedented projects requiring considerable experience in specific areas within higher education. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in a specific technical or professional specialty along with significant related work experience. Alternatively, equivalent knowledge requirements at this level include a non-technical or general Bachelor's degree requirement with substantial work experience or a non-specific Master's degree requirement with substantial work experience. Knowledge requirements generally also include a significant amount of related work experience and may include administrative or supervisory experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 1 - 50 Points: Typically, little, if any, supervision of others is required. The job may require irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers and/or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. The amount of time spent on directing the work of others is normally a small portion of total work time.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 2 - 100 Points: Interactions are generally routine and structured involving employees inside the University, students, or the general public. The purpose may include obtaining or clarifying facts, coordinating work, solving recurring problems, or providing factual information to others. Contacts may be with coworkers or structured exchanges with students, faculty, or the general public, and are generally for the purpose of exchanging information.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 3 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.