Senior Staff Accountant

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• Perform complex reconciliations of financial accounts, expenditures, revenues, encumbrances, and related accounting records.
• Investigate discrepancies, determine their underlying causes, and initiate appropriate corrective actions.
• Analyze nonstandard and complex accounting transactions to determine appropriate accounting treatment.
• Prepare and review adjusting journal entries and other financial corrections while maintaining complete supporting documentation and audit trails.
• Ensure accounting transactions are properly classified, supported, recorded, and reconciled.
• Identify recurring accounting errors and recommend sustainable solutions to prevent future occurrences.

• Apply GAAP, GASB standards, governmental fund accounting principles, and applicable state and federal financial requirements.
• Monitor compliance with established accounting policies, fiscal controls, funding restrictions, and reporting requirements.
• Review accounting activities to ensure expenditures and revenues are recorded within the appropriate funding sources, accounts, and fiscal periods.
• Evaluate complex accounting matters involving multiple funding sources and fiscal restrictions.
• Identify potential compliance concerns and recommend corrective measures before they become significant financial or audit findings.

• Utilize the State of Maine's Advantage financial management system to research transactions, analyze financial activity, identify errors, and support accurate financial reporting.
• Evaluate existing accounting workflows, procedures, and controls to identify operational weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and recommend improvements to accounting processes, reconciliation procedures, reporting tools, and internal controls.
• Assist in designing and implementing standardized financial tracking and reporting mechanisms.
• Support improvements in financial data accuracy, consistency, documentation, and accessibility.
• Coordinate with appropriate fiscal and technical personnel to resolve financial system issues.

• Analyze appropriations, allotments, expenditures, encumbrances, and available financial resources.
• Prepare and interpret financial reports to support budget monitoring, financial planning, and management decisions.
• Assist with cash forecasts, expenditure projections, revenue estimates, and funding analyses.
• Identify emerging financial trends, funding constraints, and potential budgetary issues.
• Support the development and reconciliation of financial information necessary for budget orders, financial orders, and other funding actions.
• Communicate financial findings clearly and provide recommendations to management.

• Support the accounting and financial reporting requirements associated with DFE's state and federally funded operations.
• Assist with reconciling state expenditures, federal funding authorizations, reimbursement activity, and related financial records.
• Collaborate with personnel responsible for federal reimbursement requests, including Standard Form 270 (SF-270), to support accurate and timely reimbursement processes.
• Research and resolve financial discrepancies involving state accounting records and supporting federal financial documentation.
• Coordinate with internal and external fiscal partners to ensure financial transactions are supported, accurately recorded, and consistent with applicable funding requirements.

• Develop, evaluate, and maintain effective accounting controls that safeguard public funds and promote financial accountability.
• Ensure financial transactions are properly authorized, documented, and supported.
• Identify accounting practices that may create compliance risks, reporting inaccuracies, or audit findings.
• Maintain organized financial records and supporting documentation to facilitate financial reviews and audits.
• Recommend and implement corrective actions to address identified deficiencies.
• Promote consistent adherence to established accounting procedures and financial accountability standards.

• Provide technical accounting guidance and support to professional and paraprofessional accounting personnel.
• Work collaboratively with accounts payable, procurement, engineering, and other operational staff to resolve accounting issues.
• Communicate complex financial matters in a clear, professional, and understandable manner.
• Independently manage assigned responsibilities, establish priorities, and meet required deadlines.
• Exercise sound professional judgment when evaluating financial transactions and recommending corrective actions.
• Provide guidance, training, and technical assistance to staff as appropriate.
• Support a professional, respectful, collaborative, and accountable work environment.
• Perform supervisory responsibilities if assigned.

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Strong understanding of GAAP, GASB, governmental accounting, and fund accounting principles.
• Ability to analyze complex financial transactions and accounting relationships.
• Knowledge of financial statement preparation, reconciliations, and financial reporting.

• Ability to independently investigate financial discrepancies and identify their underlying causes.
• Strong critical-thinking skills and the ability to develop practical, defensible accounting solutions.
• Ability to evaluate financial data for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.

• Proficiency with computerized accounting systems and financial reporting applications.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including financial analysis, reconciliations, formulas, and data organization.
• Ability to learn and effectively navigate complex governmental financial systems.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to explain financial issues and recommendations to both accounting and non-accounting personnel.
• Ability to work effectively with multiple departments and financial stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex assignments with limited supervision.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and meet deadlines.
• Willingness to take ownership of assigned responsibilities and follow identified issues through resolution.

In addition to meeting the State of Maine's established minimum qualifications, preference may be given to candidates with demonstrated experience in:

• Governmental or public-sector accounting.
• State and federal fund accounting, including restricted funding sources.
• Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and reimbursement processes.
• Complex account reconciliation and financial discrepancy resolution.
• State of Maine Advantage financial management system.
• Budgetary accounting, appropriations, allotments, and encumbrance management.
• Development and implementation of internal accounting controls.
• Financial reporting and advanced Microsoft Excel analysis.
• Process improvement, accounting system evaluation, and financial workflow development.
• Providing technical guidance to accounting staff.

Intermediate to advanced education, training, and/or experience in accounting, business administration, financial planning, budgeting, or another related field demonstrating competency in analyzing complex data and records, interpreting policies, rules, and laws, designing operational frameworks, identifying process and procedure deficiencies, and developing practical solutions.

DFE is seeking a professional who values accuracy, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is proactive in identifying financial issues, comfortable researching complex accounting matters, and capable of independently developing and implementing appropriate solutions.

This individual recognizes that effective governmental accounting extends beyond recording transactions. It requires understanding the relationship between funding authority, expenditures, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and operational needs.

To request a paper application, please contact Stephanie Hayes via email at recruiting.sesc@maine.gov