2A11

PAY RANGE: N23

ACCOUNTING SECTION SUPERVISOR 1

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is supervisory accounting work directing a staff providing financial support and accounting services in a section of the City's Central Finance Office. Employees in this class direct accounting and clerical personnel engaged in performing grants accounting and administration, monitoring and controlling the City's computerized accounting systems, and performing financial editing, posting and analysis of City accounting transactions. Work involves providing technical direction in resolving problems encountered in the provision of financial and accounting services to departments. Contact with departmental administrative and fiscal officials to explain and coordinate procedures is significant to the work. The employee is supervised by a technical supervisor.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

1. Work must be performed in the Central Finance Department's Accounting Division.

2. The position must supervise an accounting and clerical staff performing a City-wide accounting or accounting support function.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

Plans, assigns and reviews the activities of a group of grant accounting personnel engaged in the identification of grant opportunities; evaluates staff recommendations to modify departmental grant accounting operations; reviews financial documents prepared by subordinates; examines the analysis of problems pertaining to accounting procedures, vendor payment and similar matters and recommendations for resolution of problems prepared by subordinates; reviews the provision of federal grant programs to determine whether such grants pertain to city operations; determines the cost effectiveness of grant programs; contacts departmental officials on feasibility and applicability of grants to departmental operations; advises appropriate officials of the essential provisions of such grants; discusses the fiscal impact of grant proposals on the city budget with appropriate superiors.

Verifies proper execution of programs to ensure they were run completely and accurately in their area of accounting responsibility; informs higher level departmental staff of system accounting system issues; supervises staff responsible for these technical functions;; generates ad hoc reports using report generator utilities; maintains files pertinent to the city-wide financial accounting management information system; ensures the proper transference of data in their area of accounting responsibility, from one fiscal year to the next; attends user group meetings. Supervises the batching, entry and verification of a large volume of data concerning city-wide accounting transactions; instructs the operators as to the appropriate system to enter information; reviews work in progress and upon completion for conformance with established policies and procedures; spot-checks reports for accuracy and completeness.

Supervises, through subordinate accounting and clerical supervisors, the financial editing of all City accounting transactions, including the receipt, review and processing of expenditures, encumbrances and contracts; supervises, through subordinate supervisors, the analysis and posting of all accounts payable or receivable transactions for a City‑wide accounting operation; supervises and participates in the preparation of reports and statements on the status of accounts, funds receivables, and revenues; provides technical assistance to subordinates; coordinates and monitors the work of the units engaged in processing accounting transactions; identifies problems in the work flow; establishes new or modifies existing procedures to facilitate the processing and recording of financial transactions.

Works with data processing personnel to computerize municipal revenue and accounts payable systems; supervises the creation and maintenance of files; ensures that staff remains abreast of applicable municipal accounting and administrative laws and regulations; establishes priorities and deadlines as necessary.

Monitors, reviews, and documents the work of accounting and financial support staff; monitors and documents the quality and level of their work; supervises accounting data processing work, diagnoses production problems for the City's centralized accounting bureau in the maintenance of financial accounting information.

Reviews pronouncements of changes in generally accepted accounting principles and accounting literature to ensure that the section is operating efficiently and adhering to generally accepted accounting principles.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the standards, guidelines, and requirements for governmental accounting as set forth in the statements of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board

• the principles, standards and practices of the accounting profession including pronouncements of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Government Finance Officers Association

• principles, practices, and techniques of accounting as they refer to Municipal bonded indebtedness and bond sales

• principles and practices of governmental accounting and grants administration

• principles and practices of office management

• the computerized accounting data base utilized by a large municipality including file structure , data entry methods, data processing hierarchy, and data retrieval capabilities

• computer software for government and general accounting and financial reporting

• principles and practices of Public Administration and their application to a large centralized accounting operation

SKILL IN:

• examining and analyzing financial records

• preparing a variety of computerized accounting statements and reports

ABILITY TO:

• supervise the work of a staff of accounting and clerical personnel

• learn legal regulations and City directives governing the Municipal Accounting System

• utilize computer software for accounting and financial reporting

• establish standards and special account procedures and forms

• prepare and interpret a variety of accounting statements and reports

• analyze and examine financial reports and records

• analyze and interpret organizational and procedural problems and to make cogent recommendations

• establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and departmental officials

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 4/13.)

EDUCATION:

Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting.

AND

Option 1 – Finance Department

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

Three years of post bachelor’s degree accounting or auditing experience.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

Two years of accounting experience in a municipal central accounting agency at the advanced performance or assistant section supervisor level.

OR

Option 2 – City Controller’s Office

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

Three years of post bachelor’s degree accounting or auditing experience.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

Three years of post bachelor’s degree full performance level governmental auditing experience auditing fiscal operations and records of several departments or agencies.

Option 3 - All Other City Departments

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

Four years of post bachelor’s degree accounting or auditing experience.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

Two years of supervisory level accounting experience with responsibility for a major phase of a general or specialized accounting fund or third-party reimbursement activity.

Option 4 - Other Governmental Accounting Experience

EXPERIENCE:

Eight years of post bachelor’s degree accounting or auditing experience for a government agency or for an accounting firm providing accounting or auditing services to a government agency, which has included two years of supervisory responsibility.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Human Resources that has included a bachelor's degree with major course work in accounting as an educational minimum.

City of Philadelphia Classes That Typically Meet the Experience Requirements:

Accounting Section Assistant Supervisor

Financial Accountant

Accounting Transactions Supervisor

Auditor 2

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

Class Established - 9/86

Spec. Revision: CSC - 11/96; Ad. Board - 3/97

Spec. Revision: CSC - 6/12; Ad. Board - 7/12

Latest Spec. Revision: CSC – 3/13 Ad. Board – 4/13