The fourth level of the Accounting Series is responsible for providing specialized and analytical support to department financial activities, policies, and procedures. Responsibilities may include maintaining the city's capital asset program; assisting with developing capital budgets; monitoring capital budgets; and preparing and recording journal entries. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Maintains integrity of assigned plans, by establishing, maintaining, updating, and/or evaluating depreciation schedules, programs, and related items; ensures compliance with Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, codes, and/or standards. 2. Assists in budget preparation by estimating and monitoring fund balances, researching funding sources, reviewing requests, preparing project budgets, and preparing and reviewing reports. 3. Maintains assigned funds, including: monitoring claims and balances; assisting in establishing funds and fees for internal services; preparing related journal entries; and maintaining schedules. 4. Advises directors, managers, accountants, and other individuals/agencies on financial matters, and coordinates with internal departments and external agencies to communicate information, seek approval, gather information, or make recommendations. 5. Prepares, processes, and verifies a variety of accounting and/or financial transactions, which may include: accounts payable, payroll, accounts receivable, billing, and related transactions. 6. Performs other duties of a similar nature or level. Examples of specific job duties may include, but are not limited, to: Participate in the preparation of the City s annual operating budget; develop procedures, worksheets, and forms; assist in the creation of the annual budget book. Participate in the preparation of the City s long-range capital improvement plan (CIP); perform analyses of capital funding sources; incorporate activities into operating budget requests. Review and analyze budget submittals and develop recommendations; provide technical assistance and training to departments; prepare financial models and projections. Forecast and monitor department expenses and revenues; evaluate budgetary performance; provide guidance and insight to city leadership in matters pertaining to the budget. Provide technical direction on invoice coding, journal entries and other transactions to external departments and other finance department staff. Assist with the annual audit and prepare various workpapers and schedules to ensure accuracy and meet reporting timelines. Liaise with cross-functional departments, city administration, elected officials, and appointed officials in matters pertaining to the budget. Serve as technical expert and administrator of the City s budgeting and capital improvement software. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Strong ability to work independently; highly proficient in time-management; manage competing deadlines and priorities. Demonstrate innovative thinking and complex problem solving; improve organization-wide processes. Adaptable and resilient in ambiguous environments; ability and interest in shaping programs, initiatives, and assigned duties. Coordinate complex organization-wide program, projects, and initiatives. Run collaborative and focused meetings/facilitations. Provide clear work direction in a matrix-style project/process environment. Skill in tactful and tailored verbal communication and plain-language business writing. Strong ability to prepare budgets as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis and reports. Knowledge of accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and financial control principles and practices. Must be able to attend relevant workshops, council/commission meetings, and board meetings as applicable. Knowledge of, and ability to interpret and apply, applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. Coordinating financial processes. Operating computers and applicable software applications. Researching discrepa cies. Analyzing, reconciling, and reporting accounting transactions. Applying communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.