Senior Accountant

Accountant I

Company Overview: The City of Auburn Hills is a distinguished leader in southeast Michigan, known not only for its high-technology parks but also for having world-renowned retail, entertainment, and manufacturing. Home to more than 26,000 residents, it also serves as Michigan's global business address, with international corporations from 32 countries, including many world and North American headquarters. Auburn Hills' residents enjoy the amenities of city and suburban living with parks, a revitalized downtown district, and a welcoming city complex with a library and community center. Additionally, the city has four colleges and universities, and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, one of the state's largest destination shopping centers, providing a variety of cultural, social and educational opportunities to residents, workers, and visitors.

At Auburn Hills, we value attentive service, diversity, excellence, fiscal responsibility, humility, and safety. Our mission is to be stewards for the community through a connected, transparent and efficient government in hopes that we can cultivate the heart of a small town that operates with the excellence of a world class city.

General Purpose: Performs advanced and complex technical and administrative accounting work.

Accounting Duties

• Perform advanced administrative and complex accounting tasks with direction from the Director.
• Maintain a complete set of computerized accounting records for all City funds.
• Post correcting and reoccurring journal entries and reconciles accounts (includes monthly admin/interfund charges, liabilities, fleet allocations, etc.)
• Review and reconcile all appropriate accounts and maintain supporting documentation.
• May assist Property Tax and Cash Manager with Tax administration duties including researching property information, annual tax season processes, and delinquent and settlement activities.
• Initiate and maintain communications, submissions, and reporting to insurance companies on claims, adds/deletes, and annual renewals. Utilize insurance information for related interfund allocations. Assist
• City staff on insurance requirements required from vendors. Understand insurance auto and property claim rules and methods.
• Maintain fixed asset system including develop and/or implement procedures for capitalization, disposals, constructions in progress, and depreciation. Draft year end reports and footnotes for annual audit.
• Assist in maintaining retiree benefit information for Boards, Actuary, and Retirees. This may include preparing and processing retiree final average compensation and straight life benefit for review and submission to actuary. Reviewing estimate and final calculations with employees. Providing for annual data updates for Actuarial studies and required annual reports for both Pension and Retiree Health Care.
• Create financial reports for submission to Pension and Retiree Health boards
• Accounting and reporting for all City grants, coordinating with applicable City departments.
• May prepare monthly and annual financial reports for all City funds as assigned including reconciliations between support schedules/modules and general ledger for all balance sheet accounts.
• Review and evaluate budget to actual on a recurring schedule for assigned funds. Assist departments in assigned areas when applicable, stay informed of City Council purchasing decisions.
• Evaluate, update, and coordinate fund and department budgets as necessary throughout the year.
• Prepare supporting schedules as required for external auditors and assist auditors in the audit process to complete the financial audit, single audit, and any other year end reports as assigned. Support chart of account management and financial module upgrades and changes.
• Manage, monitor, and reconcile Federal awards.
• Manage the annual Metro Act report.
• Provide support for TIFA, Brownfield, and DDA financial matters at the direction of senior staff.
• Manage Fleet related allocations and budget schedules. Evaluate and update Fleet overhead costs and vehicle insurance costs. Manage vehicle inventory, disposals, and additions of vehicles and other equipment.
• Assist with management of AP process including entering invoices and other check requests for payment; match invoices with purchase orders; review all invoices for accuracy; verify account numbers for proper assignment of budget expenditure; resolve disputes within area of authority and responsibility. May process voided checks and preparing monthly outstanding checklist.

Payroll Process Duties

• Maintain or create new employee master files including compilation of earnings, accrual balances (vacation, sick leave, personal time, floating holidays, and comp time), insurance, social security and other withholding and income tax records.
• Review wages, other earnings, and deductions and correct prior period errors to ensure accuracy and completeness of payroll.
• Compile, import, and update payroll data such as hours worked, other earnings (longevity, merit, sick payout etc.), taxes, and various withholdings to be withheld, from time sheets and other records to initiate bi- weekly payroll. Maintenance of leave banks. Adherence to collective bargaining agreements.
• Complete payments for all payroll related benefits to vendors.
• Distribute payroll checks and auto deposits to City departments.
• Complete all bank processes timely to ensure meeting appropriate bank deadlines.
• Communicate payroll schedule changes, payroll related news, and any changes to forms or processes to all departments as needed.
• May train others on biweekly payroll processing.
• File all payroll related reports monthly, quarterly, and annually as required. Reconcile general ledger to various payroll reports, including 941 and MESC reporting.
• Responsible for complete management of the Annual Workers Comp audit. This includes analyzing
• changes and ensuring appropriate classifications to maintain costs.
• Reconcile Due From Employees accounts.
• Manage and process annual W-2's, escheats to state, and timely unemployment reporting (work with HR on initial unemployment claims).
• Manage and prepare annual personal mileage tax reports.
• Create appropriate bank files and transmittals to effect ACH and Positive pay files ensuring all are completed timely.
• Manage and maintain all procurement card users including authorizations, limits, lock outs, reinstatements, and fraudulent charges.

Preferred Qualifications:

(A) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in accounting (preferred) or, finance, or business administration
(B) Two years of progressively more responsible financial accounting work, governmental accounting experience preferred or any equivalent combination of education and experience. An associate degree with adequate experience is also desirable.
(C) Knowledge of accounting theory, principles, and practices (governmental preferred); knowledge of internal control procedures and management information systems; working knowledge of office automation and computerized financial applications; knowledge of public finance and fiscal planning; working knowledge of payroll and accounts payable functions; knowledge of budgetary, accounting and reporting systems, GAAFR, GAAP and GASB.
(D) Ability to prepare and analyze complex financial reports; ability to maintain efficient and effective financial systems and procedures; ability to accurately account for city funds.

Salary: $56,870.00 - $65,400.00 depending on qualifications effective January 1, 2024. Click here to review our summary of benefits.

Full Job Description: To view the full job description, please visitwww.auburnhills.org/jobs.

Questions regarding the position should be referred to the Human Resources Department by email at humanresources@auburnhills.org. In an effort to improve the overall health of our workforce, the City of Auburn Hills adopted a policy against hiring tobacco users. All applicants are subject to a nicotine test in the final step of the hiring process. Those who test positive for nicotine from tobacco use may reapply for employment after six months. The City of Auburn Hills is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).