Reporting to and receiving supervision from the Director of Corporate Services and working along side the Finance Officer, the Finance Technician will be the Administrative Support to all County staff on the use of the Serenic (financial) software. This position will be able to provide backup to a number of duties including payroll, utilities, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cash receipts.
The Finance Technician will provide support to the Finance Officer in the development to the annual budget and will provide monthly reports to department heads. Additionally, the Finance Technician will play a key role in the year end processes ensuring that the audit binders are complete and journal entries are appropriately filed with all supporting documentation.
The Finance Technician will uphold all County policy and procedures, including those that impact the occupational health & safety and respectful workplace for all, while performing various finance-related tasks and project coordination. Further, this position is responsible for the administration of the County’s Records Retention Program which includes, but is not limited to, the Name and Address system within the Serenic Software, the physical files stored on County property as well as the digitization of paper files to electronic means.
The duties, responsibilities and scope of this position may, from time to time, be amended, altered, or changed by the County of St. Paul No. 19 (the County) acting reasonably to meet the business, community and/or regulatory needs of the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
Finance Officer Support – 55%
· Assist with the preparation and reconciliation of monthly bank statements, general ledger, balance sheet accounts for review by the Finance Officer.
· Prepare and enter journal entries into the Serenic system and file appropriately with all required supporting documentation.
· Produce various weekly, monthly, and annual reports on behalf of the Finance Department as determined by the Finance Officer.
· Assist the Finance Officer with financial transactions, budget preparation, interim/final audit preparation, and financial statements.
· Support departments who use Project Costing to ensure it is working as it should. Provide Project Costing reports to the Directors and appropriate Supervisors monthly.
· Maintain Chart of Accounts ensuring that any new accounts roll up into the reporting and budgeting modules.
· Maintain general ledger descriptions and short codes for Revenue and Expense Accounts.
· Participate in Asset Management as required by the Asset Management Committee to provide information for the Asset Management Program.
· Support and educate all staff to have a better understanding how their role relates to the Finance Department and the outcomes for budget and year end processes, as directed by the Finance Officer.
· Setup and Maintain the Audit Binders and supporting documentation.
· Reconciliation of Balance Sheet Accounts as determined by the Finance Officer.
Finance - Utilities – 5% (months of May to August)
· Generate and send Utility Bills monthly.
· Prepare Journal Entries, Work Orders, Seasonal residential requirements.
· Track troubled meters for Utility Supervisor to monitor.
· Administer the monthly Utility AutoPay program.
· Monitor the unpaid Utilities and transfer to Tax Roll when appropriate; draft and send documentation and update spreadsheets.
· Draft and send communication letters to residents regarding rates, etc.
· Administer the Lagoon Hauler program – including executing annual agreements, creating requests for AR Annual Invoices, collecting & reviewing hauling manifests for billing.
Backup For Corporate Services Staff – 20%
· Complete monthly Payroll for Librarians and Transfer Station Attendants (in order to keep payroll skills current)
· Provide back up for Payroll Technician
· Provide back up for Utilities – (September to April)
· Provide back up for Accounts Payable
· Provide backup for Accounts Receivable
· Provide backup support as required for Taxation and Assessment Technician
Software - 10%
· As the Administrator for the Serenic Software program used across our organization, ensure that all users are set up with the correct credentials to perform their job/tasks, as well as confidential integrity of each module used.
· Consult with Serenic Software officials and staff regarding our customer satisfaction, current challenges, and future enhancements to prepare for.
· Communicate with staff and IT to solve issues with their use of the software, as it relates to their daily tasks.
· Along with the Taxation and Assessment Technician maintain the Name and Address system for the Serenic Program
Records Retention – 5%
· Collect and document lists of new records created by staff to update database.
· Review lists and pull records eligible for destruction in adherence with the Municipal Affairs Records Retention Guidelines.
· Coordinate with Waste Management supervisor regarding a date to be destroyed via incineration.
· Provide general support to all Administration Office staff regarding the review, editing of documents (letters, policies, and bylaws) and discussion of scenarios.
· Laserfiche: Maintain and move along the digitization of all paper files for the County.
· Provide Summer Students with training and direction on the process of digitization.
· Monitor and report on the progress of the project by providing the Director of Corporate Services updates as required.
· Digitize current miscellaneous paper files for the tax and public works departments.
Other Administrative Support – 5%
· Provide support to the front-end, when necessary, to reduce disruptions serving ratepayers, staff, and Council.
· Complete other administrative duties as required by various staff in the Administration Office.
Reporting Relationships:
This position cross-trains the following:
· Payroll Technician
· Finance Officer
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
The following are required in this position:
· Experience and knowledge of municipal government accounting and or prior experience in a municipal government setting.
· Post secondary education in Accounting/Finance.
· Excellent writing and editing skills and high proficiency in relevant computer applications such as MS Office products (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), and financial software.
· Customer Service experience and/or training including the ability to deal effectively and diplomatically in all circumstances. This includes skills pertaining to Conflict Resolution and dealing with different personality types.
· Ability to manage confidential information in an ethical and professional manner.
· Time management skills – punctuality, project management, the ability to prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
· Ability to be accountable for own actions, collaborate well with a team and independently, keep an open-mind, be honest, fair, and to interact with all levels of staff courteously and effectively, ensuring that a positive outlook is employed in day-to-day work.
· Strong initiative and leadership qualities are required.
· Willingness to participate in training and work-related workshops as required.
Working Environment, Physical Conditions and Capabilities:
· This position works primarily indoors in a busy office setting.
· Limited physical requirements of standing, walking, bending, and sitting. Sitting for longer periods of time may be required, given the administrative nature of the role.
· Use of hands, finger dexterity for typing/writing, is required.
Compensation
The County of St. Paul offers an excellent benefit and pension package, a competitive salary, and will negotiate within the position’s salary range based on experience and qualifications.
Competition Deadline and Resumes
If you are interested in this opportunity, please forward your cover letter, resume, and references by Friday June 2, 2023, 4:30 p.m. to jobs@county.stpaul.ab.ca