Finance Specialist II

Finance Specialist II

Under general supervision, performs routine to complex professional accounting duties in support of San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) in the analysis, preparation, and maintenance of financial records and reports for assigned accounts and funds; and performs related duties as assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Prepares, reviews, analyzes, balances, and/or reconciles assigned general ledger accounts and other accounting transactions, requiring the interpretation and application of professional accounting theories, principles, and practices; identifies and resolves problems; prepares bank reconciliations for accuracy; prepares financial statements and disclosures.
2. Maintains revenue accounting records, expenditures, and special funds; prepares analyses, spreadsheets, schedules, journal vouchers, and reconciliations to produce accurate financial reports and footnotes; monitors and prepares periodic reports on special funds; reviews accounting transactions prepared by other staff members; update and reviews cash position on a regular basis and maintains cash flow projections.
3. Participates in RTD's month-end and year-end closing and audit processes; prepares month-end reports during closing process, performs complex calculations, and prepares assigned month-end and year-end journal entries; drafts, reviews, and analyzes audit work papers; performs financial and other analyses requested by auditors.
4. Evaluates, updates, distributes, prepares, and/or develops specialized accounting records, reports, and spreadsheets; reviews accounts payable and other disbursements for accuracy and appropriate authorization for payment; prepares tax remittances; compiles, calculates, and analyzes highly technical data and information from a variety of sources; identifies discrepancies, resolves issues, and/or notifies appropriate sources and ensures that issues are resolved; distributes reports to internal and external sources in a timely manner.
5. Generates reports and assists in preparation of monthly financial statements and footnotes for RTD management; conducts expenditure analyses; prepares journal entries; researches variances and discrepancies.
6. Participates in the planning, development, implementation, and monitoring of department and agency-wide operating and capital budgets; with direction, develops, reviews, summarizes, and analyzes financial plan projections and documents; utilizes budget and accounting system software to perform in-depth revenue, expenditure, budgetary, and other analyses; monitors, tracks, and analyzes actual performance against budget; identifies potential issues and formulates recommendations to management; drafts and/or analyzes budget proposals, requests, and other related documents, including budget amendments.
7. Researches and answers financial and budget inquiries submitted by managers and staff; interprets and explains applicable laws, regulations, codes, and policies; develops materials for and provides instruction in formal training sessions, including those related to the budget cycle.
8. Develops, analyzes, maintains, and distributes various periodic and ad-hoc financial, statistical, analytical, and management reports and statements; compiles, calculates, and analyzes complex data and information from a variety of sources; as necessary, performs extensive research, including analyzing and applying new regulatory requirements, performs in-depth analysis of financial conditions, variances, and trends.
9. Performs a variety of responsibilities that require application of professional accounting principles, standards, and practices; analyzes complex accounting transactions and determines appropriate treatment (e.g. capital versus expense); processes, analyzes, and distributes overhead or other assigned rates; maintains, allocates, balances, analyzes, and reconciles assigned specialized accounts; updates and maintains appropriate records, reports, and spreadsheets.
10. Assists in ensuring that RTD's accounting, financial, budgeting, and other business processes are efficient, effective, and maintain adequate internal controls and that financial information and records are accurate and complete; assesses business and budget policies, processes, and procedures; performs research and identifies opportunities for improvement; formulates, recommends, and assists in implementation of appropriate changes; documents business processes; works with the Information Technology department to identify and resolve budget, accounting, and financial software issues and to develop system modifications; assists in maintaining integrity of internal budget and accounting systems.
11. Develops and utilizes spreadsheets, databases, and other computer applications required to carry out assigned studies, projects, and reports.
12. Works directly with staff from other departments to resolve technical accounting and reporting issues and problems.
13. Performs other incidental and related duties as required and assigned.

Qualifications:

Knowledge of:

1. Principles, practices, and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting, including financial statement preparation and methods of financial reporting.
2. Principles, practices, methods, and techniques of financial analysis and forecasting.
3. Internal control and audit principles and practices.
4. Accounting standards and requirements applicable to RTD operations and funding sources.
5. Laws and regulations relating to the financial administration of public agencies.
6. Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly related to the processing of accounting and financial information and interpretation of input and output data.
7. The operations and requirements of RTD's automated general ledger system.
8. Operations and uses of standard spreadsheet and other financial and business software.
9. Principles and practices of sound business communication.
10. Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
11. English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
12. Policies and procedures of the assigned department.
13. RTD human resources policies and procedures and labor contract provisions.

Ability to:

1. Operate a computer and utilize advanced functions of spreadsheet and other standard financial and business software.
2. Analyze financial, budgetary, operational, and organizational problems, evaluate alternatives and reach sound, logical, fact-based conclusions and recommendations.
3. Analyze, balance, and reconcile financial data, information, and accounts.
4. Evaluate accounting and financial reporting issues and make sound recommendations for their resolution.
5. Analyze and make sound recommendations on complex financial data and operations.
6. Understand, interpret, explain, and apply RTD, local, state, and federal policies, laws, and regulations governing financial accounting, reporting, and record keeping.
7. Perform mathematical calculations.
8. Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive financial schedules, reports, and statements.
9. Analyze complex confidential problems, evaluate alternatives, and make sound, appropriate recommendations.
10. Organize and maintain office and specialized confidential files and records.
11. Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.
12. Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
13. Instruct others in work procedures and practices.
14. Prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive correspondence, reports, studies, and other written materials.
15. Exercise sound, expert independent judgment within general policy guidelines.
16. Exercise tact, discretion, and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive, complex, and confidential personnel issues and employee situations.
17. Establish and maintain effective customer-focused working relationships with all levels of RTD management, employees, employee organizations and their representatives, other governmental officials, community groups, and the public.

Education, Training and Experience:

A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined above is:

Finance Specialist II: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting or a closely related field; and three to five years of progressively responsible professional accounting experience involving the use of personal computers, spreadsheets, and other standard financial and business software, at least two of which were at the level of Accountant; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. One (1) additional year of the required experience may be substituted for each year (30 semester hours) of the required education.

Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:

A valid California Class C driver's license. Experience in a public transit agency or governmental setting is preferred.

Work Environment:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, an employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear, in person and by telephone, use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and lift up to ten pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this class include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret complex data, information, and documents; analyze and solve complex problems; observe and interpret people and situations; use math and mathematical reasoning; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks with constant interruptions; work under intensive deadlines and interact with all levels of