Accountant IV - Payroll Unit

Salary: $5,258.00 - $6,399.00 Monthly Location : Payroll Unit Job Type: Various, 12-month Job Number: 2024-01369P District / Complex Area: Classified / OFS School / Office: Classified / Payroll Unit Opening Date: 05/01/2024 Max Number of Applicants: 35 Description Salary Range: All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. However, placement above the initial step of the salary range will be based on special characteristics and critical needs of the position, an applicant's exceptional qualifications, the availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Such appointments require prior approval. Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations. Accountant IV, SR-22: $5,258.00 - $6,399.00 per month Examples of Duties The Accountant (Operations) IV supervises and participates in the collection, compilation, classification and evaluation of fiscal data; takes trial balances, makes adjusting and closing entries, verifies and analyzes financial data and prepares financial statements and reports; supervises lower-level personnel concerned with fiscal control; recommends changes of forms, procedures and policies governing the accounting functions and implements changes as directed; makes adjustment journal vouchers, verifying for correct application of accounting principles and for mathematical accuracy; prepares reports necessary for the determination and reporting of federal expenditures and fund balances on federal grant-in-aid programs; confers with representatives of the Budget and Comptroller's offices on financial matters; assists management officials by interpreting accounting data, trends, statements, etc., and explaining the program implications of accounting data. The Accountant (Systems) IV studies the accounts, or reports, or procedural instructions within the area of assignment; holds discussions with operating employees, supervisors and program officials to learn the details of work processes and procedures that need to be reflected in the accounting system; and devises the system, or segment, prepares the necessary forms, manuals, procedures, etc. The Accountant (Fund Control) IV initiates fiscal transactional data to be recorded in the general ledger accounts and in the subsidiary ledgers for unalloted appropriations, unencumbered allotments, revenue receipts, etc.; reviews and audits transactional data submitted by the various governmental departments and agencies for propriety and for correctness and accuracy as outlined in the Statewide Uniform Chart of Accounts; assists in preparing quarterly financial reports on the status of all appropriations, allotments, and encumbrances for all departments and for all funds of the State. Minimum Qualifications Basic Education Requirement : Bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college or university with at least 12 semester credit hours in accounting and/or auditing subjects. Experience Requirements : Except for the substitutions provided for in this specification, applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the statements below and in the amounts shown in the following table: Class TitleAccounting Experience (years)Supervisory or Spclzd Exp (years)Total Exp (years) Accountant IV2-1/202-1/2 Accounting Experience:Progressively responsible professional accounting or auditing experience which may have included teaching accounting at the university level. Non-Qualifying Experience : Experience in such positions as the following will not be accepted as qualifying professional experience: 1) bookkeeper or minor accounting or clerical positions; 2) accounting or bookkeeping machine operators; 3) such positions as those of office managers or owners of business who supervise accountants, auditors or bookkeepers, but do not participate in the accounting or auditing work with responsibility for its technical adequacy; and 4) positions concerned with taxation matters not requiring the application of generally accepted accounting and auditing principles. Substitutions Allowed : Substitution of Experience for Education: The following types of experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis: 1. Professional, analytical or administrative experience which did not require the knowledge and application of accounting and/or auditing principles and practices, may be substituted for the Education requirement on a year-for-year basis providing the applicant can show that he/she has successfully completed at least 12 semester credit hours at the baccalaureate level in accounting and/or auditing subjects from an accredited college or university. 2. Professional accounting or auditing experience. 3. Responsible experience which involved maintaining general journals and general ledger accounts and related books and accounts, and preparing balance sheets and profit and loss statements and related accounting and financial reports. Experience of this nature may be gained by performing duties as a principal bookkeeper or other responsible work requiring the preparation and/or analysis of financial statements and accounting reports. 4. Any combination of the above. Substitution of Education and Experience: 1. Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 24 semester credit hours in accounting subjects may be substituted for 1/2 year of accounting experience. 2. Possession of a master's degree in accounting or a master's degree with equivalent accounting course work from an accredited college or university may be substituted for 1-1/2 years of accounting experience. 3. Applicants who possess a valid Hawaii Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certificate or equivalent, will be deemed to have met the Basic Education and accounting experience requirements for at least the class Accountant III. A review of all of the applicant's education and experience is required in order to determine whether an applicant qualifies for higher levels. Quality of Experience : Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that he/she has the ability to perform the duties of the position for which he/she is being considered. Driver's License Requirement : Some positions require a current, valid driver's license. Supplemental Information Salary: The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable. Requirements: Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks. Part-time experience is pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years. Temporary Assignment: Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below: A copy of the applicant's TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report; A signed letter from the applicant's supervisor that includes the applicant's name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked; or, Copies of the applicant's signed SF-10 Forms. Documents: Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application. Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023. All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education. Information about Temporary Positions: Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs. Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities. A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months. Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force. Equal Opportunity The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, and National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes. 12-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits: Holidays: You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year. Vacation: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Sick Leave: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Accumulated (unused) credits may be used toward computing retirement benefits. Health Insurance: If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan. Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees. Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld. Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis. Retirement Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits. Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA): If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employee-selected investment service provider authorized to provide TSA products. Deferred Compensation: The State offers employees a tax deferred (sheltered) retirement investment program. This program is an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several investment options are available. Temporary Disability Insurance: Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program. Social Security: As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account. Workers' Compensation: If an employee is injured while on the job, benefits covering medical expenses and partial wage support may be available through workers' compensation. Union & Collective Bargaining: Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining. The above is intended as a general summary of the benefits offered and is subject to change. This does not constitute a contract or binding agreement. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and collective bargaining agreements. 01 EDUCATION: Which of the following best describes your level of education? Claims of possession of a Bachelor Degree and/or accounting/auditing credits MUST be verified via official or copy of official transcripts. Bachelor Degree with less than twelve (12) semester credit hours in accounting/auditing subjects Bachelor Degree with between twelve (12) and twenty-three (23) semester credit hours in accounting/auditing subjects Bachelor Degree with twenty-four (24) or more semester credit hours in accounting/auditing subjects No Bachelor Degree but possession of less than twelve (12) semester credit hours in accounting/auditing subjects No Bachelor Degree but possession of twelve (12) or more semester credit hours in accounting/auditing subjects None of the above 02 EDUCATION: Which of the following best describes your level of education? Claims of possession of a Master's Degree MUST be verified via official or copy of official transcripts. Masters Degree in Accounting Masters Degree with equivalent accounting course work (program and course descriptions must be provided) None of the above 03 SUBSTITUTION: Do you possess a valid Hawaii State Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certificate? Yes, and I will submit verification within 7 days of applying No, I possess a CPA Certificate from another state/country No, I do not possess a Hawaii State CPA Certificate 04 SUBSTITUTION: If you DO NOT possess a (A) Bachelor Degree with at least twelve (12) semester credit hours in accounting and/or auditing subjects; AND/OR (B) valid Hawaii State CPA Certificate; do you meet at least ONE (1) of the Allowed Substitutions of Experience for Education? Yes, I meet at least ONE (1) of the Allowed Substitutions of Experience for Education. I will elaborate on how I meet this substitution in the following question No, I do not meet any of the Allowed Substitutions of Experience for Education I do not need to substitute my experience to meet the Education Requirement. I meet (A) and/or (B) noted above 05 SUBSTITUTION: If you responded "YES" to the above question, use the space provided to describe how your experience(s) meets at least ONE (1) of the Allowed Substitutions of Experience for Education. Separate your responses by each job title you held. Any work experiences that you list and describe below must also be in the Work Experience section of your application. Failure to provide all information may result in your application being deemed incomplete. If you did not respond "YES" to the above question, write "N/A" in the space provided. 06 EXPERIENCE: List each professional level experience that you feel meets the Accountant Experience requirement. Include: (A) your job title and the name of your employer; (B) a description of your employer or organization (e.g., government agency, private company/firm, self employment, etc.); (C) the activities/services the organization provided and to whom (describe usual clientele); (D) the major departments/sections of the organization, the department you worked in, and its general function; and (E) the number of professional staff it regularly employed (give number and job titles). Separate your responses by each job title you held. Any work experiences that you list and describe below must also be in the Work Experience section of your application. Failure to provide all information may result in your application being deemed incomplete. 07 EXPERIENCE (cont.): Describe the primary functions of each of your positions listed above, separately. Include: (A) your major duties and responsibilities, listing descriptions of the specific tasks you performed; (B) the level of responsibility and authority you held; (C) a description of how your accounting responsibilities and authority differed from those of your supervisor.Avoid the use of vague terms, e.g., "audited," "accounting," "responsible for," "handled," etc. 08 EXPERIENCE (cont.): Describe in detail your experience, if any, in each of the following areas for the positions you listed above, separately. (A) Preparation of financial statements and financial report writing. (B) Analysis of fiscal data. (C) Revenue and cost studies. (D) Analysis and interpretation of accounting information as an aid to making business decisions. (E) Design and/or implementation of accounting systems. (F) Auditing. Do not paste or give reference to your resume as a response to this question. 09 DRIVER'S LICENSE: Some positions require a current, valid Driver's License. Please indicate whether you are interested in being considered for positions with this requirement. Note: If you would like to be considered for these positions, you must provide a clear copy of your valid Driver's License. Yes No 10 TRANSCRIPTS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER VERIFYING DOCUMENTS: Official or copies of official transcripts, certifications (front and back), and other verifying documents must be received in our office within ten (10) calendar days from the date of your application. If these documents are NOT received by the deadline, your application may be rejected. I understand, and will submit the required documents to CSSP Recruitment within ten (10) calendar days. I understand, but I will not submit the required information. I understand that my application may be rejected. I have previously submitted my verifying documents for another recruitment. Required Question