Job Information:

General Responsibilities:

Responsible for leading and directing all the organization’s accounting functions. These functions include establishing and maintaining the organization’s accounting principles, procedures, and initiatives. Prepares financial reports and presents findings and recommendations and strategies in achieving the financial goals to executive management and Board of Directors. Responsible for directing the organization’s budget and all general accounting functions. Responsible for all financial reporting. Responsible for customer payment processing and payroll.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Supervise staff, including review of their work and administrative tasks—such as approving time worked, compliance with company policies and procedures, employee evaluations, coaching, training, and staff development.
2. Establish and subsequently maintain a strong system of internal accounting controls, minimize errors and possible fraud, and ensure the accuracy of all financial data.
3. Leads the annual budget hearing with all department managers by providing the requirements in keeping with achieving the financial goals of the Board.
4. Direct such accounting functions as accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, inventory, fixed assets, payroll, cashier and remittance processing and other financial reporting; review and approve requisitions.
5. Provide accounting support for cost-of-service studies (determination of water rates) and other miscellaneous rate determination studies.
6. Assist in preparing revenue, debt service, and cash flow projections to anticipate the need for rate increases and bond issues to fund budgeted capital projects.
7. Enforce the Board’s policies and procedures concerning employees and monitor their performance. Responsible for reviewing and approving time worked, scheduling workload, preparing evaluations, approving promotions, and recommending personnel actions, including discipline as necessary.
8. Coordinate and plan annual audits with independent certified accounting firms. This includes a full review of actuarial reports for the audits for the pension, OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits), workers’ compensation, financial statements, and preparation of the MD&A and notes to the financial statements.
9. Plan, organize, and direct the annual physical count of the Board’s construction and maintenance supplies inventory
10. Direct the preparation of the Board’s annual operating budget. -  
11. Review monthly reports prepared by the Budget Officer to explain budget variances to executive management.
12. Assist in preparing cost-benefit analysis on systems under consideration for acquisition by the Board.
13. Ensure the Board complies with current industry and generally accepted accounting reporting requirements.
14. Provides oversight and recommendations in developing and designing new computer systems where accounting is involved.
15. Perform as the SAP SME regarding accounting functionality oversight and work with all departments on recommendations regarding workflow pertaining to their areas of performance in the system.
16. Review all pension benefit calculations, which are ultimately submitted to the Board of Directors for approval; requires a working knowledge of the Board’s Retirement Plan.
17. Prepare and analyze the cost-effectiveness of various proposed benefit changes to the Board’s retirement plan. Pension plan is a coordinated effort with HR.
18. Schedule and assign work for departmental employees; coordinate the department’s work with other departments.
19. Serve lead role in Rate analysis for the consecutive systems and implementation of that rate.
20. Manages the 50-state unclaimed property process by tracking and reporting for annual filing.

Essential Job Functions Con't:

1. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Ensure all organizational policies and guidelines are adhered to and administered correctly, including the HR Management Guide, Employee Handbook, reviewing and approving timesheets, and expense reports, complying with applicable employment laws, purchasing guidelines, bid law, etc.
2. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
3. Champion, model, and administer a performance-oriented culture by demonstrating strong leadership and people development skills. Seek to develop and monitor key performance measurements and develop/support a work environment that develops, recognizes, holds accountable, and rewards talent to support employee engagement and meet current and future workforce needs.
4. Responsible for demonstrating the organization’s core values and using performance management principles to continuously improve the department and organization’s effectiveness, efficiency, products, and services. This includes, but is not limited to, participating in improvement teams, recommending and implementing improvement ideas, and participating in training and other activities to keep up to date on processes, information, etc.
5. Champion and ensure the administration of safe work practices and operations.
6. Maintain and protect sensitive and private information by keeping employee records confidential in accordance with HIPAA, local, state and federal laws and regulations.
7. Perform all work safely in accordance with established safety policies and procedures. Comply with all safety and health standards and guidelines issued by management.
8. Perform other duties as assigned.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting required.

Certifications:

Experience:

Ten (10) years of accounting experience in private industry or public accounting. Must have knowledge and experience in finance and budget operations. Must have strong interpersonal and oral/written communication skills; must be able to use Microsoft Excel to analyze data. Must be detail-oriented and must have good organizational skills and analytical skills. Experience and success in implementing or administering an ERP system to integrate and transform legacy business processes and procedures into a comprehensive array of current state business processes and procedures that provide the internal control framework to record, compile and report on the results of operations in all areas of the organization to enable and facilitate management decision making. Utility experience is preferred.

Five (5) years of supervisory experience required with strong leadershipskills. 

**For internal candidates, the successful completion of the following BWW leadership development programs may be counted towards the required supervisory experience:

• Pre-Supervisory Program (STAR) = one year of supervisory experience
• Succession Planning Program = one year of supervisory experience

Supervision:

• Directly: 2-4
• Indirectly: 24-28

Physical Demands:

• Ability to stand, walk or sit for extended periods of time
• Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction
• Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard
• Communication skills using the spoken word
• Ability to see within normal parameters
• Ability to hear within normal range
• Ability to move about

Working Environment:

• Moderate Noise (Business Office).
• Occasionally visit job sites, in plants or outdoors, exposed to extreme hot/cold and or wet weather conditions.