DNR Grants Accountant II

Full Job Description

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

• In addition to offering rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:

  • Medical, Vision and Dental plans

  • Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans

  • Paid life insurance

  • Short- and long-term disability coverage

  • Employee Wellness programs

  • Flexible Spending Accounts

  • Health Savings Accounts

  • 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave

  • Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options

  • Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system

  • Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

• For more detailed information, please visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits

This position is located in the Executive Director's Office of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.

The work unit exists to guide and supervise the activities of the eight Divisions within DNR in the development, preservation and enhancement of Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of its citizens – both now and in the future.

The purpose of the work unit is to ensure all department financial entries are processed timely and appropriately in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), all State Fiscal Rules, Procedures, Statewide and Departmental Policies & Procedures, as well as various Federal Laws & Regulations. Work unit exists to support departmental and division management directives while processing required vendor payments, interagency payments, and revenue transactions. Proper recording ensures accurate and reliable reporting. The responsibilities include, but are not limited to ensure all revenues and expenditures are properly recorded within the Colorado Legislative Long Bill and Colorado Revised Statutory Appropriations and against management budget. The unit oversees grant recording and revenue earning which is tied to expenditures and grant billing. The unit maintains the Department’s Capital Assets database and prepares all entries related to capital assets. The unit is responsible for testing division internal controls and coordinating internal and external audits related to fiscal management. In addition, the unit provides technical accounting support to the Department users of CORE and InfoAdvantage.

Requirements

This position exists to ensure that grants are reported and billed in accordance with specific requirements, federal laws, rules and regulations, GAAP, and other applicable statutes, regulations and policies; to develop and maintain spreadsheets and database to achieve informational, control and/or reporting requirements for grants. The position analyzes and makes decisions and then resolves observed issues regarding grant cost accounting subsystem reports and prepares adjusting entries in the accounting records and financial statements. The analysis and decision making work includes revenue, expenditures, and balance sheet accounts to ensure that the grants are properly recorded in the Cost Accounting subsystem. The position coordinates and recommends adjustments within the subsystem, including analyzing federal personal services required to prepare indirect cost entries. The position works with the Divisions to complete grant closeouts. The position is also a technical expert for the federal ASAP cash management system used to report grant activity for grants and draw grant funds from the federal government, and various other systems. The federal cash management systems must continually reconcile to the accounting budgets in the state Cost Accounting subsystem to ensure federal funds are available; this position continually analyzes and resolves any issues in this process.


Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Federal Grant Subsystem Financial Management

  • Monitors the grants in CORE accounting software on a monthly basis to ensure accurate reporting, analyzes reports to determine if financial and accounting adjustments are necessary, and after analysis and applying a solution that is arrived at, completes CORE adjusting journal entries to the general ledger such as journal vouchers and cash receipts as needed, to name a few of the CORE transactions utilized.

  • Analyzes federal personal services by each grant to complete calculations decided upon and determine the federal indirect cost and related cost recovery revenue, and upon deciding upon the best calculation/route, prepares the adjusting journal entry in the general ledger.

  • Determines the correct indirect cost rates using federal negotiated agreements by the Department of Interior.

  • Decides when entries are needed to reclassify balance sheet amounts for grant revenue advances within the Cost Accounting subsystem. Coordinates with the Divisions to prepare reclassification for advances and entries for grant closeouts.

• Subject Matter Technical Expert on External Federal Grant Systems
  • Works as a technical expert in the federal cash management system ( ASAP) to ensure the state receives the cash in a timely manner.
  • Subject matter technical assistance in various federal grants management systems including ASAP and Grant Solutions, etc to request payment, submit reports, and problem solve issues.

Grant Budget Set UpAnalyze grant awards and set up new grant coding and budgets for new or existing grants in the CORE Accounting system to assist the Divisions and grant team as needed.

Research and analyze coding needed for new grant set up to ensure proper expense and revenue coding in CORE and proper accounting and financial reporting monthly.

• Customer Service and other duties as assigned
  • Position is responsible for answering questions and providing guidance, training, and great customer service, for internal customers (EDO and various DNR Division staff) and external customers (including grantors).

Qualifications

Experience Only:

• Six (6) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

OR

Education and Experience:

• A combination of related education (coursework requires 27 semester hours completed in accounting or auditing) and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to six (6) years.
• Current, valid licensure as a CPA by the Colorado Board of Accountancy will count for six (6) years of the requirement.

Class Code: Accountant

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (Including pivot tables).
• Experience in CORE or similar accounting software.
• Experience in grant accounting.
• Knowledge of and experience with State Fiscal Rules.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Required Competencies:

• Ability to work under tight deadlines and adapt to changing assignments.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills at all levels within an organization.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in a professional manner.
• Strong analytical, and reasoning abilities.
• Strong organizational and evaluation skills, with keen attention to detail.
• Strong project and time management skills.
• Ability to effectively analyze and present information to colleagues and stakeholders.
• Ability to work well independently as well as in/with a team.
• Ability to research, interpret, and apply policies, procedures, and regulations.

Conditions of Employment:

• This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.

(Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).

• Ability to work both remotely and in the office at 1313 Sherman Street, Denver, CO.

Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.

To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

• Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

• Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

The current work arrangement for this position is as follows:
(Please note, this arrangement can be subject to change)

Hybrid schedule - working from a home office in combination with occasional in person work at 1313 Sherman Street - Denver, CO 80203, offsite meetings or as directed by the supervisor.

APPEAL RIGHTS:
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email, US Mail, faxed or hand delivered within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board go to spb.colorado.gov or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Additional Information

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.

• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement.

• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.

• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.