Accounting Assistant

Job Summary At the City of Frederick, we value diversity and the respect, engagement and productivity in an inclusive environment produces. We seek to consistently improve internal and external customer satisfaction, innovate and expand capability of services, and be a government that practices equality, equity, and fairness. We invite you to bring your skills, abilities, and knowledge to The City of Frederick and be a valued addition to a workforce that we know is our greatest asset. Frederick is a progressive, richly diverse, and authentically charming city. Recognized as one of the best places to live in Maryland, Frederick is surrounded by mountain views and centrally located about 45 miles north of Washington D.C. and 45 miles west of Baltimore, MD. JOB SUMMARY: This position performs a variety of accounting tasks to assist the Director of Housing and Human Services and Assistant Directors. Payroll duties may include but are not limited to: review and entry of employee timesheets for payroll, interacting with employees regarding payroll matters, and assist with maintaining control file for payroll and budget purposes. Prepare and submit fiscal reports. Assist with providing auditors, department and state and federal agencies with necessary payroll data. Receive and process inventory and ordering of custodial, office, and other supplies; review and submission of City purchase orders; submission of invoices to the Purchasing Department; and other duties as assigned or required. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Prepare and submit fiscal reports. Review of employee timesheets for payroll and process payroll entry. Review, code, and process accounting documents such as vendor invoices, statements, and customer payments. Review, code, and process departmental billings. Review and reconcile fiscal accounts. Assist with month-end and year-end closing processes. Assist with audit preparation as needed. Assist with capital asset records as needed. Perform bookkeeping functions. Create and prepare reports for departments, state and federal agencies, or others as needed. Maintain all aspects of the inventory and ordering of custodial, office, and other supplies. Maintain and process all aspects of purchasing including review and submission of City purchase orders and invoices. Facilitate monthly purchasing meeting with other supervisors. Manage direct mailing efforts including the mailing of receipts/appreciation letters related to donations, solicitations for donations, and materials to recruit volunteers. Drives City provided vehicle to attend meetings off-site and transport deposits to the bank. Assist the Director and Assistant Directors with other duties as assigned. SECONDARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Represent the Department of Housing and Human Services, specifically the Frederick Community Action Agency (FCAA) at City, intra-agency, and community meetings as needed or assigned. Assist with all aspects of the agency-wide telephone and computer systems including the submission and oversight of repair orders. Develop and maintain relationships with other providers of service. Maintain all paper and electronic records as needed, perform data entry tasks as assigned, perform program reporting as needed or assigned. Respond to environment accidents as required and follow-up on all Accident/Incident Reports submitted by program staff. Assist in the general maintenance and cleaning of the agency. Assist with other administrative, clerical, and maintenance duties as required or assigned. Required Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: Associates degree or equivalent with emphasis in Accounting and/or Business; Minimum of one (1) year experience in payroll and/or accounting functions. REQUIRED CERTIFICATES AND/OR LICENSES: Valid Maryland Driver's License or equivalent from other state with satisfactory driving record that meets insurability standards of the City's insurance carrier. The license and satisfactory driving record must be maintained during the course of employment. REQUIRED SKILLS: Working knowledge of bookkeeping practices. Strong organizational and time management skills. Preference may be given for additional accounting experience or related education or work experience using computerized accounting systems and extensive customer service. Ability to read and interpret documents using the English language. Ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information. Ability to interpret, enforce, and appropriately apply policies and procedures. Knowledge of Microsoft Office with emphasis in Excel. Ability to learn, create, and modify queries and reports. Strong interpersonal communication skills and an ability to process services to persons who are low-income, and/or homeless. Good written and oral communication skills. Other Desirables OTHER DESIRABLES: Multi/bi-lingual (Spanish and/or American Sign Language preferred). Experience with QuickBooks. Bachelor's degree in relevant field or discipline. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to remain in a stationary position and/or to move about for long periods of time, and position self to reach items above or below their reach. The employee must frequently ascend and descend levels and/or ladders. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 20 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to observe and inspect items directly in front or to either side of self, to assess items at a distance, to distinguish colors, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee is subject to the use of Universal Precautions as required by the Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan, and to annual Tuberculosis (TB) Testing as required by the Tuberculosis Prevention Plan WORK ENVIRONMENT/CONDITION: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is exposed periodically to outside weather conditions, but most work is performed in a typical office setting. The employee regularly encounters clients who are intoxicated, under the influence of unknown substances, may be affected by communicable diseases, and/or appear affected by serious mental health problems . Open-toed shoes and sandals are prohibited in the work setting; steel-toed work boots and other personal protective equipment may be required.