GENERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE CENTER 

-LIMITED PERIOD POSITION-

Senior Staff Accountant

Opening Date: December 19, 2024

Closing Date:  January 7, 2025

Job Class Code: 0330
Grade: 23
Salary: $49,275.20 - $69,130.20/Annually
Position Number: 004000360

The General Government Service Center (GGSC) is one of five financial service centers within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services established to provide centralized accounting and budgeting services to agencies across state government.  GGSC serves roughly 30 agencies across the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (including Information Technology, Real Estate, Purchases, Lottery, Alcohol and Marijuana), the Governor’s Office, the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Education, various Cultural Agencies and Boards and Commissions—a mix of government entities that adds variety to standard accounting practices.
Job Duties:

GGSC is seeking a Senior Staff Accountant who has accounting knowledge to become immediate contributors to our department. Successful candidates will meet the minimum qualifications referenced below. Additionally, successful candidates will have demonstrated knowledge of accounting, fixed assets, cash management, revenue/expenditure monitoring and other routine accounting services. Successful candidates will be skilled in the use of standard desktop technology and demonstrate the ability to follow directions and to work as part of a team or individually with limited supervision. Ideal candidates will have previous government accounting experience, be reliable, possess interpersonal communication skills, have a can-do attitude with a willingness to learn, expand and grow and can demonstrate an appreciation for providing exemplary customer service.  

Sample of Typical Duties:

• Develops and initiates business and internal accounting controls in order ensure proper functioning and accountability of fiscal operations.
• Designs and enhances agency-specific accounting systems and complex subsystems in order to respond to changes in requirements and promote sound fiscal management systems.
• Interprets and applies accounting theory and principles and adapts procedures and reporting techniques in order to ensure compliance with governing laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Reconciles complex accounts, formulates corrections, and makes adjusting entries; and formulates and recommends system and process changes through evaluation, analysis, and application of accounting theory in order to eliminate future problems and improve processes, policies, and procedures.
• Prepares required financial statements and related notes and disclosures in order to communicate relevant financial information to concerned parties.
• Analyzes and interprets complex fiscal and statistical information in order to identify significant trends and issues and advise agency management.
• Consults with agency program managers and internal/external financial staff in order to identify business needs, compliance issues, and reporting requirements; and ensure compliance with state/federal fiscal policies or other special requirements.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: 

• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting theories, principles, methods, and practices.
• Knowledge of governmental accounting and fund accounting, including sources of funds, segregation and display of expenditures and revenues, and budgetary accounting.
• Knowledge of computerized accounting systems and standardized desktop technology.
• Knowledge of supervisory principles, practices, and techniques.
• Ability to develop and recommend significant modifications to accounting systems and policies.
• Ability to analyze nonstandard accounting transactions to decide and initiate appropriate entries.
• Ability to reconcile accounts, initiate corrections, and make adjusting entries.
• Ability to develop and evaluate accounting procedures and controls.
• Ability to prepare expenditure, revenue, and budget status reports; annual financial statements including related notes and disclosures; and narrative and statistical reports.
• Ability to prepare cash forecasts, revenue estimates, and expenditure projections.
• Ability to analyze and interpret fiscal information from reports and explain the implications for agency programs and operations.
• Ability to analyze accounting information to prevent, detect, and correct errors.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to write clearly and effectively.
• Ability to effectively lead a project team.
• Ability to provide guidance and technical expertise to lower-level professional and technical accounting staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Certification as a CPA, CIA, or CGFM -OR- 
• A Masters Degree from an accredited educational institution in Business Administration -OR- 
• a Bachelors Degree from an accredited educational institution in Accounting (or any Bachelors Degree from an accredited educational institution which includes 18 semester hours of Accounting coursework) and 2 years of professional accounting experience -OR- 
• an Associates Degree from an accredited educational institution in Accounting and 5 years of practical, progressively responsible accounting experience (3 years of which must be at the professional level) -OR- 
• 8 years of practical, progressively responsible accounting experience (4 years of which must be at the professional level).  Accounting coursework must include successful completion of Principles of Accounting I & II, Intermediate Accounting I & II, plus two other accounting-related courses.  Experience must demonstrate comprehension and application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) guidelines and must demonstrate the ability to (1) analyze and reconcile financial data and records for the purpose of business financial planning; (2) design, recommend, and implement modifications of accounting methods, procedures, forms, and records; (3) prepare financial statements and reports such as balance sheets and other operating statements; (4) analyze and interpret laws, regulations, codes and ordinances to ensure appropriateness of financial transactions and accounting structure; and (5) analyze complex accounts and accounting relationships that result in complex accounting entries.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State. 
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 13.29% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS). 

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role. 

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

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